American Studies
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AS SEEN BY BOTH SIDES:AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE ARTISTS LOOK AT THE WARAsian Studies Art History American Studies
Documents the history of a remarkable art exhibit which showcases the work of both
American and Vietnamese veterans of the Indochina War.
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AFRICA BETWEEN MYTH AND REALITYWomen's Studies Art History American Studies African Studies Short Films
Showcases the view of African life featured in the paintings, drawings and etchings of
Betty LaDuke, one of America's most accomplished multicultural artists.
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BETTY LaDUKE: AN ARTIST'S JOURNEY FROM THE BRONX TO TIMBUKTUWomen's Studies Art History Cultural Studies American Studies Short Films
This video takes us on a trip through six decades and over twenty countries in tracing the
development of Betty LaDuke, one of America's leading multicultural artists. Her vision
encompasses not only American culture, but also influences from Native American,
Mexican and African cultures and lifestyles.
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THE MAN WHO DREW BUG-EYED MONSTERSCinema Studies Art History American Studies
This fascinating and entertaining documentary celebrates the work of Reynold Brown,
one of the most acclaimed movie poster artists of the Fifties and early Sixties, whose
work colorfully encapsulated the nation's postwar social climate.
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LASTING IMPRESSIONSArt History American Studies African-American Studies Directed by Women
Profiles lithograph artist Robert Blackburn, one of the few black printmakers to emerge
from WPA-sponsored arts projects, including the Harlem Art Center, during the Thirties.
His prints have been exhibited widely and he has also had a long teaching career, but the
now 77-year-old Blackburn is best known as the founder and director of the Printmaking
Workshop, which recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.
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HARRY DEVLIN: AN ARTIST'S ODYSSEYShort Films Architecture Art History American Studies
Documents the life and work of Harry Devlin, whose long and varied career as a
commercial and fine arts artist has spanned more than half a century, with work in
virtually every medium in the fields of syndicated cartooning, publishing and advertising.
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CHARLES DANA GIBSON: PORTRAIT OF AN ILLUSTRATORWomen's Studies Art History American Studies Short Films
The Gibson Girl, the first popular image of the American woman, was created by Charles
Dana Gibson, one of the nation's greatest illustrators, during the "Golden Age" of
illustration, when America's national magazines, such as Life and Collier's, influenced
every aspect of American culture.
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THE PIPES ARE CALLINGShort Films Music Irish Studies American Studies Directed by Women
Portrays a summer bagpipe school in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where piping enthusiasts
from all over North America gather to learn the craft and music of the traditional
instrument of the Scottish highlands.
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RIDING WITH THE KINGMusic American Studies Directed by Women
Captures the spirit and charm of the legacy of Elvis Presley by accompanying a fan
through Elvis country, from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. The video
visits his birthplace and other shrines of Presleydom, meets people who were associated
with Elvis, plus his adoring fans and impersonators.
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WIZARD OF THE STRINGSShort Films Music American Studies
Profiles Roy Smeck, a former vaudeville star known as "The Wizard of the Strings"
because of his virtuoso talents on the guitar, banjo, ukelele and Hawaiian guitar, and who
is shown to be still active, in his mid-80s, teaching students and giving occasional public
performances.
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CATCHING UP WITH YESTERDAYMusic American Studies Short Films
A documentary portrait of Andrew F. Boarman, a 78-year-old West Virginia instrument
maker and musician, featuring a number of lively musical performances and an illustration
of Boarman's skills as a master craftsman of banjos, guitars, fiddles, and dulcimers.
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DEBUTCultural Studies New York City Urban Studies Political Science Performing Arts Narrative Films Music Cinema Studies Asian-American Studies Asian Studies American Studies Directed by Women
This cinema-verite documentary explores the realities of life as a classical musician
through the story of Hexagon, a newly-formed chamber ensemble. The documentary
chronicles their challenging first year and a half, from the group's seemingly casual first
rehearsal to its high-pressure launching into the mainstream of the classical music scene.
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THE SPIRIT TRAVELS: IMMIGRANT MUSIC IN AMERICASociology Music American Studies Immigration
Hosted and narrated by singer Linda Ronstadt, this entertaining and informative look at
ethnic music in America offers a rich sampling of the nation's culturally diverse musical
styles, featuring performances of Irish, Greek, African-American, Jewish, Central Asian,
Chinese and Puerto Rican music.
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CONCERTO AT WORKPerforming Arts Music American Studies Directed by Women
This behind-the-scenes documentary chronicles the collaborative efforts of young
composer Peter Lieberson, pianist Peter Serkin, and conductor Seiji Ozawa as they shape
Lieberson's first orchestral piece for debut by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
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THE LAST OF THE ONE NIGHT STANDSShort Films Performing Arts Music American Studies
This video portrays the big-band era in American entertainment, profiling the Lee
Williams Band which, from 1938 to 1952, barnstormed throughout the Midwest, bringing
Swing music to rural America.
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THE SPITBALL STORYShort Films Music American Studies Directed by Women
This video features legendary musicians Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Hinton and Jonah Jones,
who clear up the mystery of a fabled incident in jazz history in the early Forties when the
three were members of Cab Calloway's famous band.
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MARTIN KALMANOFF: AMERICAN COMPOSER
Kalmanoff, who studied composition at Harvard with Walter Piston, has written
over fifty-four works for the musical theater, including seventeen operas, all of which
feature lyrical, witty and inventive music.
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SEE YOU IN HELL, BLIND BOYMusic Cultural Studies American Studies African-American Studies
This video traces the forgotten roots and celebrates the continuing legacy of Blues music
in the Mississippi Delta, interweaving rare archival footage of the South's sharecropping
era with performances by Blues veterans Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip
James and Howlin' Wolf.
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BIRTHWRITE: GROWING UP HISPANICLiterature Latino Studies Cultural Studies American Studies
Hosted by Cheech Marin, this documentary examines the work of several Hispanic-
American writers and how their poems, short stories and novels reflect what it means and
what it's like to grow up Hispanic in America.
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BORDERLINESSociology Psychology & Psychiatry Literature Cultural Studies Anthropology American Studies
Set against a background of farming, saw-milling and moonshining activities in rural
Kentucky during the Depression, this short film dramatizes the use of violence as a
socially accepted form of "folk justice."
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