Preserving Films in the Benny Goodman Collection

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Preserving

Films in the

Benny

Goodman

Collection

Remi

Castonguay

Public Service Projects

Librarian, Yale University

Francesca

Livermore

Arts-Area Digital

Librarian, Yale University

NEMLA Spring

Meeting

Brown University

Friday

March 28, 2014

Brief Description of the Goodman

Collection

1500 arrangements* 5,000 photographs 40 scrapbooks

• Also these  clippings, programs, awards, memorobilia

* The behest includes the rights to unreleased recordings in the master tapes and to the arrangements.

Brief Description of the Films

Around 150 films

Most date from the

1950s through the early 1960s

Historical significance?

Brief Description of the Films

Irving Jacoby “Prod

55”: Master quality materials for a 1955

Columbia Recording

Studios session

Benny Goodman in

Bangkok: Master quality materials for

Goodman’s trip to

Thailand in 1956

Benny Goodman in

Brussels: Master quality materials for

Goodman’s trip to

Brussels in 1958 for the World’s Fair

John Gunther’s “High

Road Show”; entitled

“Benny Goodman: Our

Most Unusual

Ambassador”: Master quality materials for

Goodman’s trip to Holland in 1958

Brief Description of the Films

Television

Kinescopes: Various

TV shows on which

Goodman appeared

Benny Goodman in

Russia, materials documenting

Goodman’s trip in

1962 (materials processed and digitized in 2008)

The Benny

Goodman Show:

Master quality materials of

Goodman’s band at

Disneyland, 1961

Home movies that spans the years 1940s to

1950s

The Heart of the

Cold War

Jazz musicians actedas cultural ambassadors.

Goodman was the first to go to the

USSR.

The Heart of the

Cold War

Historical

Significance

After this tour and in the wake of the Bay of Pigs calamity, the Soviets accepted Benny Goodman for an official jazz tour. […] Soviet officials refused Louis Armstrong because they feared his exuberant style of jazz might ‘cause riots’

[…] [and refused Ellington because he was] ‘too far out’ […]

It was only when Avakian suggested Goodman that the

Soviets agreed to jazz. They declared, he ‘would be best….

After all, our orchestras play his music, and the public will understand his music…” After this tour and in the wake of the Bay of Pigs calamity, the Soviets accepted Benny

Goodman for an official jazz tour. […] Soviet officials refused Louis Armstrong because they feared his exuberant style of jazz might ‘cause riots’ […] [and refused Ellington because he was] ‘too far out’ […] It was only when Avakian suggested Goodman that the Soviets agreed to jazz. They declared, he ‘would be best…. After all, our orchestras play his music, and the public will understand his music…”

Davenport, Lisa E. Jazz diplomacy: Promoting

America in the cold war

era. Univ. Press of

Mississippi, 2010.

Historical

Significance

“Many hailed Goodman’s tour as a rousing and inspiring turning point on both sides of the Iron Curtain.” […] Most important, several newspapers noted that Goodman even appealed to Khrushchev, who, although mystified, voiced sincere appreciation for Goodman’s music.”

Davenport, Lisa E. Jazz diplomacy: Promoting

America in the cold war

era. Univ. Press of

Mississippi, 2010.

Historical

Significance

Historical

Significance

Historical

Significance

Historical

Significance

Congressional

Record. House.

June 24, 1958.

Congress-Session:

85- 2

SPRING 2013

Preservation assessment

Grant application submitted

David G. Jessup visits

Arcadia grant awarded

Reels by AD Value

30

25

20

40

35

15

10

5

0

0 0.1

0.5

1 1.5

2 3

Reels by AD Value

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Know what you have

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Know what you have

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Know what you have

Notes from bench: b+w, mos, positive safety film, edge code plus square,

1955. Some film damage at very end of tail, mild warping, splices throughout (10-15).

Notes from leader:

Band plays // Prod 59 //

End trim of 2-2 MOS

[sync mark: 2-2]; [tail sync mark: 4-2]

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Know what you have ✔

Know what you want

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Know what you have ✔

Know what you want

Sync it!

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Know what you have ✔

Know what you want

Sync it! ✔

Stream it!

Why save film?

Format

Content cAr4m!ne

Access

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