p A NEW HISTORY OF DOCUMENTARY FILM Jack c. Ellis and Betsy A. McLane .~ continuum NEW YOR K. L ONDON - Contents Preface ix Chapter 1 Some Ways to Think About Documentary 1 Description 1 Definition 3 Intellectual Contexts 4 Pre-documentary Origins 6 Books on Documentary Theory and General Histories of Documentary 9 Chapter 2 Beginnings: The Americans and Popular Anthropology, 1922-1929 12 The Work of Robert Flaherty 12 The Flaherty Way 22 Offshoots from Flaherty 24 Films of the Period 26 Books 011 the Period 26 Chapter 3 Beginnings: The Soviets and Political btdoctrinatioll, 1922-1929 27 Nonfiction 28 Fict ion 38 Films of the Period 42 Books on the Period 42 Chapter 4 Beginnings: The European Avant-Gardists and Artistic Experimentation, 1922-1929 44 Aesthetic Predispositions 44 Avant-Garde and Documentary 45 Three City Symphonies 48 End of the Avant-Garde 53 Films of the Period 55 Books on the Period 56 v = vi CONTENTS Chapter 5 Institutionalization: Great Britain, 1929- 1939 57 Background and Underpinnings 57 The System 60 The Films 63 Grierson and Flaherty 70 Grierson's Contribution 73 Films of the Period 74 Books on the Period 75 Chapter 6 Institutionalization: United States, /930- 1941 77 Film on the Left 77 The March of Time 78 Government Documentaries 80 Nongovernment Documentaries 92 American and British Differences 97 Denouement 101 An Aside to Conclude 102 Films of the Period 103 Books on the Period 103 Chapter 7 Expansion: Great Britain, 1939- 1945 105 Early Days 106 Indoctrination 109 Social Documentary 113 Records of Battle 115 Films of the Period 118 Books on the Period 119 Chapter 8 Expansion: Canada, 1939- 1945 120 Founding of the National Film Board 121 Theatrical Series 122 Nontheatrical Films 125 Summary 126 Fil ms of the Period 127 Books on the Period 128 Chapter 9 Expansion: United States, 1941- 1945 130 Training 131 Indoctrination 131 Records of Battle 135 Social Documentary 138 Comparisons: Great Britain, Canada, the United States 141 Films of the Period 146 Books on the Period 147 -- CONTENTS vii Chapter 10 The Unfulfilled Promise: Postwar Documentary, 1945- 1952 148 Personnel and Leadership 152 Sponsorship 155 Subjects ) 56 Approaches and Techniques 163 Final Observations 164 Films of the Period 164 Books on the Period 165 Chapter 11 In Pursuit of Excellence: National Film Board of Canada's Unit B, 1948-1964 167 Films of the Period 177 Books on the Period 177 Chapter 12 A New Channel: Documentary for Television, the "Golden Years," 1951-1971 179 Historical Background 180 Documentary Series 181 Special Characteristics of Television Documentary 189 Films of the Period 193 Books on the Period 195 Chapter 13 British Free Cinema and Social-Realist Features, 1956-1963 196 Critical Background 197 Free Cinema Films 197 Political and Cultural Context 203 Social-Realist Features 204 Films of the Period 206 Books on the Period 207 Chapter 14 Direct Cinema and Cinema Write, 1960- 1970 208 Historical Background 208 New Technology and First Films 210 Direct Cinema vs Cinema Verite 215 Effects on Documentary Subjects and Styles 218 Aesthetic and Ethical Considerations 222 Films of the Period 224 Books on the Period 225 Chapter 15 English-Language Documentary in the 1970s-Power of th e People 227 Veteran Filmmakers 228 New Directions in Verite 235 • viii CONTENTS Social and Political Emphases 242 Historical Documentary 252 Films of the Period 255 Books on the Period 256 Chapter 16 English-Language Documentary in the 1980s-Video Arrives 258 Cable and Sa tellite Technology 260 The Personal Essay Film 262 The Historical Film 265 Strictly Political 270 Racial and Ethnic Minorities 271 Representing Gay and Lesbian Culture 279 Musk and Performance 287 Films of the Period 29 1 Books on the Period 292 Chapter 17 English-Language Documentary in the 1990s and Beyond- Reality Bytes 293 Business and Technology: The Bad and the Good 294 American Public Television 297 The Ken Burns Phenomenon 299 Ca nada Soldiers On 302 Developments in the United Kingdom 304 American Independents 310 Theatrical Documentary 316 Films of the Period 323 Books on the Period 324 Chapter 18 Some Other Ways to Think About Documentary 326 Technological Promises 327 Aesthetics and Content 328 Finance 330 Intimate Doings of Reality 332 Newer Theory 334 The Future 335 Conclusion 338 Books on the Period 339 Appendices 341 One: Film Festivals 341 Two: Academy-Award-Winning Documentaries 345 Three: The National Film Registry 351 Four: The Grierson Award 353 Five: The lda Awards 356 Index 357 Acknowledgments from Betsy A. McLane 385 INDEX ABC, 18 1, 186, 194,215,235,243,333 "An Allegation of Rape," 234 Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Di­ Allegret, Marc, 26 vided, 302 Alien, Steve, 221 Academy Award-winning documen taries, Alpert, Jon, 248, 261, 296, 323 345-50 Alternative Media Cen ter (of New York Action Statiofls!, 128 University), 247 Adair, Nancy, 279, 282 Always for Pleasure, 310 Adair. Peter, 279, 282 Alwyn, WiIliam, 11 5, 116 Adato, Perry Miller, 255, 256 Amanpour, Christiane. 296 Addison, Joseph, 70 Amateur Night at City Hall, 289 Ades, Lisa, 302 America, documenta ry in. See also Direct Adkin, David, 303 cinema; English-language documen­ Advance/Newhouse. 261 tary "Adventures on the New Frontier," 186 battle records and (1941- 1945), 135- 38, A&E, 261, 296, 297 144 Aero-Engine, 74 beginnings of (1922-1929), 12-26 Aesthetics, 44 -45, 222-24, 328-30 British documentary v. (1930-1941)' L' Age d'or, 46 97-101 Canada, Great Britain, and (1941- 1946), Agee, James. 148 141-46 El Agente agrotlomo (The County Agent), expansion and (1941- 1945 ), 130- 47 147 Flaherty, Robert, work of, 12-25 Agitka,28 government productions (1 930- 1941), Agitprop, 28 , 30, 78, 244, 271 80-91 Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, 306, independents and (1990-),309-15 324 indoctrination and (1941-1945), 131- Aileen Wuoron os: The Selling of a Serial 35, 144 Killer, 306 institutionalization and (1930-1941), a.k.a. Don Bonus, 276 77- 104 Akomfrah, John, 275, 292 internationalism and ( 1945- 1952), 157 Alan Landsberg Productions, 333 leftist film and (1930- 1941), 77- 78 Alatlis, 277 MOT and, 4, 30, 31, 37, 77, 78-80. 79, Alexeieff. Alexa nder, 122 92,93,100, 101 , 103, 122, 123 , 138, Algren, Nelson, 222 139,143,143, 158, 181, 182, 184, l89, Ali, Muhammad, 260 192 Alk, Howard, 255 nongovernment productions (1930- All My Babies, 149-50, 162, 165,245 1941), 92-97 357 358 INDEX personnel, leadership and (1945-1952), Applebaum, Louis, 123 152-53, 154, 155 Approaches and techniques (1945- 1952), public television and (1990-), 297-99 163- 64 social documentary and (I941-1945), Apropos de Nice, 47 138-41, 146 Apted, Michael, 287, 291 , 308, 309, 323 sponsorship and (1945-1952),155,156 Argonallts of the Western Pacific (Malinow- television and (1951-1971),180- 93 ski), 5 training film s and (194 1-1945), 131 "Argument in Indianapolis," 182, 193 America Lost and Found, 266 Aristotle, 216 American Documentary Films. 95 The Ark, 305 American Dream, 320, 322 The Armies of the Night (Thompson), 4 American Experience. 298 Armitage, Simon, 306-7, 324 An American Family. 222, 223, 224, 235. Army Film and Photographic Unit, 115 240 Amell, Richard, 88 American Film Center, 101 The Arrival of a Train at the Station, 6, 338 American Frontier, 154 Articles of War, 131 American Hollow, 261 Artists Must Live, 162 American Masters, 289, 298 Artkino, 187 American Movie Classics. 261 The arts (1945- 1952),161 America's Answer, 9 Asian Cine Vision, 275 America's War 011 Poverty. 274 Asq uith, Anthony, 105, 107 Amos and Andy, 274 TIle Assassination of a British Sentry, 7 And So They Live, 90, 96- 97, 101,103, 193 Association of Documentary Film Produc- Anderson, Lindsay, 197- 98.200.202,204, ers (ADFP), 101 205,206,207 Association of Moving Image Archivists, Anderson, Max. 11 8 295 . The Anderson Platoon, 225. 244 Association of Realist Film Producers, 101 Anderson, Robert, 162, 165 Astruc, Alexandre, 224 Andersoll, Sherwood. 57 Atlantic Patrol, 122, 127 Anemic Cinema, 46 Atomic Cafe, 266, 291 Angela: Portrait of a Revolutionary, 255 Attack on a China Missi01l, 7 "Angola: Journey to a War," 185, 194 Attack on a Japmlese Convoy, 7 Angry Boy, 165 Attack! The Battle for New Britain, 137, 146 Angry Young Men, 196, 203, 204 Attiro, 255 Animal Planet, 295 Auden, W. H., 67, 70 Animated Cartoons: TI,e Toy That Grew Up, Aufderheide, Pat, 262, 273, 334 161 The Autobiography of a Jeep, 140, 146 Anka, Paul, 172, 173, 174,218- 19 Avant-garde, in Europe (1922-1929), "Annie Lee Moss Before the McCarthy 44-56 Committee," 190 Avid Media Composer, 258. 327 Anstey, Edgar, 61, 63, 64, 68, 74,75, 107 L' Avventura, 22 1 Anthropology, in North America (1922- 1929),5,6, 12- 26 Baboona,25 Antonia: Portrait of a Woman , 242, 256 Bachelor's Pnrty, 221 Antonioni, Michelangeio, 221 The Back of Beyond, 164 AOL Time Warner, 319 The Back-breaking Leaf, 174-75, 177 Apollinaire, Guillaume, 46 Bagwell, Orlando, 274 Appal'hop, 248, 249, 274 Baker, Douglas, 88 Apple, 327 Baldwin, Stanley, 102 r INDEX 359 Ball. Joseph. 106 Bell, Marlin, 317 TIle Ballad of Baby Doe. 87 Benet, Stephen Vincent, 87 Ballet. 314 Benjamin, Burton, 185, 194 Ballet mecanique, 46 Benjarnin, Mary, 266 The Baltimore Plan, 164 Benjy. 148. 165 The Band. 287 Benson, Lillian, 274 Bank Holiday. 105 Berga: So ldiers of Another War, 270 Baptism of Fire, 134 Berkeley irJ th e Sixties. 322 Barbour. Malcolm. 234. 333 Berle, Milton, 180 Barenaked in America. 287 Berlin: Symphony of a Great City.