Reminiscences of Donn Allan Pennebaker, 1981
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- Name
- Pennebaker, D. A (Interviewee)
- Hogenson, Barbara (Interviewer)
- Title
- Reminiscences of Donn Allan Pennebaker, 1981
- Abstract
- Childhood: father's photographic career, parents' divorce; engineering studies; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Yale, 1947; founder, Electronics Engineering; early literary aspirations; filmmaking techniques and influence of Francis Thompson; marriage to and divorce from Sylvia Bell; documentary filmmaking with Drew Associates and Time-Life Films, 1959-1963: association with Julien Bryan, Ro bert Drew, Ricky Leacock, Albert Maysles, Greg Shuker; development of cinematic techniques, sound and camera equipment; philosophy of documentary filmmaking; selection of characters and subjects, editing, role and size of production crew; films discussed in detail: film loops for Brussels World's Fair, DAYBREAK (1953), GYPSY (1958), DAVID (1961), SUSAN STARR (1962), JANE (1962), SECOND CITY COMMERCIALS (1965), DONT LOOK BACK (1966), MAIDSTONE (1968), MONTERREY POP (1968), 1 PM (1969), KEEP ON ROCKIN' (1972); Pennebaker Associates filming in the White House during the Kennedy and Carter administrations; relationship of Public Broadcasting System and National Film Board of Canada to independent filmmakers; impressions of Gypsy Rose Lee, Chris Hegedus, John DeLorean, Hope Ryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Bob Dylan, Eddie Sachs, Norman Mailer
- Collection Name
- Individual interviews oral history collection
- Subjects
- Cinematographers; Motion picture producers and directors; Cinematography; Documentary films; Motion picture journalism; United States Social life and customs; Pennebaker, D. A; Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.); National Film Board of Canada
- Format
- oral histories
- Genre
- Interviews
- Date
- 1981
- Physical Description
- 811 pages
- Note (Biographical)
- Filmmaker; interviewee b. 1925
- Note
- Interviewed by Barbara Hogenson
- Language
- English
- Library Location
- Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
- Catalog Record
- 15308245
- Persistent URL
- https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-m8sz-m884
- Related URLs
- Available digital content for this interview.