Cradle is Rocking: Tom Davenport's old print

We are looking for the 35mm negative and the 16mm reduction elements of this important film on New Orleans jazz. The academy leader on the film indicates that the film laboratory that processed and printed the film was Movielab in New York City. The lab closed and the unclaimed films were picked up by various collectors.

"The Cradle is Rocking" was directed by Frank DeCola who died in the early 1970s. Frank was a talented filmmaker and composer and was enlisted in a program run by George Stevens Jr. during the Kennedy years. That program sponsored young filmmakers to make films for the United States Information Service, for showing abroad in USIA libraries. Tom Davenport was the cameraman on the project and it was shot in B&W 35mm film. Anthony Loeb was the producer. This print is from Tom Davenport's collection and as you see, it is in bad shape. We have been able to locate one other print, a 16mm reduction print in good shape. Both prints are archived in the Folkstreams collection in the Soutern Folklife Collection at the University of NC in Chapel Hill.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• New
• Orleans
• Jazz
• Kid
• Shiek
• Frank
• DeCola
• George
• Stevens
• Jr.
• USIA
• Athony
• Loeb
• Tom
• Davenport
• United
• States
• Information
• Agency
• Dejan
• Olympia
• Bass
• band
• storyville
• ramblers
• Movielab

[timabad]

is there a cleaner version on flokstreamer? I could do my best to work with it.

[folkstreamer]

This is my one and only print now. It was transferred from the 16mm film to digitalbeta tape and this stream is from the tape. The transfer was done one light from Colorlab in Maryland. We are trying to find a better print.

[dorkydorkone]

Probably the most damaged prints I have ever seen my entire life. It's hard to see the ending..... x/

[cartoonsonfilm]

Severe vinegar syndrome?

[subterranean47]

I'm surprised this film didn't turn to dust

[SumDoood]

Without the cars to date it, you might think it was fifty years older.

[LisaPalNOLA]

I don't care what shape it's in, this really is wonderful!

[boychimp]

My gosh, this is wonderful. I hope a cleaner print surfaces; regardless, thank you.

[polarityrecords]

Many thanks for posting. This is great.

[aicheyearaem]

"I figure things seem to change a lot more than they really do. The river is the same river I knew as a boy. And the feelings I had then are the feelings I still feel. And the music I played then..."