Film, Video, Audio, Photographs, Manuscripts
Physical Description:
Video
Units: Audio
Units:
194 -
U-Matic ¾” Videocassettes 25
- 5" Tape reels
28 - ½” Videocassettes (12-VHS; 16-Beta)
8 - 7" Tape reels
16 - 1” Videotape reels 10
- 10" Tape reels
28 - 2” Tape reels 5 - Tape cassettes
25 - 16mm. Film reels
7 – DVDs of digitally transferred analog
video documentaries
166 Photographs
.9 linear feet of Manuscripts
4 Performance documents
1 Sound Recording
Dates:
1974-1993
(bulk 1975-1981)
RESTRICTIONS:
All
materials in this collection are subject to standard national and international
copyright laws. Materials for which undeniable rights for “fair use” apply are
those that Blaine Dunlap created himself. Dunlap holds copyright to all such
materials. Reproduction of some
materials (Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Orbison, National Archives) are copyright
restricted. Center staff are able to assist with copyright questions for this
material.
Provenance:
Deposited
in the Center for Popular Music by Blaine Dunlap in July 2001. The 7 DVDs were
given to the Center for Popular Music by Blaine Dunlap on November 17, 2010.
Agency History/biographical sketch:
Blaine
Dunlap was born in
In the
spring of 1976, Dunlap and Broadside TV produced Symphony No. 5. Meanwhile,
Sol Korine, MTSU professor Chares K. Wolfe, folklorist Ralph Hyde, and the
Tennessee Folklore Society received a grant from the National Endowment for the
Arts to support the production of
documentaries
about Uncle Dave Macon and Hamper McBee. Working with pioneering small-format
video engineer, Frank Forgette, in
Blaine
Dunlap received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1984, which lead to the video
narrative, Nightwork. This aired as a
segment of Likely Stories, an
anthology series by independent directors that aired on The Learning Channel
and public television stations. 1988 found Dunlap producing the pilot for Turners World of Adventure, an
avant-garde non-fiction series. In 1989, he teamed with New Orleans-based
filmmaker Stevenson Palfi in Played in
the USA, a 13-hour anthology music series. In 1990, Chiz Schultz and Dunlap
were commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts to make Who We Are, an examination of three
pioneering grass-roots community arts organizations.
Blaine
Dunlap currently (2007) divides his time between
[Parts of
the above biography written by Blaine Dunlap in 2007.]
Scope and content:
Documentary
filmmakers Blaine Dunlap and Sol Korine produced a variety of audio-visual
programs pertaining to music in
The
majority of the collection is U-Matic videocassette tapes. Other formats
include ½ inch videotapes, 1” and 2” tapes, 16 mm film and audio tape. At this
time (11/04) each has been viewed and logged, with the exception of the 2”
tapes, some 16 mm film and the audio tapes. There are 7 DVDs that are digitally
restored versions of analog videotape documentaries that the filmmakers: “Memories
of Prince Albert Hunt”; “Showdown at the Hoedown”; “Hamper McBee: Raw Mash”; “Mouth
Music”; “This Cat Can Play Anything”; “Give the World a Smile”; and “Piano
Players Rarely Ever Play Together.”
Southbound
is an eleven-part documentary series originally broadcast on PBS exploring the
roots of Southern music. The programs document African American folk music,
blues, ballads, gospel music, jazz, Cajun, Western swing, rockabilly, and
old-time fiddling. Of particular importance locally is the complete footage of
Korine and Dunlap’s documentary of Rutherford Countian Uncle Dave Macon. The
Papers
include materials associated with the production of several of the programs
contained in the collection, materials relating to other films produced by
Blaine Dunlap, and personal papers. Materials include correspondence,
contracts, financial reports, receipts, bills, budget data, and promotional
materials relating to entities involved with the production of various
programs: National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission Sinking
Creek Film Celebration, Tennessee Arts Commission, Public Broadcasting System,
Georgia Public Television, "Showdown at the Hoedown," “Symphony #5,”
and American Patchwork. A transcript of “Raw Mash” with Hamper McBee is
included. For a more detailed description please see Finding Aid Shelf List.
Photographs
in the collection consist of black and white prints, contact sheets and slides
of Blaine Dunlap, Sol Korine, artists, and production staff members shooting
various programs as well as promotional prints. On location photographs include
Blaine Dunlap and Sol Korine editing “Raw Mash” in 1978, Blaine Dunlap shooting
Leonarus Emmaul for “Mouth Music” in 1980 on location in
Promotional
photographs include all the programs associated with the “Southbound” series
and photographs of Hamper McBee distributed in connection with the airing of
“Raw Mash.” Several photographs of Uncle
Dave Macon in various poses during earlier years were supplied by Les Leverett,
the official photographer of the Grand Ole Opry and used as promotional
material for the “Uncle Dave Macon” video.
Location:
All
collection materials are located in four closed cabinets in the storage area.
Please refer to the accompanying shelf list located in the Reading Room for
specifics. Photographs are cross-referenced in the Iconographic files and
cataloged in the InMagic Iconographic database.
Related Materials:
In
addition to the materials described above, the collection included one 45 rpm
sound recording and four performance programs. These materials have been
interfiled in the suitable Center for Popular Music collection and may be
searched in the InMagic database. A promotional 33 1/3rpm sound recording
titled Southbound also resides in the sound recording collection.
Gretchen
Robinson produced a set of tapes that became the camera originals for
"Give the World a Smile" in the Southbound series. The subject
of these tapes revolve around farming with the Schuylers in
Series Description:
(VCT =
Umatic ¾” video cassette and VHS = ½” video)
(TSA =
7" audio; TFA = 5" audio; TTA = 10" audio)
"Long
Time Gone" is a Blaine Dunlap film commissioned by the Sinking Creek Film
Celebration at
[Final
Version: Bluegrass at Station Inn,
Series
B: "Showdown at the Hoedown"
"Showdown
at the Hoedown" showcases
[Final Version:
Series
C: "Symphony #5"
"Symphony
no. 5" is the title of the original music by David Van Vactor that is the
subject of this film. The composer describes his conception of the piece, as
the film follows the rehearsals and opening performance of the symphony,
performed by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor
Arpad Joo. During the 18-month editing phase of this project, Blaine Dunlap
refined a post-production nomenclature used by the film/video industry until
the emergence of non-linear video. [1975-1979]
[Final
Version:
Symphony,
Blaine Dunlap, 1976 Bicentennial project. See p. 11 of finding aid:
VCT-0239-UUUUUUU. Also see p. 1 of finding aid: "Symphony #5"
folder.]
Series
D: "Merry Go Round"
"Merry
Go Round" is the working title of an unreleased biodrama of
Balladeer-moonshiner Hamper McBee. The camera original tapes we have suggest
the story line of a seasoned carnival con man (McBee) taking on a younger
protege. The story is probably an outgrowth of McBee's personal accounts of working
at carnival midway game booths, in conversation that arises while Korine-Dunlap
filmed "Raw Mash" (see below).
(Korine-Dunlap Collection continued)
[Final
Version: unreleased Hamper McBee
biodrama shot on 1" type A, Korine-Dunlap, 1978
(also
called "Teddy Bears & Frigidaires"). See p. 10 of finding aid:
VCT-0239-OOOOO, VCT-0239-QQQQQ, and VCT-0239-RRRRR; and p. 11 of finding aid:
VCT-0239-JJJJJJJ and VCT-0239-KKKKKKK. (These are camera originals.)]
Series
E: "Uncle Dave Macon"
"Uncle
Dave Macon" is a Korine-Dunlap project that interviews many people,
including
[Final
Version: Korine-Dunlap/Tennessee Folklore Society, 1980. See p. 11 of finding
aid: VCT-0239-ZZZZZZ.]
Series
F: "Southbound"
The Southbound
series, narrated by Hamper McBee, travels across the Southeast, showcasing
Southern music styles as the roots of American music. Korine-Dunlap were the
executive producers of the series which aired in 1981. However, some shows were
produced by other film-makers, as indicated. Southbound included works by Les Blanc, Bill Ferris and Judy
Pieser, Gretchen Robinson, Alan Steckler, Stevenson Palfi, and Ken Harrison.
Show
#1: "Mouth Music" illustrates the drill march chants, children's
jump-rope rhymes, auctioneer bidding routines, and other forms of vocalizations
that perhaps go overlooked as music. Most noteworthy are
[Final
version: "Mouth Music" p. 11: VCT-0239-CCCCCCC and
VCH-0239-C/BB (VHS).]
Show
#2: "Gravel Springs Fife & Drum" couples with "Give My Poor
Heart Ease" to illustrate black musical rhythms of delta
[Final
version: "Gravel Springs Fife & Drum" (from the Center for
Southern Folklore) and "Give My Poor Heart Ease" (B. Ferris),
p. 12: VCT-0239-B/BB (VHS) and VCH-
0239-Y/BB
(Beta).]
Show
#3: "Raw Mash" stars Hamper McBee as a dying breed of traditional
ballad singer and moonshiner on Monteagle mountain,
[Final
version: "Raw Mash," Hamper McBee,
(Korine-Dunlap Collection continued)
Folklore
Society, 1978. See p. 11 of finding aid: VCT-0239-FFFFFFF and (p. 12)
VCH-0239-AA/BB
(Beta).]
Show
#4: "Give the World a Smile" projects the story of white Gospel music
through one family who advocates simple, country living.
[Final
version: "Give the World a Smile," VCT-0239-MMMMMMM and
VCH-0239-Z/BB (Beta).]
Show
#5: "Fannie Bell Chapman" tells the story of Southern black Gospel
music through a singer-healer.
[Final
version: "Fannie Bell Chapman," VCT-0239-PPPPPPP.]
Show
#6: "This Cat Can Play Anything," NOT IN COLLECTION.
Show
#7: "Spend it All" (Les Blank), NOT IN COLLECTION.
Show
#8: "Chulas Fronteras" takes place along the Texas-Mexican border and
features the music and traditions of the people there. This is a Chris
Strachinsartz film.
[Final
version: "Chulas Fronteras," (Chris Strachinsartz) VCT-0239-VVVVVV.]
Show
#9: "Gimble's Swing" features Texas Swing music in its early radio
days and generations later. This is a film by Ken Harrison.
[Final
version: "Gimble's Swing," (Ken Harrison), VCT-0239-WWWWWW.]
Show
#10: "Showdown at the Hoedown," see above.
Show
#11: Show about Roy Orbison, was never produced due to rights/money
issues. However, there are two tapes of Orbison shows: VCT-0239-YYYYYYY and
VCT-0239-ZZZZZZZ
Series
G: "Sometimes It's Gonna Hurt" Korine-Dunlap/PBS, 1983 (also known as "Kiddie
Korral"). This is Dunlap's last show. "Sometimes It's Gonna
Hurt" was a 1983 Korine-Dunlap project about a rodeo school for children.
Though these reels are unview-able as is, there is an excerpt within
VCT-0239-WWWWWWW, "Dunlap's 'timecode' scam."
Series
H: "Played in the
"Played
in the
(See p. 12
of finding aid, out of a total of 11 shows, this collection contains the
following four:)
Show
No. 3 "All by Myself" Eartha Kitt's life story of growing up an
orphan, rising to success, but still feeling alone. [Final version:
"All By Myself" (Eartha Kitt story), VCH
(Korine-Dunlap Collection continued)
0239-I/BB
and -J/BB]
Show
No.6 "Machito: A Latin Jazz Legacy" describes the merging of Latin
rhythms with jazz. [Final version: "Machito: A Latin Jazz Legacy,"
VCH-0239-K/BB]
Show
No. 7. "Mary Lou Williams: Music on My Mind" chronicles the rise to
success of Williams as a musician and composer who later seeks comfort by
giving back to music though instruction and inspiration of young musicians.
[Final version: "Mary Lou Williams-Music On My Mind,"
VCH-0239-L/BB]
Show
No. 11 "Sing Beast Sing" is a short animated clip of blues music; In
Heaven there is No Beer" showcases happy, hearty polka music festivals;
"Live and Remember" features Lakota Sioux dance, rhythm, and oral
history. [Final version: "Sing Beast Sing," "In Heaven There
Is No Beer" (polka music), and "Live and Remember," VCH-0239-G/BB
and -H/BB]
Folder/box list:
Box
# Folder # Description
1 Personal
Papers
1
Sinking Creek Film Celebration
1974 and 1975
2 Broadside
TV Programming 1974 and 1975
3 Arts
Exposure Budget 1975 and 1976
4 Coalition
for New Public Affairs Programming, Feb. 13 1976- Dec. 22 1976
5 TN
Arts Commission 1976, Broadside Video “Showdown at the Hoedown” Music cue sheets
6 “Symphony
#5” (1975-1979)
7 SECA
1978
8
9 Correspondence,
use agreements 1978-1979
10 Lomax/American
Patchwork (see VCT-0239-RRRRRR)
11 Personal
Expenses-Murfreesboro, 1978-1979
12 Dunlap
Correspondence 7-18-2001, TFS Agreement June 7, 1980 and May 13,
1981, USIA film catalog
search
13 NEA
Contract Nov. 13, 1975,
Southbound Jan. 31, 1982
Center for Southern Folklore
14
PBS
Raw Mash 1979, GA Public TV Program Guide-1981
15
Items
removed from film canisters, 1980
16
Spiral-bound
notebook, “Hamper Transcriptions”
(Korine-Dunlap Collection continued)
Box
# Folder # Description
(
2 Press
Kit 1
Generic Southbound, Biography-Hamper McBee
Program 1 Vocal Resources “Mouth Music”
Program 2 Black Folk Music and Blues “Gravel
Springs
“Give
My Poor Heart Ease”
Program 3 Ballads, Hamper McBee “Raw Mash”
Program 4 White Gospel, “Give the World a Smile”
Program 5 Black Gospel, “Fannie Bell Chapman”
Press Kit 2
Program 6 Traditional Jazz, “This Cat Can Play
Anything”
Program 7 Cajun, “Spend it All”
Program 8 Tex-Mex, “Chulas Fronteras: Part 2”
Program 9 Western Swing, “Gimble Swing”
Program 10 Fiddling Music, “Showdown at the Hoedown”
Dulplicate photographs from
“Southbound” Press Kits
Box
# Folder # Description
3 Photographs
1 Hamper
McBee (1978) – B/W prints
2 “Raw
Mash” (1978); “Mouth Music” (1980) – B/W prints
3 “Symphony
No. 5” (1975) – color slides and B/W
prints
4 “Southbound”
(1981) –B/W prints
5 “Seeking
Creek Film Festival” (1974) – contact sheet
6 “Video
South” Conference (1975) – contact sheets
7 Uncle
Dave Macon (ca. 1930-1950) –B/W prints
Note: The
Arts Center of Cannon County received an NEA grant to produce master digital
copies of finished programs and create preservation elements in 2006. Four
intermediate DVD production copies were received June 5, 2008, accession number
07-025. DVDs were:
Mock up of
“Raw Mash/Mouth Music,” “Showdown at the Hoedown,” “ Uncle Dave Macon.”
Written
by Lucinda Cockrell and Andra Kowalczyk 11/04; updated 5/07, LPC and Betsy
Snowden; updated LPC 6/08.