The Connection (1961 film)
Encyclopedia
The Connection is a 1961 feature film by the noted American experimental filmmaker Shirley Clarke
. It was Clarke's first feature; she had made several shorts over the previous decade.
Based on the play The Connection
by Jack Gelber
, the film follows a young filmmaker who attempts to film junkies waiting for their heroin dealer to arrive.
Most of the actors from the original stage production reprised their roles for the film: Warren Finnerty as Leach, Carl Lee
as Cowboy, Garry Goodrow
as Ernie, Jerome Raphel as Solly, Barbra Winchester as Sister Salvation, and Henry Proach as Harry. All the musicians from the original stage production appeared: Freddie Redd
(composer, piano), Jackie McLean
(alto sax), Michael Mattos (bass), and Larry Ritchie
(drums). Non-original cast members James Anderson and Wlliam Redfield took the roles of Sam and Jim Dunn. The character of Jaybird was cut from the film, that role essentially shifted to an off-screen camera operator, J.J. Burden, voiced by Roscoe Lee Brown.
The film is notable in the history of film censorship, as Clarke and Producer Lewis Allen had to sue in court to be able to show the film in New York (it having already premiered in Cannes
). In that era, in New York, the State's Department of Education had a vote on the State's film licensing board, and they voted to deny a license, mainly on the grounds that the word "shit" was used repeatedly during the film, even though it was mostly used to refer to drugs. The case went all the way to the New York State Court of Appeals (the state's highest court). The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of the intermediate level Appellate Division, which had held that while 'vulgar', this usage could not be considered obscene. Ultimately, the film was not a success at the box office.
Shirley Clarke
Shirley Clarke was an American independent filmmaker.-Early life:Born Shirley Brimberg in New York City, Shirley Clarke was the daughter of a Polish-immigrant father who made his fortune in manufacturing. Her mother was the daughter of a multimillionaire Jewish manufacturer and inventor. Her...
. It was Clarke's first feature; she had made several shorts over the previous decade.
Based on the play The Connection
The Connection (1959 play)
The Connection is a 1959 play by Jack Gelber. It was first produced by the Living Theatre, directed by Living Theatre co-founder Judith Malina, and designed by co-founder Julian Beck...
by Jack Gelber
Jack Gelber
Jack Gelber was an American playwright best known for his 1959 drama The Connection, depicting the life of drug-addicted jazz musicians. The first great success of the Living Theatre, the play was translated into five languages and produced in ten nations...
, the film follows a young filmmaker who attempts to film junkies waiting for their heroin dealer to arrive.
Most of the actors from the original stage production reprised their roles for the film: Warren Finnerty as Leach, Carl Lee
Carl Lee (actor)
Carl Lee , born Carl Vincent Canegata, was an African-American actor. He was also the son of late pioneering African American actor/professional boxer Canada Lee .-Career:...
as Cowboy, Garry Goodrow
Garry Goodrow
Garry Goodrow is an American actor best known for his role in the original stage production of the Obie Award-winning play The Connection, and as one of the original cast members of The Committee. In The Connection Goodrow played the young, intense, morose, would-be jazz musician Ernie, a heroin...
as Ernie, Jerome Raphel as Solly, Barbra Winchester as Sister Salvation, and Henry Proach as Harry. All the musicians from the original stage production appeared: Freddie Redd
Freddie Redd
Freddie Redd is an American hard bop pianist and composer.His greatest success came in the late 1950s in the play and movie The Connection, in which he both played and acted in New York City, London, and Paris. He also played on the soundtrack album...
(composer, piano), Jackie McLean
Jackie McLean
John Lenwood McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.-Biography:McLean's father, John Sr., played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra...
(alto sax), Michael Mattos (bass), and Larry Ritchie
Larry Ritchie
Larry Ritchie is a jazz drummer and record/CD producer.He has recorded with John Coltrane, Ray Draper, and Jackie McLean. Examples of his jazz work are provided by McLean's Strange Blues and Freddie Redd's Music from The Connection ....
(drums). Non-original cast members James Anderson and Wlliam Redfield took the roles of Sam and Jim Dunn. The character of Jaybird was cut from the film, that role essentially shifted to an off-screen camera operator, J.J. Burden, voiced by Roscoe Lee Brown.
The film is notable in the history of film censorship, as Clarke and Producer Lewis Allen had to sue in court to be able to show the film in New York (it having already premiered in Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
). In that era, in New York, the State's Department of Education had a vote on the State's film licensing board, and they voted to deny a license, mainly on the grounds that the word "shit" was used repeatedly during the film, even though it was mostly used to refer to drugs. The case went all the way to the New York State Court of Appeals (the state's highest court). The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of the intermediate level Appellate Division, which had held that while 'vulgar', this usage could not be considered obscene. Ultimately, the film was not a success at the box office.