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Cab Calloway Home Movie #3

African American Museum

Object Details

Created by

Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
Nuffie Calloway, American, 1915 - 2008

Subject of

Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
Nuffie Calloway, American, 1915 - 2008

Description

A compilation reel of 16mm home movies filmed by Cab and Zulme "Nuffie" Calloway during a tour of the Caribbean, with both Kodachrome and black-and-white film edge codes indicating the year 1951.
The initial color footage depicts Zulme "Nuffie" Calloway and other women seated at a table underneath palm trees; Cab Calloway makes a cameo appearance. Subsequent scenes depict a garden tour, featuring flora and a building flying the Union Jack. Zulme "Nuffie" Calloway is seen conversing with officers, and several shots of military men in uniform appear. Following scenes include panoramas of a valley, and pans of white stone cottages. A group of people, including Mrs. Calloway, appears under a sign which reads "W. McD. Wiltshire Licensed Hotel." Subsequent scenes depict marshlands, and animal stables with workers leading a donkey. There is also a close-up shot of a person feeding a manatee in the water, only the person’s arm is visible. Subsequent scenes depict Mrs. Calloway greeting and speaking with unidentified women and children.
The second half of this compilation reel is in black and white, beginning with port scenes of sailboats and pleasure craft. There are also scenes of a market where women can be seen weaving. In another scene, Mrs. Calloway appears with two men, standing underneath an archway and a sign for the Shalimar Hotel. This is followed by a poolside scene with the Calloways and others at the Myrtle Bank Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica; a scene with ships out at sea; and a painted sign that reads Myrtle Bank Hotel. The following scenes occur at a camera reel break, wherein a cement splice and laboratory stapling are visible. It depicts a horse track, a cricket pitch, and a cricket match with players and patrons. There are also multiple scenes of men playing steel pans. The final footage features Mrs. Calloway appearing with several other people, including robed religious leaders at a religious building.

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam

Date

ca. 1951

Object number

2015.273.2.3.1a

Restrictions & Rights

Creative Arts By Calloway, LLC
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

Type

silent films
home movies
color films (visual works)
16mm (photographic film size)

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Length (film strip): 450 Feet
Duration: 00:16:10

Place filmed

City of Freeport, Bahamas, Caribbean, North and Central America
Kingston, Surrey County, Jamaica, Caribbean, North and Central America

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

The Cabell “Cab” Calloway III Collection

Classification

Archival Collections
Time-based Media - Moving Images

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Topic

African American
Calypso (Music)
Composers (Musicians)
Conductors (Musicians)
Entertainers
Film
Jazz (Music)
Nature
Singers (Musicians)
Travel

Metadata Usage

CC0

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5e9fa81f2-2932-4666-a010-31cf5011b2ab

Record ID

nmaahc_2015.273.2.3.1a

Discover More

Colorful film frame with rainbow background and text, "FOCUS Adjust Sound Level"

AVMPI-Media

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