Sons of Uncle Tom
Great New York City footage from March of 1964 by highly-acclaimed documentarian Robert Elfstrom depicting daily life in Harlem, Cassius Clay in front of the Hotel Theresa, a school segregation civil rights protest, and suburban life.
00:00:17:06-00:01:56:20
Various shots of a young man leaning against the gravestone of Staff Sergeant of George Nigro at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale intercut with shots of heavy machinery digging graves, mourners, and hundreds of white gravestones.
00:01:56:21-00:09:38:01
Various shots of protestors with great signs demonstrating against school segregation in lower Manhattan, marching over the Brooklyn Bridge and continuing their protest in downtown Brooklyn intercut with shots of the New York City police officers and great shots of television news crews.
00:05:27:17 - 00:05:34:23
Jesse Gray is the hat-wearing, mustachioed dark-skinned man bobbing in and out of view at extreme left, next to the tall man in the light trench coat.
Milton Galamison is in the center, being interviewed by a broadcast reporter.
Cleveland Robinson is the tall, hat-and glasses-wearing dark-skinned man over Galamison's left shoulder.
This march was spurned by the mainstream civil-rights groups, including the NAACP. The only mainstream leader who joined it was Cleveland Robinson, a veteran civil-rights and labor leader, who had been the administrative chairman of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963.
00:06:24:00 - 00:06:28:20
Thelma Johnson is the dark-skinned woman wearing a hood and glasses.
Isaiah Robinson is singing in the center, wearing a mustache and goatee
00:08:28:18 - 00:08:30:17
Stanley Branche can be seen looking at the camera in this section
00:09:06:12 - 00:09:14:02
As the clip advances, the hatless, dark-skinned Dick Gregory, wearing a thin mustache, can be seen standing on the platform in the lower center, turning to his right.
Lawrence Landry is the hatless, fair-skinned man standing in left profile under the tall man in the light trench coat. At the end of the clip, he begins to mount the platform.
00:09:38:02-00:10:15:18
HA wide shot of rooftops most likely in Manhattan, cars driving on city street, pedestrians walking in the vicinity of Times Square, past the Hotel Astor marquee and a steaming grate.
00:10:15:19-00:13:51:20
MFS of a black woman buying a hot dog from a hot dog cart with signs on it that say, “SODA 15¢ All Beef FRANK 20¢†and “SABRETT†with an illustration of a hot dog cart. WS of black women walking past storefronts in Harlem with signs for a barbershop and a supermarket. Various shots of handwritten signs with food prices on the outside gated window of a Harlem bodega and a man walking into the store. Great shots of varying focal lengths of black customers inside the bodega shopping, purchasing goods, CU of chicken on scale, a white worker ringing up a sale on a cash register, a white worker using a slicer, close-up of older black women, a black child smiling, shelves stocked with goods, nice close-up a 7-Up sign that says “for Thirst, for Taste, for Lift,†CU of shopper holding change, CU of a sign that says “Enjoy Ballantine beer and Bowling on TV†with an image of a black bowler named Al Levins, MFS of a customer pointing at a refrigerated display with deli meats, CU of a pickle jar, children making purchases and counting change, and a sign on a closing door that says “Travelers Money Orders Express.†FS of metal garbage cans tilting up to a group of children walking on the sidewalk. WS of a man waiting for a bus as traffic drives by with the projects in the background. Close-up of the grill of a 1960s Pontiac.
00:13:51:21-00:14:18:14
MFS of Cassius Clay speaking with people in front of an entrance to the Theresa Hotel in Harlem. Howard Bingham, Muhammad Ali's photographer can be seen standing behind Ali. CU of Clay facing Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard with traffic passing by. WS of an older couple leaning out of a window. MFS of two children looking into a car with Clay in it. Two weeks earlier, after Ali won his title, he moved into the Theresa at the suggestion of his mentor and friend Malcolm X. Shortly afterwards, Malcolm X broke with Elijah Muhammad's apolitical Nation of Islam cult, which Ali was a member of, and established the headquarters for his new black nationalist Muslim Mosque, Inc., on the hotel's mezzanine floor.
00:14:18:15-00:15:26:20
Lovely shot of a black child looking out of a bus window and laughing. WS of a bus passing by revealing Con Edison Workers digging on a street. Various shots of Con Edison workers with shovels, jack hammers and a Con Edison flag. Two photographs of Ellmer Carter.
00:15:26:21-00:16:46:00
Various great shots of black men in stylish clothing and hats playing pool at Purnell’s Recreation Center in Harlem. Excellent POV and detail shots of a game of pool. MFS of a man with a pool stick selecting songs from a jukebox. Nice CU of a pool player smoking a cigar and smiling after making a shot. CU of a sign that says “Purnell’s Recreation Center Billiards†on a pool-hall window with cars, buildings and a street light reflecting in the window.
00:16:46:01-00:17:45:00
WS of two older black woman and an older black man reading a newspaper sitting on park bench on sidewalk in front of a chain-linked fence in Harlem. FS of a younger man on the opposite side of the fence. Nice close-up of man looking into the sun. Nicely lit FS of a man standing next to a gate. WS of a man sitting on bench on a sidewalk smoking a cigarette with a chain-link fence behind him. Nice shots of people sitting on park benches with their dogs. MCU of a young black woman smiling and chewing gum panning to a MCU of two black children.WS of people lined up at a hot dog cart with storefronts in the background. Photographs of Lewis Michaux.
00:17:45:01-00:19:59:04
Various great shots of black patrons eating in a Harlem restaurant with black waitstaff and cooks, including WS of the interior of restaurant with a woman eating at a food counter. Over the shoulder shot of a man at a table. CU of an older woman’s hands holding a fork and a piece of bread panning to her face. MS of an old man looking at a menu. CU of the hand-written menu tacked to the wall and a sign that says “Say ‘Pepsi please.’’ CU of put full of eggs panning to an ECU of hands peeling food over a large pot. MFS of a worker cleaning a chicken leg. WS of a woman peeling food and a man cleaning a chicken leg in a kitchen with a jacket and hat hanging on a hook. CU of a woman’s hand cutting potatoes panning to her face. CU of a man cleaning chicken in a sink. HA shot of food in pots and pans on a stove top. WS of a woman in a white dress cooking in a restaurant kitchen and a waitress walking in. CU of a cash register drawer opening. CU of water boiling. OTS MFS of patrons at a lunch counter and a waitress serving them. WS of patrons at a lunch counter and a waitress serving them. Close-up of food. MFS of men at a lunch counter in jackets wearing hats. MS of a woman eating next to a window with a person outside walking past.
00:19:59:05-00:21:00:21
EWS of people waiting for a bus in front of a large public housing complex in Harlem panning to FS of horse-drawn cart loaded with discarded furniture and bedding. Various shots of men working on the marquee of the Ambassador Theatre on West 49th Street with marquee listing Clay Cole, Lloyd Price, Freddie Cannon, Duprees, Linda Scott, Orlons, and others. CU of an old white lady sitting on park bench panning to her hands in mittens holding a purse. Various shots of two black men cleaning a white 1960s car with fins. MFS and very nice CU of two older black women talking in front of the steps to a brownstone
00:21:00:21-00:23:15:12
FS on an older black lady walking along a sidewalk with houses with lawns. FS of black girls jumping rope. WS to EWS ZO of a modern building on a hill. High angle WS to EWS ZO of an unidentified small city. Various shots of suburban houses surrounded by trees, fences and on street with no sidewalks. WS of white boys walking on the street in a suburban neighborhood with houses surrounded by trees. WS of white teenage girls and a white boy walking on the train tracks. WS of a suburban house surrounded by trees with a bird feeder in the foreground. WS of a suburban house with a dirt driveway and a car parked in front of it. CU of the doorway of a house with columns. WS and EWS of a house with columns.
00:23:15:13-00:23:54:23
CU of a sign for “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World†by Stanley Kramer presented in Cinerama, great CU of an older black man smoking a cigar. WS of people walking past a marquee with “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World†by Stanley Kramer presented in Cinerama displayed on it and a storefront that says “Dobbs Hats.†CU of a 7Up sign on a record store window panning to a poster for a Josephine Baker at the Henry Miller Theatre, a record cover that says “Sexy Stories with Yiddisha Flavor,†then tilting to an OTS shot of a white man with sunglasses and a small cigar looking at the records and signs displayed in the window. CU of a poster for Duke Ellington and his Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in the record store window. WS of a theatre with a marquee advertising Albert Finney in “Night Must Fall†with people walking under it.
00:23:55:00-00:26:26:08
Great footage inside a nightclub club with a black audience and band, including: ECU of a burning candle; HA FS of a drummer; nice shots of people sitting around a candle-lit table; HA WS of people dancing in silhouette as a band performs; MS of a keyboardist; WS of a band leader conducting his band; MFS pan of people dancing in silhouette; WS of a candle lit table and people dancing in silhouette; CU of a drink; nice MS and MCU profile of a young woman in a cocktail dress; CU of an older man with thick-rimmed glasses and moustache smiling and laughing; CU of a woman’s hand holding a drink and a cigarette then panning to a MS of her smiling face; HA WS of people seated at tables; HA of MS of people in silhouette dancing; Overhead shot of people dancing; MS profile of horn players; MS detail of a keyboardists hands; MS of a drummer; MFS of people dancing panning to an empty table; CU of a cigar and cigarette in an ashtray; MFS of people seated at a table with bottles of booze; nice MCU of a couple cozying up with each other; nice ECU of a bottle of scotch and White Rock Sparkling Water; FS of a maximum occupancy sign; Nice MFS of couple slow dancing; MFS silhouette of a woman at a table; MS profile shot of a woman sitting a table smoking a cigarette as a waiter pours water; various shots of people dancing and the band playing.
Special thanks to ""Paul Lee, Best Efforts, Inc."" for adding additional context and identifying several grass roots and mainstream, African American civil rights leaders contained in this footage.