Black and Tan Fantasy

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A 16mm release print of the short film Black and Tan Fantasy. It consists of a single reel of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film (a) with variable-area optical sound. A metal film reel (b), a film cannister (c) and a cardboard shipping box (d) also accompany the 16mm film strip. The film reel and cannister are both brown. The shipping box, which is also brown, has black metal corners as well as black straps made of nylon webbing. In the opening scene, two men sit and play musical instruments. Duke Ellington, who is one of the musicians, plays the piano with his back turned to the camera while the other man plays a trumpet. The film goes on to tell the story of Ellington’s struggle to get bookings for his band.

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