Cab Calloway Home Movie #3: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

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.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1951
• Created by: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
• Created by: Nuffie Calloway, American, 1915 - 2008
• Subject of: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
• Subject of: Nuffie Calloway, American, 1915 - 2008
• Type: silent films
• Type: home movies
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: acetate film
• Dimensions: Length (film strip): 450 Feet
• Dimensions: Duration: 00:16:10
• Place filmed: City of Freeport, Bahamas, Caribbean, North and Central America
• Place filmed: Kingston, Surrey County, Jamaica, Caribbean, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Calypso (Music)
• Topic: Composers (Musicians)
• Topic: Conductors (Musicians)
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Nature
• Object number: A2015.273.2.3.1a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Creative Arts By Calloway, LLC Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.