Film clip from The Powers Girl: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A film clip of the opening scene from a musical comedy with the title The Powers Girl. It consists of a single reel of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film with variable-density optical sound. The footage opens with a sign on the screen that reads [STATE FAIR GROUNDS / TO DAY / FINAL JUDGING - FANCY BRED HOGS]. A second sign appears on the screen that reads [SPECIAL ADDED ATTRACTION / BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS BAND / FEATURING DENNIS DAY / ONE DAY ONLY….RAIN OR SHINE]. Next, members of The Benny Goodman orchestra are seen performing on stage as Goodman himself plays the clarinet. The camera slowly pans away from the stage to reveal audience members dancing in the rain. At one point, a woman slides across the field and is helped up by Jerry Hendricks (George Murphy). Jerry Hendricks sends his companion, "Charlie" to the stage, where he introduces himself to Benny Goodman.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1943
• Directed by: Norman Z. McLeod, American, 1898 - 1964
• Subject of: Benny Goodman, American, 1909 - 1986
• Subject of: Benny Goodman Orchestra, American
• Owned by: Ernie Smith, American, ca. 1925 - 2004
• Type: sound films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Type: film clips
• Medium: acetate film
• Dimensions: Duration (digital file): 00:04:30
• Dimensions: Physical extent (film): 175 ft
• Place depicted: New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Musical films
• Object number: 2015.275.31.1a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anonymous Gift in memory of Ernest (Ernie) R. Smith, Jazz Historian
• 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: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.