Nice Work If You Can Get It / Avalon: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A 16mm film strip of the Benny Goodman Trio performing two songs: "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "Avalon." It consists of a single reel of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film with bilateral variable-area optical sound. The footage opens with Teddy Wilson playing the piano. The camera then slowly pans sideways to reveal Benny Goodman playing the clarinet and eventually Gene Krupa on the drums. A voiceover narration identifies the band members as they play. The first song the trio plays is "Nice Work If You Can Get It." At the end of the performance, Goodman says, "Okay, Teddy, take it" and the trio plays a second tune, "Avalon."

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1955
• Subject of: Benny Goodman Trio
• Subject of: Teddy Wilson, American, 1912 - 1986
• Subject of: Benny Goodman, American, 1909 - 1986
• Subject of: Gene Krupa, American, 1909 - 1973
• 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): 00:06:45
• Dimensions: Physical extent (film): 300 ft
• Place filmed: United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Object number: 2015.275.17.1a
• 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.