The Masters of Disaster: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A documentary film with the title The Masters of Disaster. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm polyester film with optical sound.

The film profiles an Indiana elementary school chess team that calls themselves The Masters of Disaster. In the opening scene, elementary school teacher and chess coach Bob Cotter is seen practicing with the team while criticizing one of the boys, Thomas, for prioritizing basketball over chess; Cotter also motivates the young men in his monologue. In one scene, some of the boys tell an interviewer what they would say to President Reagan in the event that they met him, and in the subsequent scene they are seen with President Reagan in the Oval Office. Additionally, several of the boys' parents describe the impact chess has had on them. Towards the end of the documentary, one of the boys, Rabbit, defeats the mayor of the city in front of a packed auditorium.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1985
• Directed by: Sonya Friedman
• Written by: Sonya Friedman
• Produced by: Pat Wetmore
• Distributed by: Indiana University Audio-Visual Center, American
• Subject of: Bob Cotter, American
• Subject of: Anthony Allen, American
• Subject of: Derrick Thomas, American
• Subject of: John Patterson
• Type: sound films
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: short subjects
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: polyester film
• Dimensions: Duration: 27 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 950 Feet
• Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place filmed: Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Documentary films
• Topic: Education
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Youth
• Object number: 2017.55.88.1a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
• 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.