<I>But Then, She's Betty Carter</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1980
name: label: Directed by
content: Michelle Parkerson, American
label: Subject of
content: Betty Carter, American, 1929 - 1998
label: Written by
content: Michelle Parkerson, American
label: Produced by
content: Michelle Parkerson, American
label: Subject of
content: Lionel Hampton, American, 1908 - 2002
label: Subject of
content: Howard University, American, founded 1867
label: Owned by
content: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
notes: label: Caption
content: Telling the story of Betty “Bee-Bop” Carter, legendary jazz vocalist, through performances and personal interviews, But Then, She’s Betty Carter offers a personal introduction to the singer while also providing a history of jazz music in America. Directed by Michelle Parkerson in 1980, the film is structured to highlight Carter’s unique vocal ability and influence onto the music industry as a whole.
label: Caption
content: This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
label: Description
content: A documentary film with the title But Then, She's Betty Carter. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
label: Description
content: This made-for-television documentary intercuts live performances with brief anecdotal interview clips of the legendary jazz singer Betty “Be-Bop” Carter. Produced and filmed between 1976 and 1980, the film uses footage from Carter’s 1980 Howard University concert as the primary performance source. Throughout the film, Carter discusses her rise to fame out of Detroit, Michigan and the many collaborations that assisted in making her a celebrated jazz musician.
label: Description
content: Lionel Hampton also appears in the film for interviews as well as onstage with Carter. She also spends a significant amount of time detailing the history of jazz music, its origins within the Black musical tradition, and the ways in which jazz music has influenced popular culture over the years. The film expounds on Carter’s innovation as a record-label owner, composer, and inclined vocalist.
place: label: Place used
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
label: Place filmed
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Documentary films
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: DC Public Library Film Collection
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.55.90.1a
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: color films (visual works)
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 50 Minutes
label: Dimensions
content: Length (Film): 1800 Feet