<I>Broken Strings</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1940
name: label: Directed by
content: Bernard B Ray, Russian, 1895 - 1964
label: Written by
content: Bernard B Ray, Russian, 1895 - 1964
label: Written by
content: Clarence Muse, American, 1889 - 1979
label: Produced by
content: Lewie C. Borden
label: Subject of
content: Clarence Muse, American, 1889 - 1979
label: Subject of
content: Sybil Lewis, American, 1919 - 1988
label: Subject of
content: William Washington, American, 1924 - 1982
label: Subject of
content: Tommie Moore, American, 1917 - 2004
label: Subject of
content: Mathew Beard Jr., American, 1925 - 1981
label: Subject of
content: Pete Webster, American, 1905 - 1988
label: Subject of
content: Edward Thompson, American, 1898 - 1960
label: Subject of
content: Buck Woods, American, 1905 - 1974
label: Subject of
content: Darby Jones, American, 1910 - 1986
label: Subject of
content: Jess Lee Brooks, American, 1894 - 1944
label: Subject of
content: Earle Morris, American, born 1897
label: Subject of
content: The Stevens Sisters, American
label: Subject of
content: Elliot Carpenter, American, 1894 - 1982
notes: label: Description
content: A 16mm release print of the feature film Broken Strings. It consists of two reels of positive, black and white, 16mm acetate film with variable area optical sound. The first scene opens with a shot outside a theatre. The footage then quickly jumps to concert violinist Arthur Williams (Clarence Muse) performing onstage as his family watches from the wings. At the end of his performance, the audience applauds, Williams returns to the wings and hands his son John (William Washington) his violin before returning to the stage a third time and addressing the audience. The rest of the film chronicles how Williams’ career abruptly ends when he suffers a hand injury in a motor vehicle accident. His hopes of bequeathing his classical training and success to his son are challenged when he learns his son prefers performing swing music to performing classical music.
place: label: Place depicted
content: United States, North and Central America
label: Place filmed
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Domestic life
label: Topic
content: Drama (Theatre)
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Race films
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture 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, Gift of Randall and Sam Nieman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.167.3.1ab
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: black-and-white films (visual works)
label: Type
content: release prints (motion pictures)
label: Type
content: feature films
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 60 Minutes
label: Dimensions
content: Length (Film Reel 1): 1300 Feet
label: Dimensions
content: Length (Film Reel 2): 900 Feet