Sam jones iii born april 29, 1983 in boston, massachusetts is an american actor, and the son of basketball player sam jones. Strange fruit is a film about a song that protests a human atrocity. Strange protest music overview broadcast schedule, fruit southern trees bear a strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root. The film focuses on the personal lives of the band members and those closest to them, and their.
Add stiller son of jerry, and kevin kline, kasdan srs frequent onscreen alterego, and you get a movie without a shred of urgency or danger, one that feels as if it was made on a rich folks. While many people assume strange fruit was written by billie holiday, it actually began as a poem by a jewish schoolteacher and union activist from the bronx, who later set it to music. Still crazy is the critically acclaimed, golden globe nominated comedy which follows the hilarious exploits of a 70s rock phenomenon strange fruit as they reunite 20 years after a nasty breakup and attempt to recapture their fame and fortune. Southern trees bear a strange fruit, begins the protest song made famous by billie holiday and recorded by artists as various as ella fitzgerald, pete seeger. The peaceful daily routine of father and son is interrupted by an encounter of an unfamiliar boy, different from them in color. We chat about his robust career in theater and film and fleming shares his commitment to making. While many people assume strange fruit was written by billie holiday herself, it actually began as a poem by a. This project analyzes how the song strange fruit encounter, and allowed others to encounter, the problem of lynchings in the united states. The socialhistorical context of american racism and apartheid is never far below the surface of the blues, but the words of the poem strange fruit, sung by tragic billie holiday, transcend music and entertainment, and need to etched in our souls forever. Rent strange fruit 2004 starring kent faulcon and berlinda tolbert on dvd and bluray.
Watch strange fruit movie trailer and get the latest cast info, photos, movie. Dec 22, 2011 a magic song from a magic voice lyrics strange fruit southern trees bear strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root black bodies swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit hanging. Strange fruit explores the tribulations of william boyals, a successful new york lawyer and gay africanamerican who comes home to the life from which he escaped to investigate the lynching of his alsogay childhood friend, kelvin. Strange fruit short film center for pastoral excellence. The film is a crossover text, created to win the sympathies of both a white and an african american audience. In this era of sleeper hit indies from the united kingdom, it certainly seems like there could have been room in the american cinematic marketplace for this charming film. The library of congress honored the song as one of 50 recordings chosen that year to add to the national recording registry. Taken from the still crazy soundtrack featuring the brilliant bill nighy and billy connelly. The plot concerns a fictional 1970s rock band named strange fruit, who, after being split up for two decades, are persuaded to get back together to perform at a reunion of the same concert venue where they played their last gig. The library of congress honored the song as one of 50 recordings chosen that year to add to the. In its effort to provide for all possible viewer positions, lady negotiates racial, gender, generational, and political issues.
Strange fruit is the first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the billie holiday classic. Disturbed by a photograph of a lynching, abel meeropol wrote the stark verse and brooding melody about the horror of lynching under the pseudonym lewis allan in. Southern trees bear a strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root. Learn about the legendary singer who put strange fruit on the map billie holiday page from jazz series this page features a brief biography and a handful of audio clips from holidays recordings. The first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the billie holiday classic. The mike brown documentary stranger fruit and its new. Few words are spoken as evocative images from the film are edited together to nina simones haunting cover of billie holidays classic strange fruit.
Strange fruit, a polished, wellstructured documentary written and directed by joel katz. Strange fruit explores the history and legacy of a song unique in the annals of american music. Jul 23, 2017 the short film strange fruit is a comparison and contrast between the lynching and hangings that once frequently occurred in the south to the recent officer involved shootings of african americans. But its the footage of lady day herself performing her bitter and heartwrenching signature song that stands at the center of the film. It condemned american racism, particularly the lynching of african americans that had occurred chiefly in the south but also in all regions of the united states. Strange fruit billie holiday signature song the official. Unfortunately the songs relevance seems to deepen in our world today. With dorothy thigpen, milton gabler, farah jasmine griffin, c. Shipp vendetta 1999 film wilmington insurrection of 1898.
Moved by the infamous photograph taken that night, abel meeropol, a jewish high school teacher in new york city, wrote a protest song entitled, strange fruit. Strange fruit is a 2004 film written and directed by kyle schickner and starring kent faulcon as william boyals and berlinda tolbert as emma ayers. In 1937, after seeing a photo depicting the lynching of a black man in the south, bronxborn high school teacher abel meeropol wrote a poem entitled strange fruit that begins with the words. With standout performances from stephen rea, billy connolly, bill nighy and juliet aubrey, the comically bittersweet film combines the raucous. On august 7, 1930, two africanamerican teenagers, thomas shipp and abram smith, were lynched by a violent mob in marion, indiana. It protested american racism, particularly the lynching of black americans.
Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday. Strange fruit all over the world still crazy movie. Parker not only stars, but directed and wrote the feature, based on a story by jean mcgianni celestin, about the most successful slave rebellion in american history. Strange fruit is a 1944 bestselling novel debut by american author lillian smith that deals with the thenforbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance. Print and download strange fruit sheet music by billie holiday. Still crazy is a 1998 british comedy film directed by brian gibson. Strange fruit sung by billie holiday university of hawaii. Written by a white, jewish high school teacher from the bronx and a member of the communist party, abel meeropol wrote it as a protest poem, exposing american racism, particularly the lynching of african americans. Billie holidays singing had nothing like the velvet beauty of sarah vaughans or the rhythmic agility of ella fitzgeralds, and yet. A history of the antilynching protest song made famous by billie holiday explores the alliance between american jews and africanamericans in the struggle for civil rights. The film tells a dramatic story of americas past by using one of the most influential protest. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever written as its epicenter. He is most known for playing pete ross on the television series.
Billie holiday, cafe society, and an early cry for civil rights, notes that the song was not written specifically for holiday, though she took it and made it her own, even if it was not particularly a jazz song. Best of billie holiday by billie holiday on amazon music. Strange fruit is a song recorded by billie holiday in 1939, written by abel meeropol and. Cover versions of strange fruit written by lewis allan. May 2002 seattle international film festival usa 30 july 2002 woods hole film festival usa september 2002 breckenridge film festival usa 6 november 2002 new york city, new york usa 8 january 2003 san francisco, california usa 20 january 2003 philadelphia jewish film festival canada 9 march 2003 edmonton international film. The film radio stations banned it, but when billie holiday sang strange fruit the whole world listened anyway. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever. This history of the songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever written as its epicenter. Strange fruit is the first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the. The strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees described by the lyrics is the body of a.
Named in 1999 the song of the millennium by time magazine, and bestknown from billie holidays haunting 1939 rendition, the song strange fruit is a harrowing portrayal of the lynching of a black man in the american south. If we expand the meaning of the term strange fruit to. Shimi asresay and hili noy graduation short film from bezalel academy of art and design, jerusalem. Sung by nina simone from the four women collection. Download the tv guide app for iphone, ipad and android. In his excellent documentary, also called strange fruit, filmmaker joel. Excellent film about a once famous band from the 70s trying to reignite their careers. Holiday may have popularized strange fruit and turned it into a work of art, but it was a jewish communist teacher and civil rights activist from the bronx.
Strange fruit was an early cry for civil rightssome might even say it was the beginning of the civil rights movement. Southern trees bear a strange fruit, begins the protest song made famous by. The tragic story behind billie holidays strange fruit. Holiday may have popularized strange fruit and turned it into a work of art, but it was a jewish communist teacher and. Joel katzs mesmerizing strange fruit is a documentary essay exploring the history and legacy of a song unique in the annals of american music. Indeed, in the decades since strange fruit, it has become common for black music to incorporate political statements, challenge social norms, and express frustration with the state of race relations. The film concludes with a montage of recent hate crimes indicating that strange fruit remains alltoorelevant today. Rent strange fruit 2004 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Atlanta jewish film festival, documentary award winner.
The song strange fruit was written by lewis allan and was first released by billie holiday and her orchestra in 1939. Strange fruit southern trees bear a strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root black body swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees pastoral scene of the gallant south the bulging. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Billie holiday strange fruit sheet music in b minor. Sheet music arranged for pianovocalguitar, and singer pro in b minor transposable. Strange fruit is a 1937 poem and song written by abel meeropol, made famous by billie holiday in 1939 and then covered by many other performers. Strange fruit california newsreel film and video for. Salt honors 75 th anniversary of billie holidays strange fruit to download for your congregation, visit salts website. Bestknown from billie holidays haunting 1939 rendition, the song strange fruit is a harrowing. Abstract lady sings the blues deserves close analysis as a historical marker. In billie holidays song strange fruit, the theme demonstrates the horror of lynching in postcivil war america in the deep south. Originally using the working title jordan is so chilly, smith later changed the title to strange fruit prior to its publication. The mike brown documentary stranger fruit and its new surveillance footage raise questions.
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