Here are some of the over 75 film libraries owned or represented by Historic Films…

Click on a title below for more information.

• African American Home Movie Collection (1935-1980)

  

  Over 50 hours of home movies shot by middle class African American families and business owners. The footage includes holidays, family events, nightclubs, lifestyles and events.

• Alan Lomax

  

  From the early 1930's to the present, Alan Lomax has been this nation's and perhaps the world's greatest folklorist. Travelling the world for the Library of Congress to collect the music, dance and culture of the world's ethnic societies, Lomax has amassed a legendary archive of film and audio recordings documenting the origins of most of the musical forms we now take for granted.

  Through Mr. Lomax, HISTORIC FILMS can now exclusively make available previously unseen film footage of important roots musicians who helped shape the sounds of contemporary rock and country music. From Delta blues legends Howling Wolf, Son House and Skip James to country music pioneers Flatt and Scruggs and Doc Boggs, HISTORIC FILMS now has the one of a kind clip of the musicians who helped put The House of Blues on the map.

  (Exclusive)

• Beat Club / Musikladen

  

  From 1964 through 1978 BEAT CLUB & MUSIKLADEN were Germany's own American Bandstand-style musical programs. Live performances by everyone from The Animals to The Who provide one of the greatest documents of rock music from that era

  Beatles

  Eight hours of material documenting the Beatles first US tour including interviews, concert performances, as well as the best screaming fans Beatle material ever shot. Available are interviews with young hysterical fans as well as some not so enthusiastic parents. The cameramen trailed the Beatles and shot footage on every step of their US tour. This material was recently discovered and we represent it exclusively.

  (6 hours / Exclusive)

• The Beat

  

  The only surviving all-black rhythm & blues, blues show is available through HISTORIC FILMS.

  Shot in color on 2" video in 1966, the 26 shows include electrifying live performances by Etta James, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Freddie King, Patti LaBelle and a virtual ‘A’ list of the top black artists of that time.

  (13 hours of footage available)

• CD:UK

  Historic Films, through an arrangement with Shout Factory, is proud to announce its representation of CD:UK, the iconic British music television program which ran from 1998-2006. In its day CD:UK rivaled the BBC's long running Top of the Pops (which presented most of it's performances in lip sync).  CD UK offered up to the minute chart information and extended live performances by all of its artists.

  For seven and a half years the show was broadcast live on Saturday mornings with a studio audience and featured performances and  interviews with artists such as Britney Spears, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Oasis and hundreds of others. It also featured the Saturday Chart, which although was unofficial, usually reflected the new chart positions a day before the official chart was announced on the radio. Besides the completed shows, Historic Films has unearthed hours of full live performances by many of the show's artists which were never used on the broadcasted programs.

• Celebrity & Red Carpet Event Collection (1980s – Contemporary)

  This extensively logged and instantly available Contemporary collection features one-of-a-kind red carpet appearances and sit-down interviews with Hollywood’s biggest name celebrities.

• Center for Southern Folklore

  

  Located on historic Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, the Center has long been a mecca for blues' scholars and documentary filmmakers as a source for early blues footage and footage of black every-day life.

  This collection includes the Reverend Taylor Library of black life (1939 to 1950), as well as several hours of Delta blues and gospel footage. HISTORIC FILMS now exclusively represents footage collected and shot by the Center between the years 1930 and 1990.

  Much of this material is currently being included in productions by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and PBS.

• Classic Comedy Library

  HISTORIC FILMS owns over 300 hours of classic sound and silent comedies. The films represent a cross section of the productions released by Max Sennett Studios, RKO, Pathe, Hal Roach, Educational Pictures, and other producers of short subject comedies from 1912 to 1947.

  A great source for footage of "slapstick" scenes, many of which have found their way into national television commercials. Comedians represented are Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd, Edgar Kennedy, Leroy Errol, Mabel Normand, Fatty Arbuckle, and countless others.

• Classic Commercials

  

  Over 10,000 legendary television commercials produced between 1948 and 1980. Every imaginable product available....from Chevys to Twinkies.

• The D.A. Pennebaker Collection

  

  HISTORIC FILMS represents the great films of documentary film producer/director D.A. Pennebaker. These films include "Monterey Pop," the first Bob Dylan film "Don't Look Back" as well as outtakes and incredible footage from many other Pennebaker projects.

  (Exclusive)

• The Dallas Pop Festival

  

  Fresh, unused, exciting image of a mega rock festival held in Dallas two weeks after Woodstock. Twelve hours of footage with such luminaries as JANIS JOPLIN, SLY & THE FAMILY STONE, LED ZEPPELIN and TEN YEARS AFTER, plus hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic fans.

  (Exclusive)

• Dance Party USA / Dancin’ On Air

  

  HISTORIC FILMS Archive stock footage library is proud to announce its EXCLUSIVErepresentation of OMNI 2000's Television archive of over 3500 1980s music programs.

  DANCIN' ON AIR (1981-87) - produced by Michael Nise in Philadelphia USA is one of the 1980s greatest music programs. Beginning in 1981 when the DISCO CRAZE was hustling to an end and the "New Wave" was upon us DANCIN' ON AIR presented the era's biggest musical stars and celebrities. DURAN DURAN, NEW EDITION, THE HOOTERS, THE JETS, and MADONNA.. .footnote: MADONNA made her very first TV appearance on DANCIN' ON AIR!!!!

  DANCE PARTY USA (1981-92)- another popular Philly based show produced by Michael Nise, this program is a window into the lifestyles, dances, fashions, celebrities, and MUSIC of the 1980s and early 90s. RUN DMC, MENUDO, SAMANTHA FOX, NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, PAULA ABDUL, LISA MARIE, THE JETS, JAZZY JEFF, DEBBIE GIBSON and hundreds of other celebrities and musical guests were featured on this legendary program. Footnote: KELLY RIPA was a regular dancer on the show!!!

  Other OMNI 2000 programs now available for clip licensing through HISTORIC FILMS ARCHIVE include 18 OR UNDER NOT ADMITTED, and ONE HOUSE STREET.

• Danish Broadcasting Archive

  Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) is Denmark’s oldest and largest media company. This collection covers everything from the Danish Royal family and hard news to some of the greatest music performances ever put on film: From intimate television performances by Johnny Cash, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Muddy Waters, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis to the legendary Rothskilde Festival with bands like The Cure, U2, Lou Reed and Nirvana.

• David Susskind Show

  

  The David Susskind Show (1958 - 1986) was television's most ground-breaking talk/debate show. Susskind was the first to bring on multiple guests, whether they were political figures or call girls - together on a set to have no-holds-barred debate of current issues. Susskind's show was the first to offer wide-open, unrestrained conversation about issues of the day. Celebrities, politicians or regular civilians let their guard down and talked freely about themselves.

  Guests included Phil Spector, Neil Simon, Neil Diamond, Gore Vidal, Truman Capote, Nikita Krushev, Stanley Carmichael, Lillian Hellman, Bill Cosby, Mel Brooks, Marlon Brando, Steve Roebel, Robert Kennedy, Paul Newman and many more!

  In retrospect, the Susskind interviews are among the most in depth and intimate of their day. 1100 shows transferred from their original 2" video masters.

• Disco 77/Disco Magic

  

  Produced by Steve Marcus Productions in Miami, these wildly popular syndicated TV programs were the American Bandstand of the disco era. From leisure suits, platform shoes and Saturday Night Fever-style dancing, to the musical performers who defined the era, these programs captured the essence of the disco 70s.

  Artists appearing live on the show included Kool & the Gang, Gloria Gaynor, Andrea True, the Four Tops, The Commodores, and numerous other classic 70s performers. HISTORIC FILMS isproud to offer stock shots which will enrich any program dealing with 70s fashions, dancing, music, and attitudes.

  All programs have been meticulously restored and transferred from their original 2" masters. They are fully logged, copyright-cleared and ready-to-roll.

• Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert

  In September 1973, Kirshner launched his own syndicated "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert." The premier, on September 27, 1973, featured The Rolling Stones, taped in London, in their first appearance on American TV in more than four years.

  The program featured many of the popular performers of the day during its run. Other notable guests included Rush, The Eagles, KISS, Foghat, The Ramones, Kansas and The Allman Brothers Band. Kirshner personally commissioned rock designer Jim Evans to create a special logo for the show. The show was a mainstay for its generation of young rock audiences who, for its 8 year run, religiously tuned in to its late Saturday night broadcasts.

  The show was hosted by Kirshner up till the last season. His on-air delivery was described as flat by viewers; Paul Shaffer would often lampoon him in a convincing impersonation on Saturday Night Live. In its final season, the show was hosted by Kirshner's son and daughter.

  The show was noted for featuring musical acts performing live, which was unique since most television appearances during the era showed performers lip-synching to prerecorded music. Historic has carefully digitized the entire 300+ library of 221 shows and out-take reels

  HISTORIC FILMS has transferred all original 2 inch masters. THE ERNEST TUBB SHOW is perhaps the greatest show of the early to mid 1960's- Nashville style!

• The Ed Sullivan Show

  

  Beginning in 1948 as "The Toast Of The Town", the show was hosted by ED SULLIVAN and became America's most popular and enduring variety show for the next 23 years. His line-ups represented a virtual "who's who" of American entertainment. An appearance on the Sullivan show truly said to the American public that you were a star. - The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Barbra Streisand, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, the Jackson Five, the Everly Brothers, Rudolf Nureyev , the Muppets, Judy Garland - all of these performers and thousands of others owed some degree of their success to THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW.

  The Sullivan collection is also the largest resource for original cast Broadway productions. As these shows were generally running in New York just a short distance from the Ed Sullivan Theatre, through the years scenes from Broadway's finest dramas and musicals were played out on the show. This included original casts doing scenes from Camelot, Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Pal Joey, West Side Story, Stop The World..., Member Of The Wedding, Cabaret, Hello Dolly, Sweet Charity and Hair.

• The Edie Adams Show

  

  Besides being an era defining beauty and the MURIEL CIGAR GIRL in a fabulous series of commercials from the 1950s-70s, EDIE ADAMS, in her own right, was a Juiliard trained singer, model, Emmy winning actress and a first rate comedienne. She often appeared in skits with her husband Ernie Kovacs and between 1960-1961 hosted her own ABC network variety show THE EDIE ADAMS SHOW for which she received four emmy nominations. Guests included BOB HOPE, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, STAN GETZ, DUKE ELLINGTON, SAMMY DAVIS JR and many other icons of her generation. As a result of Edie's careful preservation of the masters from her and her husband's programs, Historic Films is able to offer excerpts from these important shows for use in all media.

• Ernest Tubb Show

  

  Mid 1960's Country Music Who's Who. This program hosted by the ambassador of country music, offered a rare one-of-a-kind performance by everyone who was making the country music scene during that era, including performances by a painstakingly young Willie Nelson.

• The Ernie Kovacs Show

  

  Ernie Kovacs was undeniably one of the great pioneers of television comedy. Kovacs made the medium of TV an integral part of his humor, and his wit and talent continues to inspire even today. The 10+ years he was on television (March 1951 - January 1962) left an indelible mark on the industry and on everyone who watched and remembered his shows. Thanks to the dedication and tireless efforts of the late Edie Adams, his widow, a great deal of his television work survives in original 16mm kinescopes and 2'' video masters. Historic is proud to be the exclusive representative for clips from the Ernie Kovacs Show
  

• Festival Express

  During the summer of 1970 popular rock bands The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and her band, The Band, Ten Years After, Flying Burrito Brothers, Sha Na Na, Stevie Winwood & Traffic, Blues legend Buddy Guy, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Ian & Sylvia and others embarked on a mammoth trip via private train across Canada. Along the way they stopped off at different Canadian cities and staged a series of "All Star" concerts.

  The footage, shot by Academy Award winning cinematographer PETER BIZIOU and directed by double Grammy winner Bob Smeaton, combines live footage shot during the 1970 concerts as well as footage aboard the train itself which captures legends such as Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia and the Band's Rick Danko having a grand old time singing and partying along the way. A feature documentary was produced by Gavin Poolman (son of the original 1970's film's producer Willem Poolman) and John Trapman and released in 2003. Historic Films is currently digitizing close to 96 hours of ADDITIONAL concert and behind the scenes footage including the only known version of ME & MY BOBBY MCGEE as performed by JANIS JOPLIN accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. LEGENDARY!!!

• Film and Video Stock Shots

  

  One of the industry’s most respected and well established stock footage libraries is now under the banner of Historic Films exclusively.

  This massive collection consists of circa 1980s thru to current, lifestyle, news, travel, beauty shots, landscape, sports and nature footage.Fully logged and ready for your next production.

  (Exclusive)

• Folk Life Productions

  

  The most extensive collection of American folk music, folk singers, ethnic dance, and related lifestyle footage available anywhere is available at Historic Films.This library includes film by legendary cinematographer and filmmaker, George Pickow, which presents intimate images of some of the legendary performers within the folk genre.

  From beatnik-style all night parties at the apartment of Alan Lomax with guests such as Bob Dylan and Willie Dixon, to documentation of the boogaloo dance craze of the mid-sixties, and extensive coverage of the 1960's Newport folk festivals.

  This collection allows Historic Films to offer its clients some of the greatest moments in American music.

• Historic Films Collection (1896-2000)

  A vast collection of thousands of fully logged and copyright cleared feature films, cartoons, industrials, educational, newsreels and lifestyle films which have remained the core of the Historic Films collection since the company’s inception in 1991.

• Hollywood Screen Test and Home Movie Collection

  A collection of one of a kind image shot behind the scenes during the golden age of Hollywood. Home movies from the collection of the great songwriter, Harold Arlen, (composer of music from "The Wizard Of Oz"), include rare glimpses of Hollywood parties, scenes of film production during the studio era, screen tests by legendary performers such as Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, Barbara Stanwyck, Victor Mature and many others.

  One of the highlights of this collection is rare footage shot on the set of "The Wizard of Oz" including dance rehearsals by Scarecrow, Ray Bolger, as well as footage of production numbers never included in the completed film. Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, Paulette Goddard, Irving Berlin, W.C. Handy, Jerome Kern and many others are recorded by the camera of Harold Arlen.

  (10 hours / Exclusive)

• The HY-Lit Show

  

  Philadelphia's most popular DJ, Hy Lit hosted a local dance-party style television program throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. HISTORIC FILMS has painstakingly transferred the original 2" video masters of these programs and offers exerpts for stock footage usage.

  Represented in the library are all the popular dance crazes of the day, including The Twist, The Frug, and The Boog-A-Loo, as well as rare performances by Top Ten artists such as Otis Redding, Joe Cocker, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Young Rascals, Mary Wells, The Contours, The Commodores, and many, many others.

• Jackie Gleason: American Scene Magazine

  In 1962, legendary comedian and television star Jackie Gleason created a variety format television show with his American Scene Magazine. (The official title of the show was The Jackie Gleason Show.) In its first year, Gleason's ratings killed the competition.

  American Scene was initially taped in New York City; after two seasons, production moved to Miami Beach (1964), on Jackie's insistence. Each week, Gleason would begin his monologue and be surprised by the flamboyant jackets worn by bandleader Sammy Spear. (Beholding Spear's animal-print blazer, Gleason quipped, "I've heard of Tiger Rag, but this is ridiculous!") Ralph Kramden, Reggie Van Gleason, the Poor Soul, and the rest of Gleason's comic characters were regular attractions. Frank Fontaine as bug-eyed, grinning "Crazy" Guggenheim, starred in the Joe the Bartender skits, delighting fans with his nutty speaking voice and goofy laugh, and charmed by his surprisingly mellow singing voice. June Taylor's chorus girl routines revived for the TV generation the aerial pattern kaleidoscope formations made famous on film by Busby Berkeley. Historic has retransferred and logged the series’ entire 4 year ( 1962-66) run and can offer some of the greatest of Jackie Gleason’s comedy as well as scores of performances by the many A list guest stars who appeared on the program,

• The Jam Handy Collection

  

  Jammison Handy's brilliant technicolor and black & white industrial films for America's giant corporations, GM, Bell Telephone, Coca-Cola, preserve the finest classic image of Americana available anywhere. From a 1957 Chevy rolling off the assembly line to a perfect family back-yard barbecue, the Handy Collection is a testament to the industries & dreams that made America great.

  The Jam Handy Company was the subject of a recent book by Diane Keaton. The image of the American dream, as interpreted by the Handy films, are truly the dream of products that everyone in America could own at that time.

  The social importance of this collection is slowly being realized by filmmakers like Keaton and we expect much more attention to be given to these images in the future.

  (200 hours of the most beautiful 1950s stock shot color image in the world)

• The Joe Franklin Show

  This show, which ran on television for 40 consecutive years, is in The Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running talk show. There truly will never will be another program quite like it. Its host Joe Franklin was in many ways the pioneer of the modern TV Talk Show format.

  Joe Franklin is one of Television and Radio's most durable and beloved personalities ever, and is truly a New York legend. In addition, he is considered one of the world's leading authorities on "Nostalgia". Through the course of The Joe Franklin Show he has interviewed an astonishing 300,000+ guests!

  For a time Joe employed Bette Midler and her accompanist Barry Manilow as his in-house singer. Woody Allen, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Bill Cosby, and Liza Minnelli are among the world's great talents who got their first exposure on The Joe Franklin Show.

  There was also a great uniqueness about the program. On any given night you might find a world renown artist sitting next to a balloon folder from New Jersey! Joe Franklin's lovable and funny persona even prompted comedian Billy Crystal to imitate him on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for four years.

  While only about 700 of the thousands of shows exist, Historic Films is in the process of transferring and logging all of the existing programs.

• Last of the Wild

  

  One of the most comprehensive nature collections available, this series provides thousands of gorgeous wildlife images direct from color film negatives. More than seventy hours of beautifully photographed wildlife footage depicting the animals in their natural habitats. Whales, wildebeests, kangaroos and koala bears... from aardvarks to zebras... nature's wildest creations are all on display in beautiful color.

• Live From The Bitter End

  

  This 1968 musical variety series shot in New York's legendary folk club, The Bitter End, features hundreds of live performances by that era's most famous folksingers, comedians, and rock bands. Some of the artists include Frank Zappa, Mothers of Invention, Richie Havens, Carly Simon, Country Joe and the Fish, Janis Ian, Marvin Gaye, Woody Allen, Dustin Hoffman, Maria Muldauer, Melanie, John Denver, Kweskin Jug Band, the Staple Singers, and Kenny Rogers' First Edition.

• Metropolis Video - CBGB

  Through an EXCLUSIVE arrangement with Metropolis Video, Historic Films is proud to announce its representation of this important collection, featuring  concerts filmed at the legendary CBGB music club in New York City.
  
  From its opening in 1973 CBGB was the forum for American Punk and New Wave bands. During their early years performers such as Patti Smith, Television and The Ramones performed at CBGB regularly.  Very little performance footage from the club scene of the mid-1970's is known to exist making the Metropolis library an important document of that era of musical history.
  

  Early concerts by Blondie, The Talking Heads, The Heartbreakers and Richard Hell and several others (all shot in 1975) were captured  multi-camera on black and white open reel 1/2" video. Along with the performances, which feature remarkably good audio, you can hear the audiences screaming with the raw passion and vitality that was indicative of the Punk and New Wave era.

  The library was shot by seven filmmakers in their early twenties who worked together at Manhattan Cable's public access operation. They managed to convince Hilly Kristal, the owner of CBGBs, to let them shoot performances at his club. The group descended into the chaos of CBGBs with a multi-camera, live-switched, live-mixed audio/video system and against all odds, produced some of the best documentation of the New York Punk Rock music scene that exists today.

  All of the footage is currently being logged and transferred and will be available for research and licensing on the Historic Films website in the coming days.
  
  For licensing inquiries please  contact our research staff

• Murray ‘The K’ Archive

  

  The first, “Its What’s Happening Baby” changed the face of television in 1965.  It combined Rock & Roll, exterior locations, and black, white, and Latino performers during a two-hour show that thrilled a generation of teenagers... and outraged the U. S. Congress. Other performers on the program included Jan & Dean, Mary Wells, the Dave Clark Five, Cannibal and the Headhunters, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, The Supremes, Patti LaBelle, & the Bluebelles, The Drifters, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, The Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers and Little Anthony & the Imperials.

  The second film from 1967 “Murray The K In New York”, was a one hour color television special featuring Murray and his guests that included, The Doors, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, The Associates, Richie Havens and many more.

• The Music Video Library

  

  This collection includes over 10,000 music videos circa 1978 - 2003, including all of the major artists and songs of the first MTV generation.

• Operation Desert Storm

  

  Presenting over 400 Hours of military and combat footage, this collection includes interviews with soldiers, generals and political figures active during Operation Desert Storm.The collection also includes an array of military training films.

• Pathé News Inc.

  

  In 1895 Charles Pathé began his quest to document the historical events of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. By 1914, Pathé produced the first weekly newsreel. HISTORIC FILMS exclusively represents the following collections from the legendary Pathé News, Inc. Library:

  THE ROBERT YOUNGSON SHORTS
  Produced in the 1950's and made up primarily of earlier newsreel footage, these shorts were the first source for "crazy invention" and daredevil stock footage. Perhaps the greatest of "oddity" footage, these shorts are still constantly used today and are the staple of funny and wacky archival stock shot image.

  SNADER TELESCRIPTIONS
  Over 1200 diverse musical performances shot between 1949 - 1954, including popular singers such as Gail Storm, Teresa Brewer, Peggy Lee and Mel Torme, as well as country music legends, vaudeville personalities and Black artists such as Nat King Cole, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughn. HISTORIC FILMS currently holds the 35mm negative.

  SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO
  Rare early footage shot at the legendary Apollo Theater documenting the great Black artists of its day, including Big Joe Turner, Amos Milburn, The Larks, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway.

  PATHÉ EDUCATIONAL FILM SERIES
  A journalistic approach to historical newsreel footage, similar in structure to today's "60 Minutes" series, this collection includes rare footage of historical events from 1895 - 1960. Other collections included are the Frank Fontaine Show and the Captain Edward Grief series.

• Rainbow Quest

  

  HISTORIC FILMS is the exclusive representative of this folk music show hosted by Pete Seeger - a who's who of the folk scene in the early to mid-60's.

  The collection also includes a great deal of footage documenting the Greenwich Village scene circa 1960 and rare performances by the likes of JOHNNY CASH, JUNE CARTER, DONOVAN, STANLEY BROTHERS, MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT, REV. GARY DAVIS, RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOT, JUDY COLLINS, PETE SEEGER, and many others

  (37 hours - Exclusive)

• The Rhythm and Blues Awards Show / Ebony Affair

  

  Since the mid 1970s the Rhythm & Blues Awards has honored black recording artists for their achievements in the music field. Featured in this collection are live performances by artists such as Barry White, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Funkadelics, Michael Jackson and Sarah Vaughn.

  Produced by John Jackson for WAQT Productions for more than ten years, the program was an annual event much anticipated by the record industry. HISTORIC FILMS now exclusively represents the clip rights for the Jackson-produced programs as well as his mid-70s program, "Ebony Affair".

  From 1973-77, Ebony Affair was a nationally syndicated 1/2 hour music series which presented a stellar array of contemporary black artists performing their hits. The roster of talent was more than equal to the program's well known competitor, Soul Train.

• Rockpalast

  

  Rockpalast is Western Europe's most popular and longest lived live Rock Concert program, having started in 1974 and continuing to this day. Hundreds of rock and jazz bands have performed on Rockpalast. From 1977 into the 21st century, once or twice a year the program would schedule all-night marathon shows called "rocknights", which - at least up to around 1990 - were telecast live across much of Western Europe, and which would go on until 4am or later.
  

• Rollin'on the River

  In the fall of 1971 Kenny Rogers & the First Edition became hosts of their own television series, Rollin’ on the River (later shortened to Rollin’). It was a successful variety show that was taped in Canada. It geared itself towards rock, blues, and folk performers and groups. Unlike other variety shows of the time that featured show tunes and Vegas style performances, this series focused on harder-edged guests like Ike and Tina Turner, Blues legends like Bo Diddley, and up and coming performers like Jim Croce.

• The Sidney Family African American Home Movies

  

  We are proud to announce our acquisition of over 15 hours of home movies shot by the Sidney family during the 1970s and 1980's.  This remarkable collection offers a  glimpse of middle class African American family life from the later part of the 20th century. Vacation time, holidays and other family events are all captured in this collection.

  The films were originally shot in Polaroid's short lived Polavision Instant Home Movie system launched in 1977. Unlike other motion picture film stock of the time, Polavision generated color using an additive process. It consisted of a black and white film base with a three color filter laye

• Soul Street

  Soul Street 1969-1971
  

  The success of Don Cornelius' African American dance party show Soul Train spawned several local imitators through the years. Washington D.C.'s Ebony Affair (1971-1973) was one and Cincinnati had its own, Soul Street!. Hosted by Kenny Smith, Soul Street! survived two seasons and offered great performances and interviews with artists such as James Brown, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Bill Doggett, Carla Thomas, Roberta Flack, The Stylistics, Millie Jackson and many others. Historic Films is proud to offer licensing of performers from the only surviving episodes of this early African American music variety show. All episodes have been restored from the only surviving 2" master tapes.  

  
  

  For licensing inquiries please  contact our research staff

• Soundstage

  

  SOUNDSTAGE (1974- 1995)

  Historic Films has recently renewed its agreement with Chicago's WTTW to offer clip licensing on the legendary live music series Soundstage. Dynamic performances by legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Jim Croce, B.B. King, Harry Chapin, Muddy Waters, The Bee Gees, Bonnie and many others, from over 135 shows, have been digitized and are now available for licensing through our interactive website.

   For licensing inquiries please  contact our research staff  
  

• Southern Telenews Library (1958-1978)

  Florida's station extensively covered local, national and world events news. Filmed in black & white until 1968 and in rich color thereafter.

  The Telenews Library is one of the most extensive news/slice of life collections available anywhere. Thousands of key national events such as the space program, Civil Rights movement, weather disasters, presidential elections, JFK assassination, war on poverty, and Vietnam are covered with fresh footage.

  Unlike other news collections the Southern Telenews Library also has extensive coverage of local events as they occurred in Northern Florida. Small town parades, proms, homecomings, local scandals, arrival of famous celebrities, local elections, local crimes and events offer a rare glimpse of true Americana as it existed between 1958-1977.

  (1220 hours of American and world history)

• Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori

  

  Ann Liguori, as a leader in the sports broadcasting and marketing industries and owner/host of the award-winning "Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori" weekly television series, is seen on regional sports networks throughout the country. The show has aired since 1989 (Mickey Mantle was her first interview) and the show is the longest-running weekly sports show on cable hosted, owned and produced by a woman. Ann has acquired a library of over 600 half-hour interviews on video with legends in sports, entertainment and business. Liguori has become one of the top interviewers in the business and is known for asking tough questions in a respectful way. As a producer for many of her shows, she also books the top names and is able to secure some of the most difficult interviews. And on many of her shows, she plays golf with major stars - while simultaneously interviewing them - using golf as a "window into the souls" of her guests.

• The Steel Pier Show

  From 1958 until 1978  THE STEEL PIER SHOW  was broadcast by WPVI TV 6 live from the CASINO THEATER, THE GOLDEN DOME BALL ROOM and other locations in Atlantic City.

  Second only in popularity to Philadelphia's AMERICAN BANDSTAND the show, hosted by long time Philly DJ and TV host ED HURST, ran  summer seasons for 20 years and presented a fabulous array of performers from Tony Bennett to The Jackson 5.  Virtually every performer working in Atlantic City at the time payed a visit to the STEEL PIER set.

  Historic has digitized and logged all 70 existing shows. Newly discovered classic performances by , HALL & OATES, TONY BENNETT, SOLOMON BURKE, THE JACKSON'S, and a young JOHN TRAVOLTA are now available and ready to roll for the first time in over 35 years. A special thanks to LOU REDA PRODUCTIONS for making this wonderful music library available to us.

• Steve Allen Show

  

  Every Sunday night on NBC from 1954-61, Steve Allen presented the era's funniest and best comedians, top musical groups, hit performers and most popular celebrities.

  Everyone from Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jack Kerouac, the Cadillacs, Bob Hope and hundreds more appeared and performed on the Steve Allen Show.

  It was the foremost variety show of its day. Allen's great wit, musical talent and sense of humor made the Steve Allen show one of the greatest shows of television's golden era.

• Studio 54

  

  Filmmaker, Lynn Barkley was a key figure in the New York City club scene during the 1970s. In 1978 he extensively covered "The Scene" at the legendary Studio 54 and Xenon nightclubs. The collection intimately documents the partying, disco dancing and absolute decadence of the era with interviews and footage of major celebrities who were in on The Scene.

• United News Collection

  

  Rosie the Riveter, Victory Gardens, the Battle of the Bulge and signing of the Peace Treaty. Produced before TV, these reels provided the news-hungry, movie-going public with incredible and accurate footage of World War II.

  Transferred from 35mm negatives, Historic Films offers this historic collection in its entirety, fully logged and copyright cleared. The United News only existed during the War years 1942 to 45 and was specifically used to inform and reassure America of our military advances during the War. (20 hours).

• Universal Newsreels (1929-1967)

  

  The Universal Newsreels competed with Fox Movietone and other bi-weekly newsreels to inform America of its current events during most of the pre-television movie-going years. Each bi-weekly issue includes fads, fashions, news and public interest stories of the day.

  (200 hours).

• US Festival

  Considered the “Woodstock of the 1980’s” the US FESTIVAL was the brain child of Apple’s Steve Wozniak. For two years it was staged in California on Labor Day weekend and included a virtual who’s who of the top Rock and Pop performers of the day.Van Halen, Santana, The Clash, Fleetwood Mac, Willie Nelson, and the Grateful Dead were just a few of the named acts who appeared

  The two festivals also included large air-conditioned tents featuring the US Festival Technology Exposition— a dazzling display of then-cutting edge computers, software, and electronic music devices. Also making a debut were installations of "out-door rain" - perforated pvc nozzles that sprayed water to fight the fierce hundred degree heat.

  "It was the day new wave died and rock n' roll took over" - Vince Neil, in a famous quote regarding the overwhelming attendance on Sunday, "Heavy Metal Day", at the '83 US Festival. It set the single-day concert attendance record for the US with an estimated 375,000 people. Showtime recorded the event and aired a 90-minute special for each day of the festival. All of the hundreds of hours of performance and interview/behind the scene footage is available through our website.

• Vidicom 1980s and 90s Fashion and Lifestyle Collection

  

  Since 1982, Vidicom has been as multi-media content provider specializing in lifestyle features. Through their team of journalists and producers they have extensively covered health, technology, entertainment news, fashion and home styles. Vidicom also acts as the pool camera for fashion shows in New York and Paris. In June, Vidicom launched its new brand, Stylewiz, with monthly feature stories on NBC's "Early Today," CBS's "Early Show," and weekly reports on ABC Radio.

  The library, over 9000 tapes, extensively covers lifestyles and the fashion world from 1982 to present. Extensive footage of the Worldˆs fashion industy is covered in the Vidicom collection including one of a kind interviews with fashion icons as Donna Karen, David Cameron, Oscar De La Renta, Geoffrey Beene, Mary McFadden, and Bob Mackie.

  Vidicom provides extensive coverage of early fashion events and shows from the world top designers. Also a great source for celebrity and lifestyle footage, the Vidicom collection includes informal footage of George Clooney, Madonna, Susan Sarandon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cindy Crawford, Iman, and Naomi Campbell.

• The Woodstock Collection

  

  Collection includes overage of the ORIGINAL Woodstock Festival, perhaps one of the most defining moments of 1960's pop culture, as filmed in 16mm color by Amalie Rothschild. This collection includes rare backstage footage as well as performance footage by artists who did not appear in the acclaimed Warner Brothers film.

  Also included is unusual footage of the Fillmore East and many other Rock & Roll palaces during the music's heyday in the 1960's.

  (2 hours) Exclusive.