Primary (film)
| Primary | |
|---|---|
 Cover of DVD release | |
| Directed by | Robert Drew |
| Written by | Robert Drew |
| Produced by | Robert Drew |
| Starring | John F. Kennedy Hubert Humphrey Joseph Julian (narrator) |
| Cinematography | Richard Leacock D. A. Pennebaker Terence Macartney-Filgate Albert Maysles |
| Edited by | Robert Drew Richard Leacock D. A. Pennebaker Terence Macartney-Filgate Robert Farren |
| Distributed by | Time Life Television[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Primary is a 1960 American direct cinema documentary film written, produced and directed by Robert Drew about the 1960 Democratic Party primary election in Wisconsin between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey, part of their quest to be chosen as the United States Democratic Party's candidate for President of the United States in the general election.[2]
Production
[edit]Produced by Robert Drew[3] and shot by Richard Leacock, D. A. Pennebaker, Terence Macartney-Filgate, and Albert Maysles, the film was a breakthrough in documentary film style. Most importantly, through the use of mobile cameras and lighter sound equipment, the filmmakers were able to follow the candidates as they wound their way through cheering crowds, cram with them into cars and crowded hotel rooms, and hover around their faces as they awaited polling results. This resulted in a greater intimacy than was possible with the older, more classical techniques of documentary filmmaking, and it established what has since become the standard style of video reporting.
Release
[edit]Time Life Television released Primary on its stations, as well as syndicating the film to RKO General stations and independent stations.[4]
Legacy
[edit]In 1990, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The Academy Film Archive preserved Primary in 1998.[5] The film's importance in the evolution of documentary filmmaking was explored in the film Cinéma Vérité: Defining the Moment.[6] Later being exhibited in MoMA in 2019 alongside Showman by directed by Albert and David Maysles.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Primary | Films". Drew Associates. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ The Kennedy Films of Robert Drew & Associates|The Criterion Collection
- ^ Ann Hornaday, "The 34 best political movies ever made" The Washington Post Jan. 23, 2020) ranked #4
- ^ https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ADRTTBJEMPUHYI8K
- ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
- ^ Crow, Jonathan (2013). "Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment (1999)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
- ^ "Primary. 1960. Directed by Robert Drew Showman. 1963. Directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Primary at IMDb
- Primary at Drew Associates
- A Primary on the Horizon - essay at The Criterion Collection
38th Vice President of the United States (1965–1969) •
U.S. Senator from Minnesota (1949–1964, 1971–1978) | |||||||
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| Electoral history |
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| Family and personal life |
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- 1960 films
- Documentary films about elections in the United States
- Documentary films about John F. Kennedy
- United States National Film Registry films
- Hubert Humphrey
- 1960 documentary films
- Black-and-white documentary films
- American documentary films
- Films shot in Wisconsin
- 1960 United States Democratic presidential primaries
- 1960 in Wisconsin
- Films directed by Robert Drew
- American black-and-white films
- Documentary films about Wisconsin
- 1960 English-language films
- 1960 American films
- English-language documentary films
- Political history of Wisconsin