A Man Called Adam
Nov 05 - Nov 06, 2008
(Leo Penn, 1966, USA, 16mm, 102 min)
This rarely seen 1966 independent film by blacklisted director Leo Penn (Sean Penn’s father) stars Sammy Davis Jr. as a troubled jazz musician (ghosted on trumpet by Nat Adderley) and Cicely Tyson in one of her first screen roles as a young civil rights activist. The film features music composed and arranged by Benny Carter (who also scored some of the short films in our Jazz Animation From The Hubley Studio program) and appearances by jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Mel Tormé. A Man Called Adam is notable for its bold attempt at addressing issues of race and identity. The film is very rarely screened and not available on dvd, so don’t miss these two special screenings of an archival film print.