- Chords of Fame (film)
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Chords of Fame 
title cardDirected by Michael Korolenko Produced by Michael Korolenko, Mady Schutzman, and David Sternburg Written by Mady Schutzman Release date(s) 1984 Running time 88 minutes Chords of Fame is a 1984 feature-length documentary film about Phil Ochs, a U.S. singer-songwriter of the 1960s and early 1970s. The film was directed by Michael Korolenko, written by Mady Schutzman, and produced by Korolenko, Schutzman, and David Sternburg. It was funded in part by grants from the American Film Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Chords of Fame features Bill Burnett as Ochs in re-enactments of scenes from his life. The film includes interviews with people who had known Ochs, including Yippies Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, manager Harold Leventhal, and Mike Porco, the owner of Gerde's Folk City. Chords of Fame also includes performances of Ochs songs by folk musicians who knew him, such as Bob Gibson, Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Dave Van Ronk, and Eric Andersen.[1] The film concludes with footage of Ochs performing "I Ain't Marching Anymore" at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Reviewing the film in The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote that by re-enacting scenes from Ochs's life, Korolenko took "an exasperating approach" in making Chords of Fame. She would have preferred photos and recordings of Ochs himself. "The singer's own voice is almost entirely absent from this biography," she wrote, "and this omission makes Chords of Fame seem, at the very best, incomplete."[1]
Eleanor Mannikka, writing at Allmovie, agreed. "This biographical documentary would have benefitted [sic] from more of the singer's own performances, allowing viewers to better judge his talent."[2]
As of 2010[update], Chords of Fame has not been released on DVD.
References
- ^ a b Maslin, Janet (February 16, 1984). "Film: Phil Ochs, A Short Biography". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B00E5DE133BF935A25751C0A962948260. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
- ^ Mannikka, Eleanor. "Chords of Fame > Review". Allmovie. http://www.allmovie.com/work/chords-of-fame-157849/review. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
External links
- Chords of Fame at the Internet Movie Database
- Chords of Fame at AllRovi
Discography Studio albumsLive albumsPhil Ochs in Concert • Gunfight at Carnegie Hall • There and Now: Live in Vancouver 1968 • Live at Newport • Amchitka, The 1970 Concert That Launched GreenpeacePosthumous releasesSings for Broadside • A Toast to Those Who Are Gone • The Broadside Tapes 1 • The Early Years • On My WayPosthumous
compilationsChords of Fame • The War Is Over: The Best of Phil Ochs • There but for Fortune • Farewells & Fantasies • American Troubadour • 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Phil Ochs • Cross My Heart: An Introduction to Phil OchsOther albumsSingles"I Ain't Marching Anymore" • "Cross My Heart" • "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends" • "The War Is Over" • "My Life" • "One Way Ticket Home" • "Kansas City Bomber" • "Bwatue" • "Power and the Glory"Other songs"Crucifixion" • "Draft Dodger Rag" • "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" • "There but for Fortune" • List of Phil Ochs songsDocumentary films Chords of Fame • Phil Ochs: There but for FortuneTribute albums Get Your Phil • Learn: The Songs of Phil Ochs • Poison Ochs: A Tribute to Phil Ochs • What's That I Hear?: The Songs of Phil OchsRelated articles Categories:- 1984 films
- American films
- Documentary films about singers
- English-language films
- 1980s documentary films
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