Tally Brown, New York is a 1979 documentary film directed, written and produced by Rosa von Praunheim, centring around the career of Tally Brown.
The film received international attention and was shown, for example, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1979.
Plot
The film follows the singing and acting career of Tally Brown, a classically trained opera and blues singer who became a star of the New York underground scene in the late 1960s. In this documentary, von Praunheim draws on extensive interviews with Brown, in which she shares her collaborations with Andy Warhol, Taylor Mead and other artists, and friendships with Ching Ho Cheng, Holly Woodlawn and Divine. Brown opens the film with a cover of David Bowie's Heroes and closes with Rock 'n' Roll Suicide. The film not only captures Tally Brown's career, but also a certain New York milieu of the 1970s.
Production notes
The documentary is also notable for being the first of Praunheim's many portraits of women, mostly aging legendary performers, who have become iconic figures in the LGBT community.
Awards
1979: German Film Award (for best non-feature film) 1979: Nominated for the Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival
Reception
The Village Voice wrote: "In its way, Tally Brown, New York is the best documentary about New York since Chantal Akerman's News From Home", and "a must-see for all those interested in performance and the cultural history of New York in the ’70s."
Notes
External links
References
Murray, Raymond. Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video Guide. TLA Publications, 1994,