Shadows
Directed by	John Cassavetes
Produced by	Maurice McEndree
Written by	John Cassavetes
Starring	Ben Carruthers Lelia Goldoni Hugh Hurd Anthony Ray
Release date(s)	November 11, 1959
Running time	87 min
Country	United States
Language	English
IMDb profile

Shadows is a 1959 improvisational film about interracial relations during the Beat Generation. It stars Ben Carruthers, Lelia Goldoni, Hugh Hurd, and Anthony Ray. It was written and directed by John Cassavetes; film scholars often consider the film the birth of independent film in the U.S. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9, 1929–February 3, 1989) was a Greek American actor, screenwriter, and director. ... Sir Mix-a-Lot (born Anthony Ray in 1963) is a rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington, USA. He created his own brand of hip hop - influenced by Electro, Kraftwerk and Gary Numan, and funk. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... See also: 1958 in film 1959 1960 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film Events The Three Stooges make their 180th and last short film, Sappy Bullfighters. ... The Beat Generation was a group of American writers who came to prominence in the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... Sir Mix-a-Lot (born Anthony Ray in 1963) is a rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington, USA. He created his own brand of hip hop - influenced by Electro, Kraftwerk and Gary Numan, and funk. ... John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9, 1929–February 3, 1989) was a Greek American actor, screenwriter, and director. ... An independent film, or indie film, is usually a low-budget film that is produced by a small movie studio. ...

Production

Cassavetes essentially shot the film twice, once in 1957 and again in 1959, removing, adding, and rearranging scenes. The second version is the version Cassavetes favored; he did make the first version available for screenings, but he eventually lost track of the print, and for decades it was believed to have been lost or destroyed. In 2004, after over a decade of searching, Cassavetes scholar Ray Carney, a professor at Boston University and manager of a web site devoted to the director, announced that he had discovered the only print of the original version of the film, which had somehow ended up in a box in a subway before being bought with a lot of other "lost and found" objects.^[1] The film Carney managed to find was a pristine copy that apparently had only been screened two or three times before it was lost.^[2] Carney has posted three video clips from Shadows I for viewing on his website to verify the film's condition and indicate the presence of a complete credits sequence, which demonstrates that the version he possesses is a final version, not a rough assembly.^[3] This discovery has led to a considerable amount of open hostility towards Carney from Gena Rowlands, Cassavetes' widow.^[4] Ray Carney, also known as Raymond Carney, is an American interdisciplinary arts scholar primarily known for his work as a film theorist. ... For similarly-named academic institutions, see Boston (disambiguation). ... Gena Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American actress. ...

Reception

Film critic Leonard Maltin calls Cassavetes' second version of Shadows "a watershed in the birth of American independent cinema". The movie was shot with a 16 mm handheld camera on the streets of New York. Much of the dialogue was improvised, and the crew were class members or volunteers. The jazz-infused score, some of which is composed by jazz legend Charles Mingus, underlines the movie's Beat Generation theme of alienation and raw emotion. The movie's plot focuses on an interracial relationship — still a taboo subject in Eisenhower-era America. Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950 in New York City) is a widely known and respected American film critic. ... Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ... The Beat Generation was a group of American writers who came to prominence in the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... This article is about cultural prohibitions in general, for other uses, see Taboo (disambiguation). ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ...

The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. ... The National Film Registry is the registry of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress. ...

References

Ray Carney, also known as Raymond Carney, is an American interdisciplinary arts scholar primarily known for his work as a film theorist. ... Front page of Guardian Unlimited from August 16, 2005 Guardian Unlimited is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Shadows at the Internet Movie Database
• Criterion Collection essay by Gary Giddins
• Dan Schneider Review of Shadows
• Nick Schager Review of Shadows
• The quest for the first version of Shadows

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