Wattstax (1973)

Director:

Mel Stuart

Release Date:

23 November 1973 (West Germany)

Genre:

Documentary | Comedy | Music

Tagline:

A soulful expression of the living word...

Plot:

Documentary covering a Stax Records-sponsored all-day concert at the 1972 Watts Summer Festival with performances by Stax Records artists such as Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, The Staples Singers, and more.

Plot Keywords:

Watts | Singer | African American | 1970s | Inner City

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

The Dramatics	...	Themselves
The Staple Singers	...	Themselves
Kim Weston	...	Herself
Jimmy Jones	...	Himself
Rance Allen	...	Himself
The Emotions	...	Themselves
William Bell	...	Himself
Louise McCord	...	Herself
Debra Manning	...	Herself
Eric Mercury	...	Himself
Freddy Robinson	...	Himself
Lee Sain	...	Himself
Ernie Hines	...	Himself
Sonny Warner	...	Himself (as Little Sonny Warner)
The Newcomers	...	Themselves
Eddie Floyd	...	Himself
The Temprees	...	Themselves
Frederick Knight	...	Himself
The Bar-Kays	...	Themselves
Albert King	...	Himself
Little Milton	...	Himself
Johnnie Taylor	...	Himself
Mel Hardin	...	Himself
Tim McPherson	...	Himself
Carla Thomas	...	Herself
Rufus Thomas	...	Himself
Luther Ingram	...	Himself
Isaac Hayes	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Alexander	...	Himself
Raymond Allen	...	Himself
Andre Edwards	...	Himself
Jesse Jackson	...	Himself (as Rev. Jesse Jackson)
Erik Kilpatrick	...	Himself
Ted Lange	...	Himself
Richard Pryor	...	Himself
Fred Berry	...	Dancing guy (uncredited)
Ossie Davis	...	Himself (uncredited)
Ruby Dee	...	Herself (uncredited)
Billy Eckstine	...	Himself (uncredited)
Felton Pilate	...	Himself - musician (uncredited)
Melvin Van Peebles	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Mel Stuart

Produced by
Al Bell	....	executive producer
Forest Hamilton	....	associate producer (as Forest Hamilton HNIC)
Michael Kelly	....	associate producer (2003 restored version)
Scott Roberts	....	associate producer (2003 restored version)
Larry Shaw	....	producer
Mel Stuart	....	producer
David L. Wolper	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo
Larry Clark
Robert Marks
José Louis Mignone		(as José Mignone)
Roderick Young
David Myers		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
David E. Blewitt
Robert K. Lambert
David Newhouse

Production Management
Wesley Buford	....	unit supervisor: concert
Conrad Holzgang	....	production executive
Buster Jones	....	unit supervisor: concert
Larry McCormick	....	unit supervisor: concert
Johnny Williams	....	unit supervisor: concert
Phillips Wylly Sr.	....	post-production supervisor (as Phil Wylly)
Bob Larson	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sid McCoy	....	unit director: concert
Charles Washburn	....	assistant director
Larry Clark	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Austin	....	sound re-recording mixer (2003 restored version)
Bruce Bisenz	....	sound consultant (as Bruce Bizans)
Anna Geyer	....	dialogue editor (2003 restored version)
Leroy Joseph	....	additional location sound
Michael Kelly	....	sound supervisor (2003 restored version)
Ivan Kruglak	....	sound consultant
Gene Radzik	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (2003 restored version)
Kevin Rose-Williams	....	dialogue editor (2003 restored version)
Ed Rue	....	additional location sound
Thomas Washington	....	additional location sound
Richard Wells	....	location sound
Gene Corso	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Richard Portman	....	dubbing mixer (uncredited)
Roger Sword	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David E. Blewitt	....	photography: concert (as David Blewitt)
Joseph W. Calloway	....	assistant camera
Michael Clark	....	assistant camera
Harold L. Grier	....	photography: concert (as Hal Grier)
Roy Lewis	....	photography: concert
Richard A. Mention III	....	assistant camera
Howard Morehead	....	photography: concert
Lucian Smith	....	assistant camera
Joseph M. Wilcots	....	photography: concert

Editorial Department
Tom Christopher	....	picture editor (2003 restored version)
Ed Fantl	....	assistant editor
Tim Fox	....	assistant editor (2003 restored version)
Chuck Montgomery	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ali Adelman	....	music editor (2003 restored version)
Gabriel Gradney	....	music supervisor
Stephen Hart	....	music mixer (2003 restored version)
Wally Heider	....	music recording
Artie King	....	music supervisor
Terry Manning	....	music supervisor
Dale O. Warren	....	music conductor

Other crew
Johnny Baylor	....	production staff
Jesse Boyd	....	consultant (as Rev. Jesse Boyd)
Bea Dennis	....	librarian
Matthew Ford	....	production assistant
Carol Hall	....	consultant
Lou Harris	....	production assistant
Gary Holmes	....	production staff
Jesse Jackson	....	consultant (as Rev. Jesse Jackson)
Tommy Jacquette	....	consultant
David Oyster	....	production coordinator
Alex Pomansanof	....	research assistant
John W. Smith	....	consultant
Jim Stewart	....	production staff
Teddy Stewart	....	consultant
Melvin Van Peebles	....	special staging
Cassius Weathersby	....	production consultant
Sylvester Williams	....	consultant
Edward Windsor Wright	....	production staff

Thanks
Raymond Allen	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Cleveland	....	special thanks
Andre Edwards	....	special thanks
Patricia Henley	....	special thanks
Erik Kilpatrick	....	special thanks
Ted Lange	....	special thanks
Richard Pryor	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Stax Records
• Wolper Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Stax Records

Trivia:

Stax Records, which promoted the concert, insisted that only African-American police officers be used for security. The company also insisted that the film crew be all African-American as well.

Movie Connections:

Featured in TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Soulsville

straight from the source- release set for September 04

I heard it straight from the source. I just had the privilege to see this film with Mel Stuart at the James River Film Festival in Richmond VA and he says it's coming to DVD in September 2004 with the original ending of the Isaac Hayes performance. Stuart said that it will also be aired on PBS in September 04 so look for that. This great documentary has life of the black experience as it was in the early 70's even has Richard Pryor giving some insight. Has some other good footage of Albert King, the Staple Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Little Melvin, the Bar-Kays and Jesse Jackson. Some other interesting facts about the filming of the movie. Stuart specifically hired an all black film crew to capture the feel of this event by interviewing people in the streets and around the festival.