For the week of January 21 - 27, 2004

Hailey Library presents Dylan documentary

Free screening of classic rockumentary

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By MICHAEL AMES
Express Staff Writer

The Hailey Public Library will screen D.A. Pennebaker’s classic 1967 Dylan documentary, "Don’t Look Back," Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m. After the viewing, local musician Michael White will perform some of his favorite Dylan songs.

In 1965, when Dylan was on the cusp of a transformation from acoustic to electric guitar playing, he was a bigger name in England than here in the states. That year, Dylan did a seven-city, eight-show tour of Britain, and Pennebaker accompanied him with the idea of making a film.

The result is a classic rockumentary, a candid portrait of Dylan off-stage: in taxis, hotels and backstage green rooms. Of course, there is plenty of live music footage as well. At the time, Dylan was a scrawny 23-year-old singing his eventual classics "The Times They Are A-Changing" and "All I Really Want to Do."

Pennebaker’s idea was to be a fly on the wall of Dylan’s tour, to capture the immediate reality of these experiences between Dylan and his fans, fellow musicians, friends and the press in the contemporary cinema verité style.

The film features a few moments of pure music between Dylan and folk goddess Joan Baez as they link up and play some old Hank Williams songs in a hotel room. Pennebaker also captures Dylan gallivanting with his manager Albert Grossman, his tour manager Bob Neuwirth, and hanging out with the likes of one-time Animals keyboardist Alan Price, Tito Burns, Donovan, John Mayall and Marianne Faithful. Even famous beat poet Allen Ginsburg shows up for a brief static shot, adding some 60s lore to the mix.

Pennebaker went on to do many more documentaries, including "Monterey Pop," the 60s film that helped launch Janis Joplin, as well as films on David Bowie and Depeche Mode, among others.

In the second part of this community program, White, an Idaho native musician, will perform Dylan songs that have influenced his career. Recently, White played in The Company of Fools’ "Always Patsy Cline" and performed Woody Guthrie tunes for the Hailey Public Library’s Steinbeck Centennial program.

For more information on this event, please call the Hailey Public Library at 788-2036.

 

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