Explore Black History

1967

This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.

A documentary film with the title On the Road with Duke Ellington. It consists of two (2) reels of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
The documentary, which focuses on the last six years of Ellington’s life, shows scenes of the musician on the road and rehearsing for performances. It opens with Ellington receiving an honorary doctorate degree from Yale University, as voiceover narration by Don Morrow plays in the background. Other scenes from the film include footage of Ellington responding to interview questions in the back of a car; footage of him moving through an airport; footage of his friends and family singing "Happy Birthday" to him on his 68th birthday; a scene with him and Louis Armstrong backstage after one of his performances; a scene where he is rehearsing a new composition for Morgan State college where he will be awarded an honorary degree; him performing his morning routine in a hotel, the narrator reports that he does not drink coffee or tea, just hot water; a scene with him working on his new composition while on downtime; a scene in which he plays the piece that he had been composing, "Salute to Morgan State," at the college where he is the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree; a scene where he is recording "Rondolet" for RCA; scenes where he describes his childhood and his appreciation of women; his transition to becoming a master of ceremonies; scenes where he describes his relationship with Billy Strayhorn and footage from Strayhorn’s funeral; a scene where he performs "In the Beginning God" with a choir onstage. In the final scene, the narrator states that some of the footage that was not originally included in the film was later added, after which Ellington and his band performs "Take the A Train," which Ellington comments was written by Billy Strayhorn.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

DC Public Library Film Collection

Time-based Media - Moving Images

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2017.55.54.1ab

sound films
color films (visual works)
16mm (photographic film size)

Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

acetate film

Duration (Reel 1): 22 Minutes
Length (Film): 800 Feet
Duration (Reel 2): 28 Minutes
Length (Film): 1000 Feet

Title • On the Road with Duke Ellington

nmaahc_2017.55.54.1ab

NMAAHC

ON THE ROAD WITH DUKE ELLINGTON

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1960s

Ellington, Duke • Strayhorn, Billy • Morrow, Don • D.C. Public Library • Drew, Robert • Ellington, Mercer Kennedy • Gilbert, Anne • Morgan State University • Armstrong, Louis • Hodges, Johnny

District of Columbia • United States • North and Central America • Washington

Music • Conductors (Musicians) • HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) • Composers (Musicians) • Instrumentalists (Musicians) • Jazz (Music) • Documentary films

City • Washington • State • District of Columbia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America

color films (visual works) • 16mm (photographic film size) • sound films

Restrictions Likely