External links
- Andy Warhol at IMDb
American artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol produced more than 600 films between 1963 and 1968, including short Screen Tests film portraits. [1] His subsequent work with filmmaker Paul Morrissey guided the Warhol-branded films toward more mainstream success in the 1970s. Since 1984, the Whitney Museum of American Art and Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and worked to preserve, restore, exhibit, and distribute Warhol's underground films. In 2014, the MoMA began a project to digitize films previously unseen and to show them to the public. [2] [3]
Warhol had always been interested in films, and once he became successful as an artist with his pop art paintings, he started making underground films at his studio dubbed The Factory. In 1962, Warhol attended the premiere of the static composition by La Monte Young called Trio for Strings and subsequently created his famous series of static films. Filmmaker Jonas Mekas, who accompanied Warhol to the premiere, claimed Warhol's static films were directly inspired by that performance. [4]
In 1963, Warhol experimented with single-frame cinematography, a stylistic method already used by a number of independent filmmakers. [5] However, he quickly came to the conclusion that long takes were the opposite of what was conventional at the time, and he started producing "motionless" films such as Sleep (1964), over 5 hours of a man sleeping, and Empire (1965), an 8-hour view of the Empire State Building captured by a stationary camera. Speaking on his early films, Warhol stated that "people weren't supposed to see them as movies; they were only intended to be projected on the wall of a room so that you could take a look at them when you felt like it." [6]
For his early works, filmmaker Jonas Mekas presented Warhol with the Independent Film Award of 1964, which was "the underground's answer to Oscar." [7] [8] The Village Voice hailed Warhol as one of New York's "most exciting" filmmakers. [9] Mike McGrady of Newsday regarded Warhol as "the Cecil B. DeMille of the Off-Hollywood movie makers." [7] Art critic David Bourdon wrote that "far from literal transcriptions of reality, Warhol's films are more inventive, artificial and art-directed than some of his admires would like to believe." [5]
In 1965, Warhol announced his retirement from painting to focus on filmmaking. [10] During this period, Warhol filmed his Screen Tests , which were taken between 1964 and 1966, featuring candid shots of various people. [11] The subjects are both frequenters and new visitors to the Factory; some anonymous and others well-known. [11] Warhol requested each of them to pose for silent, black-and-white, 100-foot rolls of film to be shot by his stationary 16mm Bolex movie camera. [11]
In 1965, Warhol met Paul Morrissey and they collaborated on several films, including My Hustler (1965), The Velvet Underground and Nico: A Symphony of Sound (1966), Chelsea Girls (1966), and I, a Man (1967). Warhol's films featured his "superstars," who were personalities who were part of his Factory scene, such as Edie Sedgwick, Nico, Ingrid Superstar, Ultra Violet, International Velvet, and Viva. Warhol provided funding for his underground films in the 1960s, but because the films weren't very profitable the actors received little to no compensation. [12] Instead, he would treat them to meals at Max's Kansas City where he traded art for credit at the restaurant. [13] "We felt fortunate to collaborate with Andy," said Bibbe Hansen. [14] "We lived to serve the work. Just to have access to a theater, a stage or a camera, lights and film that was a gift and allowed us to do our art." [14]
Warhol's films didn't have a script, and he would encourage the actors to improvise dialogue. [15] "Mostly I just turn on the camera, I select the people who are going to be in the film and they turn on for the camera. We tried scripts, but the people did just as badly after 40 rehearsals. So now they just do what they want to do," he said in 1968. [15] He elaborated in his memoir POPism: The Warhol '60s (1980): "What I liked was chunks of time all together, every real moment. I only wanted to find great people and let them be themselves and talk about what they usually talked about and I'd film them for a certain length of time and that would be the movie." [10]
In 1967, Warhol and Morrissey began filming outdoors and in color, starting with Imitation of Christ (1967), which was filmed in California. They filmed Lonesome Cowboys (1968) in Arizona and San Diego Surf (1968) in California. [16] As Warhol was recovering from an assassination attempt during the summer of 1968, Morrissey made his directorial debut with Flesh (1968). [17]
In 1969, Warhol traveled to Los Angeles to discuss a potential film contract with Columbia Pictures. [6] A deal did not materialize, so Warhol and Morrissey proceeded with the films Trash (1970), Women in Revolt (1971), and Heat (1972). Their next film L'Amour (1972) was made in Paris followed by Andy Warhol's Frankenstein (1973) and Andy Warhol's Dracula (1974), filmed in Rome. [18] [17] Warhol's longtime partner Jed Johnson, who had worked with him and Morrissey on several films, directed his final production, Andy Warhol's Bad (1977). [19] In the event that the film was a commercial success, they had planned to move to California; however, Warhol lost money and stopped producing films. [20]
Warhol discontinued the distribution of all of his experimental films in 1970. Years later, film scholar John Hanhardt, general editor of The Films of Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné, 1963-1965, Volume 2 (2021), who was Curator and Head of Film and Video at the Whitney Museum of American Art, proposed a collaborative project in which the Whitney and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) would collaborate to preserve, restore, exhibit, distribute, and catalogue Warhol's filmography. Warhol's assistance was sought, and in 1984, he placed his original film materials on deposit at the MoMA, while the Whitney began fundamental research for the catalogue raisonné. The Whitney, MoMA, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and the Andy Warhol Museum collaborated on this project, which was known as the Andy Warhol Film Project. [21]
| Year | Film | Cast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Andy Warhol Films Jack Smith Filming "Normal Love" | Jack Smith | Lost film |
| 1963 | Sarah-Soap | Sarah Dalton | |
| 1963 | Denis Deegan | Denis Deegan | |
| 1963 | Rollerskate/Dance Movie | Fred Herko | |
| 1963 | Jill and Freddy Dancing | Fred Herko, Jill Johnston | |
| 1963 | Elvis at Ferus | Irving Blum | |
| 1963 | Taylor and Me | Taylor Mead | |
| 1963 | Tarzan and Jane Regained... Sort of | Taylor Mead, Dennis Hopper, Naomi Levine, | |
| 1963 | Duchamp Opening | Irving Blum, Gerard Malanga | |
| 1963 | Salome and Delilah | Fred Herko, Deborah Lee | |
| 1963 | Haircut No. 1 | Billy Name, Fred Herko, John Daley, James Waring | |
| 1963 | Haircut No. 2 | Billy Name, Fred Herko, Deborah Lee | |
| 1963 | Haircut No. 3 | Johnny Dodd, Billy Name | |
| 1963 | Henry in Bathroom | Henry Geldzahler | |
| 1963 | Taylor and John | John Giorno, Taylor Mead | |
| 1963 | Bob Indiana, Etc. | John Giorno | |
| 1963 | Billy Klüver | John Giorno | |
| 1963 | John Washing | John Giorno | |
| 1963 | Naomi and John | John Giorno | |
| 1964 | Sleep | John Giorno | Running time of 320+ minutes |
| 1964 | Kiss | Naomi Levine, Barbara Rubin, Gerard Malanga, Rufus Collins, Johnny Dodd, Ed Sanders, Mark Lancaster, Fred Herko, Baby Jane Holzer, Robert Indiana, Andrew Meyer, John Palmer, Pierre Restany, Harold Stevenson, Philip van Rensselaer, Charlotte Gilbertson, Marisol, Stephen Holden, Bela Lugosi | |
| 1964 | Blow Job | DeVeren Bookwalter, Willard Maas (offscreen) | Shot at 24 frame/s, projected at 16 frame/s |
| 1964 | Naomi and Rufus Kiss | Naomi Levin, Rufus Collins | |
| 1964 | Jill Johnston Dancing | Jill Johnston | |
| 1964 | Shoulder | Lucinda Childs | |
| 1964 | Eat | Robert Indiana | |
| 1964 | Dinner At Daley's | ||
| 1964 | Soap Opera | Jane Holzer, Rufus Collins, Gerard Malanga. Sam Green, Ivy Nicholson | |
| 1964 | Batman Dracula | Gregory Battcock, Rufus Collins, Henry Geldzahler, Jane Holzer, Naomi Levine, Ivy Nicholson, Gerard Malanga, Taylor Mead, Mario Montez | |
| 1964 | Three | Walter Dainwood, Gerard Malanga, Ondine | |
| 1964 | Jane and Darius | Jane Holzer | |
| 1964 | Couch | Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, Gerard Malanga, Naomi Levin, Henry Geldzahler, Taylor Mead | |
| 1964 | Empire | Runtime of 8 hours 5 minutes | |
| 1964 | Henry Geldzahler | Henry Geldzahler | |
| 1964 | Taylor Mead's Ass | Taylor Mead | |
| 1964 | Six Months | ||
| 1964 | Mario Banana 1 | Mario Montez | |
| 1964 | Mario Banana 2 | Mario Montez | |
| 1964 | Harlot | Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez | |
| 1964 | Mario Montez Dances | Mario Montez | |
| 1964 | Isabel Wrist | Isabel Eberstadt | |
| 1964 | Imu and Son | Imu | |
| 1964 | Allen | Gerard Malanga, Taylor Mead | |
| 1964 | Philip and Gerard | Phillip Fagan, Gerard Malanga | |
| 1964 | 13 Most Beautiful Women | assembled from Screen Tests | |
| 1964 | 13 Most Beautiful Boys | assembled from Screen Tests | |
| 1964 | 50 Fantastics and 50 Personalities | assembled from Screen Tests | |
| 1964 | Pause | ||
| 1964 | Messy Lives | ||
| 1964 | Lips | ||
| 1964 | Apple | ||
| 1964 | The End of Dawn | ||
| 1965 | John and Ivy | Ivy Nicholson, John Palmer | |
| 1965 | Screen Test #1 | Philip Fagan | |
| 1965 | Screen Test #2 | Mario Montez | |
| 1965 | The Life of Juanita Castro | Marie Menken, Mercedes Ospina, Ronald Tavel | |
| 1965 | Drink | Gregory Battcock, [22] Emile de Antonio | |
| 1965 | Suicide | ||
| 1965 | Horse | Gregory Battcock, [22] Larry Letreille | |
| 1965 | Vinyl | Gerard Malanga, Ondine, Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Bitch | Gerard Malanga, Marie Menken, Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Poor Little Rich Girl | Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Face | Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Restaurant | Bibbe Hansen, Donald Lyons, Ondine, Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Afternoon | Dorothy Dean, Donald Lyons, Ondine, Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Beauty No. 1 | Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Beauty No. 2 | Gerard Malanga, Gino Piserchio, Edie Sedgwick, Chuck Wein | |
| 1965 | Space | Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Factory Diaries | Paul America, Billy Name, Ondine, Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Outer and Inner Space | Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | Prison | Bibbe Hansen, Marie Menken, Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | The Fugs and The Holy Modal Rounders | The Fugs, The Holy Modal Rounders | |
| 1965 | Paul Swan | Paul Swan | |
| 1965 | My Hustler | Paul America, Ed Hood | |
| 1965 | My Hustler II | Paul America, Pat Hartley, Gerard Malanga, Billy Name, Ingrid Superstar | |
| 1965 | Camp | Jane Holzer, Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez, Paul Swan | |
| 1965 | More Milk, Yvette | Mario Montez | |
| 1965 | Lupe | Billy Name, Edie Sedgwick | |
| 1965 | The Closet | Nico | |
| 1966 | Kitchen | Donald Lyons, René Ricard, Edie Sedgwick, Roger Trudeau | |
| 1966 | Ari and Mario | Mario Montez, Nico | |
| 1966 | 3 Min. Mary Might | ||
| 1966 | Eating Too Fast | Gregory Battcock [22] | |
| 1966 | The Velvet Underground and Nico: A Symphony of Sound | The Velvet Underground, Nico | |
| 1966 | The Velvet Underground A.K.A. Moe in Bondage | Moe Tucker, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Lou Reed | |
| 1966 | Hedy | Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez, Ingrid Superstar, Ronald Tavel, Mary Woronov | |
| 1966 | Rick | Roderick Clayton | Unreleased |
| 1966 | Withering Heights | Charles Aberg, Ingrid Superstar | Unreleased |
| 1966 | Paraphernalia | International Velvet | |
| 1966 | Whips | ||
| 1966 | Salvador Dalí | Salvador Dalí, Gerard Malanga | |
| 1966 | The Beard | Gerard Malanga, Mary Woronov | |
| 1966 | Superboy | International Velvet, Ed Hood, Mary Woronov | |
| 1966 | Patrick | Patrick Fleming | |
| 1966 | Chelsea Girls | Brigid Polk, International Velvet, Eric Emerson, Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez, Marie Menken, Nico, Ondine, Ingrid Superstar, Mary Woronov | |
| 1966 | Bufferin | Gerard Malanga | |
| 1966 | Bufferin Commercial | Jane Holzer, Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez | |
| 1966 | Susan-Space | International Velvet | |
| 1966 | The Velvet Underground Tarot Cards | International Velvet | |
| 1966 | Nico/Antoine | International Velvet, Nico | |
| 1966 | Marcel Duchamp | ||
| 1966 | Dentist: Nico | Denis Deegan | |
| 1966 | Ivy | Denis Deegan | |
| 1966 | Denis | Denis Deegan | |
| 1966 | Ivy and Denis I | ||
| 1966 | Ivy and Denis II | ||
| 1966 | Tiger Hop | ||
| 1966 | The Andy Warhol Story | Edie Sedgwick, René Ricard | |
| 1966 | Since | Ondine, Ingrid Superstar, International Velvet, Mary Woronov, Richard Rheem, Gerard Malanga, Ronnie Cutrone, Ivy Nicolson | |
| 1966 | The Bob Dylan Story | International Velvet, John Cale | |
| 1966 | Mrs. Warhol | Richard Rheem, Julia Warhola | |
| 1966 | Kiss the Boot | Gerard Malanga, Mary Woronov | |
| 1966 | Nancy Fish and Rodney | Nancy Fish | |
| 1966 | Courtroom | ||
| 1966 | Jail | ||
| 1966 | Alien in Jail | ||
| 1966 | A Christmas Carol | Ondine | |
| 1966 | Four Stars aka **** | runtime of 25 hours | |
| 1967 | Imitation of Christ | Tom Baker, Brigid Polk, Pat Close, Andrea Feldman, Taylor Mead, Nico, Ondine | |
| 1967 | Ed Hood | Ed Hood | |
| 1967 | Donyale Luna | Donyale Luna | |
| 1967 | I, a Man | Tom Baker, Ivy Nicholson, Valerie Solanas, Ingrid Superstar, Ultra Violet, Viva | |
| 1967 | Loves of Ondine | Ondine, Brigid Polk, Rolando Peña, Viva | |
| 1967 | Bike Boy | Viva, Brigid Polk, Ingrid Superstar | |
| 1967 | Tub Girls | Viva, Brigid Polk, Taylor Mead | |
| 1967 | The Nude Restaurant | Taylor Mead, Allen Midgette, Ingrid Superstar, Viva, Louis Waldon | |
| 1967 | Construction-Destruction-Construction | Taylor Mead, Viva | |
| 1967 | Sunset | Nico | |
| 1967 | Withering Sighs | ||
| 1967 | Vibrations | ||
| 1968 | Lonesome Cowboys | Joe Dallessandro, Eric Emerson, Viva, Taylor Mead, Louis Waldon | |
| 1968 | San Diego Surf | Joe Dallessandro, Eric Emerson, Taylor Mead, Ingrid Superstar, Viva, | Released in 2012 |
| 1968 | Flesh | Jackie Curtis, Patti D'Arbanville, Candy Darling, Joe Dallessandro, Geraldine Smith, Geri Miller, Jed Johnson (uncredited) | Directed by Paul Morrissey |
| 1969 | Blue Movie | Viva, Louis Waldon | |
| 1970 | Trash | Joe Dallessandro, Andrea Feldman, Jane Forth, Geri Miller, Holly Woodlawn | Directed by Paul Morrissey |
| 1971 | Women in Revolt | Penny Arcade, Jackie Curtis, Candy Darling, Jane Forth, Holly Woodlawn, Geri Miller (uncredited) | Directed by Paul Morrissey |
| 1971 | Water | ||
| 1971 | Factory Diaries | ||
| 1972 | Heat | Joe Dallesandro, Pat Ast, Eric Emerson, Andrea Feldman, Sylvia Miles, Lester Persky | Directed by Paul Morrissey |
| 1972 | L'Amour | Donna Jordan, Michael Sklar, Jane Forth, and Max Delys, Karl Lagerfeld | Co-directed by Paul Morrissey |
| 1973 | Flesh for Frankenstein | Joe Dallesandro, Monique van Vooren, Udo Kier | Directed by Paul Morrissey [23] |
| 1974 | Blood for Dracula | Joe Dallesandro, Udo Kier, Vittorio de Sica, Maxime McKendry | Directed by Paul Morrissey |
| 1973 | Vivian's Girls | Brigid Polk, Candy Darling | |
| Phoney | Candy Darling, Maxime de la Falaise | ||
| 1975 | Nothing Special footage | Brigid Polk, Anjelica Huston, Paloma Picasso | |
| 1975 | Fight | Brigid Polk | |
| 1977 | Bad | Carroll Baker, Perry King, Susan Tyrrell, Susan Blond | Directed by Jed Johnson |
