- Directed by
- Thorsen, Karen, American
- Subject of
- Baldwin, James, American, 1924 - 1987
- Baraka, Amiri, American, 1934 - 2014
- Angelou, Maya, American, 1928 - 2014
- Short, Bobby, American, 1924 - 2005
- Leeming, David Adams, American
- Styron, William, American, 1925 - 2006
- Reed, Ishmael, American, born 1938
- Happersberger, Lucien, Swiss, 1932 - 2010
- Owned by
- D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
- Date
- 1989
- Medium
- acetate film
- Dimensions
- Duration (Reel 1): 50 Minutes
- Length (Film): 1800 Feet
- Duration (Reel 2): 24 Minutes
- Length (Film): 850 Feet
- Caption
- "James Baldwin: The Price of The Ticket" recounts the life and influence of author James Baldwin using a combination of archival footage of Baldwin and contemporary interviews with his surviving family and friends. The film was directed by Karen Thorsen in collaboration with the famous documentary production company Maysles Films.
- 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.
- Description
- A documentary film with the title James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket. It consists of two (2) reels of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound (2017.55.23.1a and 2017.55.23.1b).
- The documentary recounts the life and influence of author James Baldwin using a combination of archival footage of Baldwin and contemporary interviews with his surviving family and friends. The film was directed by Karen Thorsen in collaboration with the famous documentary production company Maysles Films.
- The film includes footage of interviews and public speeches by Baldwin, scenes from Baldwin's funeral service, and explorations of Baldwin's homes in France, Switzerland, Turkey, and Harlem. Interviews with family and friends include his brother David; biographer David Leeming; writers Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, William Styron, Ishmael Reed and Yashar Kemal; painter Lucien Happersberger and entertainer Bobby Short.
- Place depicted
- Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Istanbul, Turkey, Middle East, Asia
- Switzerland, Europe
- Paris, Île-de-France, France, Europe
- Collection title
- DC Public Library Film Collection
- Classification
- Time-based Media - Moving Images
- Type
- sound films
- color films (visual works)
- feature films
- 16mm (photographic film size)
- Topic
- Activism
- Civil rights
- Documentary films
- Film
- Gender
- LGBTQ
- Literature
- Sexuality
- Spirituality
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2017.55.23.1ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Karen Thorsen (Nobody Knows Productions)
- Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




