Directed by
Edgar, William
Written by
Edgar, William
Produced by
Edgar, William
Subject of
Robertson, Oscar, American, born 1938
Chicago Bulls, American, founded 1966
Milwaukee Bucks, American, founded 1968
Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, American, born 1947
Distributed by
Oxford Films Inc.
Produced by
Tele-Sports Ltd.
Owned by
D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
Date
1973
Medium
acetate film
Dimensions
Duration: 22 Minutes
Length (Film): 800 Feet
Caption
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 "Oscar Robertson," from the Sports Action Profile television series. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
The film was written, directed, and produced by William Edgar and profiles basketball player Oscar Robertson during the time he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. It opens with Robertson driving to the Milwaukee arena in a convertible sports car as he describes the significance of basketball in his life. He comments that, "Basketball has been very good to me emotionally and it's made me very happy, such as going to Africa. Being a black person and being afforded the opportunity to go to Africa to see it for yourself is something I'll never be able to forget." He continues by briefly describing how the sport afforded him the ability to escape poverty.
Much of the rest of the film focuses on a pre-season match between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls. Both the narrator and Robertson provide voiceover narration, with the narrator paying special attention to the game strategies as outlined by the team’s coaches and Robertson's role on the team. Other scenes include Robertson's philanthropic work when he's not playing competitively, such as him teaching black boys how to play basketball. There are also shots with fellow Bucks player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, both on the court and in the locker room. The film closes with Robertson teaching a young boy proper dribbling technique and how to take a jump shot.
Place used
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Place filmed
Wisconsin, United States, North and Central America
Collection title
DC Public Library Film Collection
Portfolio/Series
Sports Action Profile
Classification
Time-based Media - Moving Images
Type
sound films
color films (visual works)
short subjects
16mm (photographic film size)
Topic
Athletes
Basketball
Documentary films
Film
Profile films
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2017.55.31.1a
Restrictions & Rights
Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd50f6672aa-6b09-4cf2-82a5-89b208600378

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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