- Directed by
- Parkerson, Michelle, American
- Subject of
- Carter, Betty, American, 1929 - 1998
- Written by
- Parkerson, Michelle, American
- Produced by
- Parkerson, Michelle, American
- Subject of
- Hampton, Lionel, American, 1908 - 2002
- Howard University, American, founded 1867
- Owned by
- D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
- Date
- 1980
- Medium
- acetate film
- Dimensions
- Duration: 50 Minutes
- Length (Film): 1800 Feet
- Caption
- Telling the story of Betty “Bee-Bop” Carter, legendary jazz vocalist, through performances and personal interviews, But Then, She’s Betty Carter offers a personal introduction to the singer while also providing a history of jazz music in America. Directed by Michelle Parkerson in 1980, the film is structured to highlight Carter’s unique vocal ability and influence onto the music industry as a whole.
- 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 But Then, She's Betty Carter. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
- This made-for-television documentary intercuts live performances with brief anecdotal interview clips of the legendary jazz singer Betty “Be-Bop” Carter. Produced and filmed between 1976 and 1980, the film uses footage from Carter’s 1980 Howard University concert as the primary performance source. Throughout the film, Carter discusses her rise to fame out of Detroit, Michigan and the many collaborations that assisted in making her a celebrated jazz musician.
- Lionel Hampton also appears in the film for interviews as well as onstage with Carter. She also spends a significant amount of time detailing the history of jazz music, its origins within the Black musical tradition, and the ways in which jazz music has influenced popular culture over the years. The film expounds on Carter’s innovation as a record-label owner, composer, and inclined vocalist.
- Place used
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place filmed
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- DC Public Library Film Collection
- Classification
- Time-based Media - Moving Images
- Topic
- Documentary films
- Film
- HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
- Instrumentalists (Musicians)
- Jazz (Music)
- Singers (Musicians)
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2017.55.90.1a
- Restrictions & Rights
- Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




