Once Upon An El

Once Upon An El — Plot

"The poet Daisy Aldan (who brought Gerard Malanga into the world of experimental filmmaking) directed a beautifully evocative and impressionistic documentary, Once Upon an El, in 8mm color with a 7 1/2 ips tape soundtrack. The 15-minute film's cast included John Ashberry, James Broughton, Chester Kallman, Frank O'Hara, Olga Petroff, Kermit Sheets, and other luminaries of the Avant-Garde, the soundtrack was composed by Storm de Hirsch. Once Upon An El documented the activities of a group of writers and composers...[demonstrating] against the demolition of New York's Third Avenue elevated railway (FMC 1967, 7-8) , which was demolished anyway" - Wheeler Winston Dixon

• Release date
• January 1, 1955
• Runtime
• 21 min
• Director
• Daisy Aldan

Once Upon An El — Cast

James Broughton

F

Frank O'Hara

K

Kenward Elmslie

J

Jane Freilicher

G

Grace Hartigan

L

Leon Hecht

R

Robert Hellman

C

Chester Kallman