Research Catalog

Melvin Van Peebles essential films : The story of a three day pass ; Watermelon man ; Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song ; Don't play us cheap ; [Baadasssss! (Mario Van Peebles)].

Title: Melvin Van Peebles essential films : The story of a three day pass ; Watermelon man ; Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song ; Don't play us cheap ; [Baadasssss! (Mario Van Peebles)].
Publication: [United States] : The Criterion Collection, 2021.

Details

Additional Authors

Description

5 videodiscs in 4 volumes (680 minutes) : sound, black and white and color; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet (52 pages : illustrations ; 17 cm)

Summary

The story of a three day pass: An African-American soldier stationed in France is granted a promotion and a three-day leave from base and heads to Paris, where he finds whirlwind romance with a white woman--but what happens to their love when his furlough is over?
Watermelon man: A loud-mouthed, bigoted white man's suburban existence is jarringly upended when he wakes to discover that he has become a black man.
Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song: When a pair of racist cops try to frame him for a crime he didn't commit, a performer in a sex show goes on the run through a lawless underground of bikers, revolutionaries, sex workers, and hippies in a quest for liberation from white oppression.
Don't play us cheap: A pair of mischief-making devil-bats dispatched by Satan assume human form in order to wreak havoc on a Saturday-night house party in Harlem--only to find their diabolical plan thwarted by their hosts' infectious generosity of spirit.
Baadasssss!: Mario Van Peebles portrays his father, director Melvin Van Peebles, in this quasi-documentary-style saga of the production diaries of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
Don't play us cheap: A pair of mischief-making devil-bats assume human form to wreak havoc on a Saturday-night house party in Harlem--only to find their diabolical plan thwarted by their hosts' infectious generosity of spirit.

Uniform Title

Story of a three day pass (Motion picture)
Watermelon man (Motion picture)
Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song (Motion picture)
Don't play us cheap (Motion picture)
Badasssss! (Motion picture)

Alternative Title

Story of a three day pass.
Watermelon man.
Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song.
Don't play us cheap.
Baadasssss!
Sunlight.
Three pickup men for Herrick.
Cinq cent balles.
How to eat your watermelon in white company (and enjoy it).

Subjects

Genre/Form

Feature films.
Fiction films.
Satirical films.
Action and adventure films.
Crime films.
Musical films.
Video recordings for the hearing impaired.

Note

Five Blu-ray Special Edition.
Title from container.
Originally released as motion pictures: The story of a three day pass (1967) ; Watermelon man (1970) ; Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song (1971) ; Don't play us cheap (1972).
Story of a three-day pass special features: Introduction by director Melvin Van Peebles from 1997. Conversation between producer Warrington Hudlin and filmmaker Nelson George. 1968 interview with Van Peebles from the television program Black Journal. 1968 interviews with Van Peebles and co-stars Harry Baird and Nicole Berger on the French television show Pour le Plaisir. Three short films by Van Peebles: Sunlight (1957), Three Pickup Men for Herrick (1957), and Les Cinq Cent Balles (1961). Trailer.
Watermelon man special features: Introduction by director Melvin Van Peebles from 2004. Feature-length documentary by Joe Angio on Van Peebles's life and career: How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy it).
Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song special features: Introduction and audio commentary by director Melvin Van Peebles from 1997; new conversation between Mario Van Peebles and film critic Elvis Mitchell; interview from 1971 with Melvin Van Peebles on Detroit Tubeworks; episode of Black Journal from 1971 featuring Van Peebles and critics Clayton Riley, Francis Ward, and A. Peter Bailey; new conversation between scholars Gerlad R. Butters Jr., Novotny Lawrence, and Amy Abugo Ongiri; excerpts from a 2004 interview with Van Peebles for the Directors Guild of America Visual History program.
Baadasssss! special features: The story behind Baadasssss!: The Birth of Black Cinema, a 2004 featurette; Melvin Van Peebles: The Real Deal, a 2002 interview with the director on the making of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song; visual history with Melvin Van Peebles; audio commentary track featuring Mario and Melvin Van Peebles, recorded in 2004.
Don't play us cheap special features: Introduction by director Melvin Van Peebles from 1997. 1972 episode of Black Journal featuring interview with Van Peebles and musical performances by the film's cast.

Credits (note)

The story of a three day pass: Directed by Melvin Van Peebles ; screenplay and dialogue by Melvin Van Peebles, based on his novel La permission ; music by Melvin Van Peebles, Mickey Baker ; director of photography, Michel Kelber ; editor, Liliane Korb.
Watermelon man: Directed by Melvin van Peebles ; produced by John B. Bennett ; written by Herman Raucher ; director of photography, W. Wallace Kelley ; music by Melvin Van Peebles ; film editor, Carl Kress.
Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song: Written and directed by Melvin Van Peebles ; director of photography, Bob Maxwell ; orchestra and orchestrations, Earth, Wind & Fire.
Don't play us cheap: Written, composed, produced, directed and edited by Melvin Van Peebles ; director of photography, Bob Maxwell.
Baadasssss!: Directed by Mario Van Peebles.

Performer (note)

The story of a three day pass: Harry Baird, Nicole Berger, Hal Brav, Christian Marin, Pierre Doris, Tria French.
Watermelon man: Godfrey Cambridge, Estelle Parsons, Scott Garrett, Erin Moran, Howard Caine, Mantan Moreland, Kay E. Kuter, D'Urville Martin, Kay Kimberly.
Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song: Melvin Van Peebles, Simon Chuckster, Hubert Scales, John Dullaghan, Mario Van Peebles, Rhetta Hughes, Johnny Amos, Megan Van Peebles.
Don't play us cheap: Joe Keyes Jr., Rhetta Hughs, Avon Long, Esther Rolle, Nate Barnett, Frank Carey, Joshie Jo Armstead, George "Ooppee" McCurn, Mabel King, Robert Dunn, Jay Van Leer, Thomas Anderson.
Baadasssss!: Joy Bryant, T.K. Carter, Terry Crews, Ossie Davis, David Alan Grier, Nia Long, Paul Rodriguez, Saul Rubinek, Vincent Schiavelli, Khleo Thomas, Mario Van Peebles, Karimah Westbrook, Rainn Wilson.

System Details (note)

Blu-ray ; region A ; DTS-HD Master Audio ; requires Blu-ray player.

Language (note)

The story of a three day pass: In French and English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Watermelon man: In English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song: In English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Don't play us cheap: In English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Baadasssss: In English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Contents

[Disc 1] The story of a three day pass (1967, 86 minutes) -- [Disc 2] Watermelon man (1970, 100 minutes) -- [Disc 3] Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971, 97 minutes) -- [Disc 4] Baadasssss! (2003, 109 minutes) -- [Disc 5] Don't play us cheap (1972, 102 minutes).

Call Number

Sc BLURAY-41

ISBN

9781681438818
168143881X

LCCN

715515264617

OCLC

1273929196

Title

Melvin Van Peebles essential films : The story of a three day pass ; Watermelon man ; Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song ; Don't play us cheap ; [Baadasssss! (Mario Van Peebles)].

Publisher

[United States] : The Criterion Collection, 2021.

Type of Content

two-dimensional moving image

Type of Medium

video

Type of Carrier

videodisc

Digital File Characteristics

video file Blu-ray

System Details

Blu-ray ; region A ; DTS-HD Master Audio ; requires Blu-ray player.

Cast

The story of a three day pass: Harry Baird, Nicole Berger, Hal Brav, Christian Marin, Pierre Doris, Tria French.

Watermelon man: Godfrey Cambridge, Estelle Parsons, Scott Garrett, Erin Moran, Howard Caine, Mantan Moreland, Kay E. Kuter, D'Urville Martin, Kay Kimberly.

Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song: Melvin Van Peebles, Simon Chuckster, Hubert Scales, John Dullaghan, Mario Van Peebles, Rhetta Hughes, Johnny Amos, Megan Van Peebles.

Don't play us cheap: Joe Keyes Jr., Rhetta Hughs, Avon Long, Esther Rolle, Nate Barnett, Frank Carey, Joshie Jo Armstead, George "Ooppee" McCurn, Mabel King, Robert Dunn, Jay Van Leer, Thomas Anderson.

Baadasssss!: Joy Bryant, T.K. Carter, Terry Crews, Ossie Davis, David Alan Grier, Nia Long, Paul Rodriguez, Saul Rubinek, Vincent Schiavelli, Khleo Thomas, Mario Van Peebles, Karimah Westbrook, Rainn Wilson.

Credits

The story of a three day pass: Directed by Melvin Van Peebles ; screenplay and dialogue by Melvin Van Peebles, based on his novel La permission ; music by Melvin Van Peebles, Mickey Baker ; director of photography, Michel Kelber ; editor, Liliane Korb.

Watermelon man: Directed by Melvin van Peebles ; produced by John B. Bennett ; written by Herman Raucher ; director of photography, W. Wallace Kelley ; music by Melvin Van Peebles ; film editor, Carl Kress.

Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song: Written and directed by Melvin Van Peebles ; director of photography, Bob Maxwell ; orchestra and orchestrations, Earth, Wind & Fire.

Don't play us cheap: Written, composed, produced, directed and edited by Melvin Van Peebles ; director of photography, Bob Maxwell.

Baadasssss!: Directed by Mario Van Peebles.

Language

The story of a three day pass: In French and English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Watermelon man: In English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song: In English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Don't play us cheap: In English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Baadasssss: In English; English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

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Added Author

Van Peebles, Melvin, 1932-2021, film director.

Bennett, John B. (Producer), film producer.

Raucher, Herman, screenwriter.

Kelber, Michel, 1908-1996, director of photography.

Kelley, Wallace, director of photography.

Maxwell, Bob, 1923-1978, director of photography.

Baker, Mickey, composer (expression)

Kress, Carl, editor of moving image work.

Baird, Harry, actor.

Berger, Nicole, 1934-1967, actor.

Brav, Hal, actor.

Marin, Christian, actor.

Doris, Pierre, actor.

French, Tria, actor.

Cambridge, Godfrey, 1933-1976, actor.

Parsons, Estelle, actor.

Garrett, Scott, 1959- actor.

Moran, Erin, 1960-2017, actor.

Caine, Howard, actor.

Moreland, Mantan, actor.

Kuter, Kay, actor.

Martin, D'Urville, 1939-1984, actor.

Kimberly, Kay, actor.

Chuckster, Simon, actor.

Scales, Hubert, actor.

Dullaghan, John, 1930-2009, actor.

Van Peebles, Mario, actor.

Hughes, Rheta, actor.

Amos, John, 1939- actor.

Van Peebles, Megan, actor.

Bryant, Joy, 1976- actor.

Carter, T. K., 1956- actor.

Crews, Terry, 1968- actor.

Davis, Ossie, actor.

Grier, David Alan, 1956 June 30- actor.

Long, Nia, actor.

Rodriguez, Paul, actor.

Rubinek, Saul, 1948- actor.

Schiavelli, Vincent, actor.

Thomas, Khleo, actor.

Westbrook, Karimah, actor.

Wilson, Rainn, 1966- actor.

Keyes, Joe, Jr, actor.

Long, Avon, actor.

Rolle, Esther, actor.

Barnett, Nate, actor.

Carey, Frank, actor.

Armstead, Jo, 1944- actor.

McCurn, George, actor.

King, Mabel, 1932-1999, actor.

Dunn, Robert, actor.

Van Leer, Jay, actor.

Anderson, Thomas, actor.

Criterion Collection (Firm)

Added Title

Container of motion picture (work): Story of a three day pass (Motion picture)

Container of motion picture (work): Watermelon man (Motion picture)

Container of motion picture (work): Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song (Motion picture)

Container of motion picture (work): Don't play us cheap (Motion picture)

Container of motion picture (work): Badasssss! (Motion picture)

Story of a three day pass.

Watermelon man.

Sweet Sweetback's baadasssss song.

Don't play us cheap.

Baadasssss!

Sunlight.

Three pickup men for Herrick.

Cinq cent balles.

How to eat your watermelon in white company (and enjoy it).

Other Standard Identifier

715515264617 (set)

Publisher No.

CC3299BD Criterion Collection (box)

Research Call Number

Sc BLURAY-41

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