Possessed[?] (Talley Beatty excerpt)
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This film represents a short excerpt of Talley Beatty dancing. The notes on the film canister and leader suggest he may be dancing an excerpt from "Possessed," a Ruth Page ballet choreographed in 1932. They also suggest that this excerpt may be intended for submission to NBC as part of a television special or as demonstrative of potential works to be performed live. The sets seem to match those of a 1938 performance of "Variations on Euclid," but it is not clear if this was filmed at that time or in 1950, when Beatty also participated in a performance of "Americans in Paris" during a European tour by Ruth Page & Bentley Stone's company.
Credits
Talley Beatty (performer)
Complete catalog record
Cfa collection: Ruth Page Collection
Notes: The film begins with a shot of an empty stage, but in moments Beatty bursts onto it, wearing only a pair of small shorts. He dances passionately, often looking up into the sky and reaching his limbs outward. He frequently articulates and arches his back. He also sometimes moves suddenly and dramatically, at once point falling to his knees and lying prone. After numerous kicks and jumps, as well as undulations of his trunk and hips, Beatty exits. The camera remains trained on the empty stage, and a suited man walks briefly through it. Eventually, the film ends.
Subjects: Dance
Language: English
Cfa elements: Print, 125 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/7401
Notes: The film begins with a shot of an empty stage, but in moments Beatty bursts onto it, wearing only a pair of small shorts. He dances passionately, often looking up into the sky and reaching his limbs outward. He frequently articulates and arches his back. He also sometimes moves suddenly and dramatically, at once point falling to his knees and lying prone. After numerous kicks and jumps, as well as undulations of his trunk and hips, Beatty exits. The camera remains trained on the empty stage, and a suited man walks briefly through it. Eventually, the film ends.
Subjects: Dance
Language: English
Cfa elements: Print, 125 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/7401
Sources
- Chicago Film Archives · record ↗ — title, length, format, color, sound, genre, description, credits, catalog record, video
Record added 2026-11-08 21:25:11