In the Tenderloin: A Moving Snapshot
I
am in the process of creating a short film, roughly 4 to 5 minutes in length
which surveys the historical and contemporary nightlife of San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. I have chosen to
narrow my focus specifically on the taverns, musical nightclubs and deviant lifestyles of the area’s residents from the early 1900’s to modern day. As part of my research I have chosen to gather video footage of the various activities such as drinking, betting and dancing. I have also begun asking local entrepreneurs (such as bar owners) for their opinion on life in both the past and present day Tenderloin. In addition to some original footage, I have also spent significant time finding various outside resources. I have chosen the book San Francisco Tenderloin: true stories of heroes, demons, angels, outcasts and a psychotherapist by Larry Wonderling Ph.D. to read in order to further my knowledge of the Tenderloin. I have also been inspired by the black and white photography series of the Tenderloin by Sean Desmond for its ability to capture the essence of this district. Besides using the internet for basic research and historical information, youtube.com has proven a valuable source of a plethora of video clips from the Tenderloin.
For my final
project, I have the goal of presenting a well-rounded survey of various periods
in the Tenderloin’s vice-ridden history. The film begins with Thomas Edison’s
footage of a Tenderloin bar scene dated to 1899. The film then progresses
through the evolution of entertainment in the Tenderloin in the 1920’s and
1930’s as a place to socialize, gamble and partake in the social communion of
organized dance, such as the Charleston.
The film continues onto the 1940’s through the 1960’s, somewhat
considered as the Golden Age of the Tenderloin.
The Blackhawk nightclub was bringing acts such as Duke Ellington, Billie
Holiday and Nat King Cole to the district to perform. Residents had money to
spend on burlesque performances in the Bordellos and alcohol in the bars due to
the economic boom following WWII. In the ‘60s bands such as The Grateful Dead,
Jefferson Airplane, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were recording albums
and playing shows at Sally Rand’s Music Box (now the Great American Music
Hall). The film then chronicles the Tenderloin’s passage through the 1970s to
present day, which has witnessed the decline of the Tenderloin’s popularity as
an entertainment district. Lastly, I am creating an original musical track that
pays tribute to the lively jazz era found in the Tenderloin in and around the
1950s to compliment the imagery. I have
written the instrumentals and invited young local musicians to assist in the
final score. I am also in the process of writing a lyrical narrative of the
history of the Tenderloin’s livelihood which will verbally describe the imagery
presented. I hope that my final piece
will present a beautiful yet brutally honest portrayal of the once thriving entertainment
scene within San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.
