The Good Fight: the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War: Production Materials
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Abstract
The Good Fight, a feature-length documentary film released in 1983, pays homage to American volunteers who served with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. The film makes extensive use of archival footage from the war, stills, primary documents, radio broadcasts, newsreels, and interviews. The collection includes research and administrative material created during the production of the project and transcribed interviews with 23 veterans.
Historical/Biographical Note
The Good Fight,a feature-length documentary film released in 1983, pays homage to American volunteers who served with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. The film is an exploration of the political motives that compelled the volunteers to travel to Spain in the 1930s, their weathering of anti-communist sentiment during the 1940s and 50s, and their political engagement in later life. The film makes extensive use of archival footage from the war, stills, primary documents, radio broadcasts, newsreels, and interviews. With the help of an NEH grant, filmmakers Noel Buchner, Mary Dore and Sam Sills interviewed more than 125 combat and medical veterans in the course of researching and editing the film. The final documentary, which is narrated by Studs Terkel, features eleven veterans including Bill Bailey, Steve Nelson, Milt Wolff, Edward Balchowsky, Salaria Kee (a.k.a. Salaria Kea) O'Reilly and Evelyn Hutchins.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically within each series.
The files are grouped into 2 series:
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- I: Background Files
- II: Interview Transcripts
Scope and Content Note
Series I, Background Files:
This series contains general research and administrative materials created during the production of the project. A copy of the NEH-grant application requesting funding outlines the goals of the project and describes the filmmakers' approach to the selection of interview candidates and their methodology for conducting filmed oral histories. A file of biographical sketches offers concise profiles on almost 100 volunteers and includes information on family background, wartime experiences, and life after Spain. This series also includes publicity used to promote the film and a sampling of reviews.
Series II, Interview Transcripts:
Includes transcribed interviews of 23 veterans including Bill Bailey, Edward Balchowsky, Ruth Davidow, Benjamin Goldstein, Evelyn Hutchins, Vaughn Love, Steve Nelson, Thomas Page and Milt Wolff. Also includes an interview with producer and actor John Houseman and copy of a memoir by hospital administrator Mildred Rackley Simon.
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Access Restrictions
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives for more information and to schedule an appointment, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Use Restrictions
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. For more information, please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Provenance
The Good Fight collection was donated to Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives in 1983 by filmmakers Noel Buchner, Mary Dore and Sam Sills. This collection came to New York University in January 2001 as part of the original acquisition of ALBA collections, formerly housed at Brandeis University.
Separated Material
Film, photographs and audiotapes from the Good Fight Collection have been transferred to the non-print section of the ALBA collection in the Tamiment Library. Inventories of the Good Fight film and audio collections are available.
