Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 - Limited Seating RSVP to programming@oddballfilm.com or 415-558-8117
Finding a dirth of
positive, modern-thinking children’s literature and programming,
Marlo Thomas (That Girl) set out to gather some of the biggest names at
the time to teach the new generation of children about race and
gender equality, caring, sharing, overcoming stereotypes,
self-sufficiency, the validity of boys owning dolls, and the
brotherhood of man. First a record, then a book, and in 1974, Free
To Be You And Me became an
Emmy-Winning television broadcast. With singing, dancing, cartoons
and puppets! The magic of Free To Be
You and Me was its effortless way of
making heavy ideas of feminism, consumerism and understanding
palatable and entertaining for children and adult-children alike.
Sketches include:
Boy
Meets Girl
In
this classic sketch, Mel Brooks and Marlo Thomas take a light-hearted
approach to the discussion of gender roles, as two babies postulating
on their own sexes. Then, throughout the program, the two babies
sing songs, poke fun at agism and give us that good ole fashioned Mel
Brooks schmaltz.
When
I Grow Up
Roberta Flack and
Michael Jackson play young children, imagining a future with their
current physical shortcomings. The late great MJ croons “And I
don’t care if you’re pretty at all and I don’t care if I never
get tall. I like what you look like and I’m nice small. We don’t
have to change at all.”
Parents
are People
Calypso crooner
Harry Belafonte and Marlo attempt to alert children to the fact that
their parents have dreams, jobs and other responsibilities besides
their needy children. Donning various garbs of kinds of
employment-including Marlo wielding a jackhammer- this ditty also
encourages kids to choose their own paths in life, not to let gender
roles stand in the way.
It’s
Alright To Cry
Rosey Grier was an
NFL star turned Renaissance Man, presidential bodyguard, singer,
actor, needlepoint enthusiast, and Christian Minister. In this
comforting ballad, “The Gentle Giant” teaches girls and boys
alike that a little tearfest never hurt anyone, and even one of the
Fearsome Foursome can be “sad and grumpy, down in the dumpy.”
Circle
of Friends
Country legends
Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson sit fireside with Marlo and hail
the brotherhood of man, in this feelgood tune. “Love goes around
in a circle” will have your arms around your neighbor’s shoulder,
rocking ever so slightly, back and forth.
The
Banana Splits
The retro-kids TV
party doesn’t stop there! We’ve also got a super fun episode of
the show that was the magical juxtaposition of Sid and Marty Krofft’s
fuzzy-suit creatures and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, The Banana Splits is
a trip…back in time!
Curator’s
Biography
Kat Shuchter is a
graduate of UC Berkeley in Film Studies. She is a filmmaker, artist
and esoteric film hoarder. She has helped program shows at the PFA,
The Nuart and Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater and was crowned
“Found Footage Queen” of Los Angeles, 2009. This is her 8th
program at the archive.
