The Ray Knight Theatre Film Collection
The Ray Knight Broadway Theatre Films is a unique collection of 16mm silent film shot by theatergoer Ray Knight of Jacksonville, Florida, on visits to New York City during a period of over 40 years. From the Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 to A Little Night Music (1973), Knight captured on film excerpts of actual performances of approximately 140 Broadway musicals, creatively edited into narrative sequences along with local scenes of New York City and homemade shots of theatre memorabilia. What was originally intended as a personal souvenir has now become a masterpiece of primitive film art, an unparalleled historical resource, and a national treasure--the single largest collection of moving images of the Broadway musical during its golden years.
The Institute of the American Musical is making these unique documents available to the public incrementally as they are completed because we recognize their great interest and unparalleled educational value for musical theatre producers, performers, scholars, students, and aficionados alike. As we undertake the work of identifying the musical numbers and performers and preparing the film for publication, we ask for your patience in waiting for the videos of so many important and beloved musicals to come on line. At the same time, we deeply appreciate any funding assistance you may be able to provide to this project, which will allow us to continue this work to research and edit the films with greater speed. Please join our community if your are interested in these films by submitting your contact information so that we may keep you informed as new videos of musicals are posted.