Les Blank’s Student Films – 1960/1962

Les Blank attended USC School of Cinematic Arts and pursued a Ph.D. in Communications. These student films, made in the years 1960-1962, represent his initial interest in making narrative films. Three of the films feature his wife at the time, Gail Blank, and he appears in two of the films himself, a clean shaven young actor. Extras included: Student film exercises featuring Les Blank and Gail Blank, as well as production stills.

DVD includes the following student films:

• Running Around Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
  4 minutes, black and white, 1960.
  Les Blank’s first student film, starring Les Blank, Gail Blank and Pieter Van Deusen. With hommage to Ingmar Bergman’s Seventh Seal, the film that inspired Blank to become a filmmaker.
  Also available on the DVD collection: Six Short Films by Les Blank

• Here Comes Everybody
  10 minutes, black and white, 1960.
  A film by David Lawrence, featuring Les Blank and Getachew Abbai.

• Strike!
  5 minutes, black and white, 1961.
  A bizarre horror film featuring Gail Blank, Bul Bul Bedi, and Harry Sauberli.

• And Freedom Came?!
  10 minutes, in black and white, (with sync sound) 1962.
  A story of frustrated early married life, featuring Gail Blank and David Lawrence. Cinematography by Getachew Abbai.

A compilation of films by Les Blank
Total running time 29 minutes
1960/1962