Broughton was born in Modesto, California and later moved to San Francisco; where he had spent most of his childhood. At the age of five, James Broughton's father had died. In an interview, Broughton stated "My mother was a dashing young widow, so life was a bit peculiar" (Sheehy 3). All his life, James Broughton had a fascination with theater, which would later serve as a means of living. At the age of nine, Broughton was shipped off to military school and stayed there until he was sixteen. While pursuing a writing career at Stanford University, Broughton picked up and moved to New York and worked as a theater critic. (Sheehy 3)
It was through writing that James Broughton met Sidney Peterson (at that time Peterson was an artist who would later make the avant-garde classic, The Cage) and film making. Broughton had moved back to California to produce a play he had written called Summer Fury. Peterson had attended a performance of Summer Fury and the two decided to collaborate on film. In 1946, The Potted Psalm, a film by James Broughton and Sidney Peterson, was completed. Despite artistic differences, both Peterson and Broughton were happy with their collaboration. P. Adams Sitney wrote of the Broughton-Peterson collaboration in his book Visionary Film :
Speaking of James Broughton, Peterson has defined the difference between their sensibilities and their works as that between visual orientation and mise un scene. Broughton wrote a brief autobiographical sketch in which he says, "Sidney Peterson introduced me to the magic of experimental film." They are both unusually generous for one-time collaborators when referring to each other's work. (79)
After The Potted Psalm, Broughton decided he was ready to do his own work. 1948 brought the avant garde classic, Mother's Day. Within Mother's Day, Broughton dealt with the theme of human pain and lack of emotion. After the success of Mother's Day, James Broughton went on to make five more films through the years of 1950-1953. These films are: Adventures of Jimmy, Four in the Afternoon, Loony Tom, The Happy Lover, and The Pleasure Garden. After making these films, it would take fifteen years for another James Broughton film to be completed.
During his fifteen year hiatus, James Broughton had decided to focus upon his writing. Broughton had met artist/designer Suzanna Hart and the two agreed to be married. In the article "Celebration," by Terry Sheehy, Mrs. Broughton spoke of her initial reactions to her husband:
I saw James perform many times. He would read his poetry or introduce his plays at the Playhouse. I was very impressed because he was someone I always admired. At that time he was leaning heavily on a silver-topped cane. I thought how romantic. I didn't learn until later he had broken his ankle. We were married in December of 1962. (8)
The Broughtons had two children, a daughter, Serena, and a son, Orion. Then in 1968, James Broughton completed one of his most popular films, The Bed. The Bed toys with themes of sexual freedom and exploration. In fact, The Bed was one of the first films to contain full frontal nudity of both sexes and not be considered pornography (Sheehy 10). Broughton went on to make Nupitae, The Golden Positions, and This Is It before making his longest and most technical film, Dreamwood. After making Dreamwood, Broughton would go on to make High Kukus, Testament, The Water Circle, Erogeny, and Hermes Bird on his own. The late seventies and early eighties brought another collaboration for Broughton with film maker, Joel Singer. However, unlike the Peterson collaboration, Singer and Broughton would make six films together. These films are: Together, Song of Godbody, Windowmobile, The Gardener of Eden, Shaman Psalm, Devotions, and Scattered Remains. 1988's Scattered Remains was James Broughton's last and most recent film.
After living a creative life of eighty five years, James Broughton died on May 24,1999. Broughton died in Modesto, California the same town in which he was born. Even though the world has lost the physicalities of the man, the legacy of James Broughton will forever live within the themes of each and every one of his numerous works.
--Eva Jones
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. (AP) -- James Broughton, an avant-garde filmmaker and poet often regarded as the father of West Coast independent cinema, died May 17 of heart failure. He was 85.
Broughton considered himself ``first and foremost a poet'' and was prominent in San Francisco's art community for decades.
He wrote more than 20 books of verse, including ``True and False Unicorn'' -- often considered his strongest and most important long poem.
But his avant garde films such as ``Dreamwood,'' ``The Pleasure Garden'' and ``The Golden Positions'' received more attention, earning him an American Film Institute lifetime achievement award in 1989.
One, ``The Bed,'' focused on an ornate bed in a meadow where life's most significant moments -- birth, sex and death -- took place. Broughton played a role in the film, along with other San Francisco artists and writers, all nude.
Broughton began making films in the mid-1940s and also wrote plays for San Francisco's Playhouse Repertory Theater in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Chuck Kleinhans
Associate Professor, Radio/Television/Film
Northwestern University
1905 Sheridan Rd. Evanston IL 60208-2270 USA
Co-editor: JUMP CUT: A REVIEW OF CONTEMPORARY MEDIA
http://www.tcf.ua.edu/JumpCut/
Best phone: 773-871-5742
home page: http://www.rtvf.nwu.edu/faculty/kleinhans/ (under repair)
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