Broken Strings

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A 16mm release print of the feature film Broken Strings. It consists of two reels of positive, black and white, 16mm acetate film with variable area optical sound. The first scene opens with a shot outside a theatre. The footage then quickly jumps to concert violinist Arthur Williams (Clarence Muse) performing onstage as his family watches from the wings. At the end of his performance, the audience applauds, Williams returns to the wings and hands his son John (William Washington) his violin before returning to the stage a third time and addressing the audience. The rest of the film chronicles how Williams’ career abruptly ends when he suffers a hand injury in a motor vehicle accident. His hopes of bequeathing his classical training and success to his son are challenged when he learns his son prefers performing swing music to performing classical music.

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