Ahead of our mini Maysles Brothers retrospective this spring, we've taken a look at some of their earlier works.
Following stints in the US army for both Maysles brothers in the 1950s, Albert and David plunged head first into the dynamic decade that was the 1960s in America with their unique style of documentary filmmaking. Throughout this period, working as a team, they met and documented some of the most popular celebrities of that time; capturing the zeitgeist of the era.
Orson Welles in Spain / dir. Albert Maysles, David Maysles / 1963 / 10 mins
Orson Welles pitches to potential investors his vision of a largely improvised bullfighter movie about an existential, James Dean type, troubadour who sets himself apart from other matadors. In front of an audience of wealthy arts patrons, Welles pontificates on the state of cinema, the filmmaking process and the art of bullfighting.
This film details Welles’ early efforts to get funding for what would eventually become The Other Side of the Wind, which was released after 48 years in development by Netflix in 2018.
IBM: A Self Portrait / dir. Albert Maysles, David Maysles / 1964/ 34 mins
Told in the Maysles’ inimitable style, IBM: A Self Portrait captures the future corporate juggernaut at an early stage of their development. The emphasis here is on the human ingenuity behind the technology industry– the colorful technicians and executives working together to create a future design for living.
Albert was not just a creator but an innovator as well, building his own 16mm camera with existing parts which enabled him to balance his camera comfortably on his shoulder, eliminating the need for a tripod.
What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA / dir. Albert Maysles, David Maysles / 1964 / 74 mins
A humorous, freewheeling and candid account of The Beatles arrival in America in February 1964. The Maysles follow the Fab Four for five days, from the crazed JFK airport reception to unguarded moments inside the Plaza Hotel in preparation for their landmark Ed Sullivan Show appearance. Inspiring Richard Lester’s A Hard Day’s Night (1964), What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA was subsequently rereleased by Apple Corps. in an edited version as The Beatles: The First US Visit (1999).
The Maysles cinematography stands the test of time with substantial footage from this documentary being digitally remastered and used in the 2024 documentary Beatles '64.
Cut Piece / dir. Albert Maysles, David Maysles / 1966 / 8 mins
Filmed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Cut Piece documents one of Yoko Ono’s most powerful conceptual pieces. Performed by the artist herself, Ono sits motionless on the stage after inviting the audience to come up and cut away her clothing in a denouement of the reciprocity between victim and assailant.
Meet Marlon Brando / dir. Albert Maysles, David Maysles / 1964 / 29 mins
Meet Marlon Brando is a delightful, unusually candid portrait of the world-famous movie star: a tongue-in-cheek confrontation with the press. While television journalists interview him about his most recent film, Brando counters their futile questions with wit and insight, a man unwilling to sell himself. “It’s a wonderful show,” one woman comments about the new project. “Did you see it?” he asks. “No, I haven’t seen it yet.” “Then how do you know?” Always smiling and never modest, Marlon Brando shines in one of his most revealing performances. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival in 1966, and has been telecast with much acclaim in France.
Meet Marlon Brando is seen as a critique of the interview phenomenon which was so strongly detested in the Direct Cinema genre that the Maysles brothers helped pioneer.
A Visit With Truman Capote / dir. Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin / 1966 / 29 mins
A Visit With Truman Capote (alternate title: With Love From Truman) portrays an intimate meeting with renowned author Truman Capote. As a reporter interviews him in his beachfront home, Capote shares his “self-regarding” personality through hip philosophy and calculated jokes. He offers insights in an endearingly raspy voice about his latest book, In Cold Blood, which Capote declares to be part of a new genre, the “non-fiction novel.” Just as the Maysles brothers’ direct cinema classics turn real stories into narratives, Capote’s non-fiction novel makes an effort to turn reality into art.
Salesman / dir. Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin / 1969 / 90 min
One of the Maysles’ best-known documentaries, Salesman follows four door-to-door Bible salesmen as they walk the line between hype and despair. Paul “The Badger” Brennan, Charles “The Gipper” McDevitt, James “The Rabbit” Baker, and Raymond “The Bull” Martos, are so nicknamed for their particular selling styles — on their rounds. First making calls in and around Boston, where the company is based, then in Chicago at a sales conference, and finally in the promising new “territory” of Miami and vicinity. Their mission is simple: to convince people to buy what one of them calls “still the best seller in the world.”
Salesman shows as part of our Maysles Brothers retrospective. Book tickets here.