I AM TRYING TO CONTACT SOME OF THE FILMMAKERS FROM MY CLASS. IF YOU WENT TO OTISVILLE OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO DID IN THE YEARS 1968-1973 PLEASE EMAIL ME AT deedeehalleck@gmail.com WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS.

From 1969 until 1973 there was a 16mm film program at Otisville School for Boys, an institution run by the NY State Division for Youth. Boys from the age of 14-17 were remanded there for periods up to 18 months. Many were just PINS (Persons in Need of Supervision is the states category) who had had fights with their parents or been truants from school. Other were there for drugs, robbery and even homicide.

Monday, May 30, 2016

The Otisville Barbershop: HAIR




This film by Abraham (the Bloody Crime Crusher star!) is a look at the Otisville Barbershop where students were trained in hair cutting. He used the song from the Broadway show at that time that was very popular. Abe focused a lot on the long locks of the white boys who were at Otisville and whose hippy hairdos were taken off with little ceremony. Towards the end he shows the teacher’s (Mr Massonatti’s bald spot).