Once Upon An El (1955)
"The poet Daisy Aldan (who brought Gerard Malanga into the world of experimental filmmaking) directed a beautifully evocative and impressionistic documentary, Once Upon an El, in 8mm color with a 7 1/2 ips tape soundtrack. The 15-minute film's cast included John Ashberry, James Broughton, Chester Kallman, Frank O'Hara, Olga Petroff, Kermit Sheets, and other luminaries of the Avant-Garde, the soundtrack was composed by Storm de Hirsch. Once Upon An El documented the activities of a group of writers and composers...[demonstrating] against the demolition of New York's Third Avenue elevated railway (FMC 1967, 7-8) , which was demolished anyway" - Wheeler Winston Dixon
Director: Daisy Aldan
![]() |
James Broughton as |
![]() |
Frank O'Hara as |
![]() |
Kenward Elmslie as |
![]() |
Jane Freilicher as |
![]() |
Grace Hartigan as |
![]() |
Leon Hecht as |
![]() |
Robert Hellman as |
![]() |
Chester Kallman as |
![]() |
John Latouche as |
![]() |
Richard Miller as |
![]() |
Olga Petroff as |
![]() |
Fabio Rieti as |
![]() |
Toby Schneebaum as |
![]() |
James Schuyler as |
![]() |
Kermit Sheets as |
![]() |
Florio Vecchi as |
![]() |
John Ashbery as |
| Directing | Daisy Aldan | Director |