Pennebaker, D. A. 1925–

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Pennebaker, D. A. 1925–

(D. A. Pennabaker, Don Alan Pennebaker)

PERSONAL

Full name, Donn Alan Pennebaker; born July 15, 1925, in Evanston, IL; son of John Paul Pennebaker (a commercial photographer) and Lucille Pennebaker Levick (maiden name, Deemer); married Sylvia Bell, October 14, 1950 (divorced, 1968); married Cynthia Bovee "Kate" Taylor, 1972 (divorced, 1980); married Christine Louise "Chris" Hegedus (a director, producer, and editor), April 3, 1982; children: (first marriage) Stacy Alexandra, Frazer (a producer and director), Linley; (second marriage) John Paul, Chelsea, Zoe; (third marriage) Kit Wetherill, Jane Fearon. Education: Attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1944–45; Yale University, B.E., 1947. Religion: Society of Friends (Quaker).

Addresses: Office— Pennebaker Hegedus Films, 262 West 91st St., New York, NY 10024.

Career: Director, producer, cinematographer, editor, and writer. Known for his documentary films. Electronics Engineering, New York City, owner and engineer, 1947–52; G. M. Basford Co., New York City, account executive, 1953–55; Time Life, Inc., New York City, film director, 1959–63; Pennebaker, Inc., Leacock–Pennebaker, Inc., Pennebaker Associates, Inc., New York City, and Pennebaker Hegedus Films, New York City, filmmaker, beginning 1963; teacher and lecturer, New York City, 1976–80; Yale University, teacher of a workshop on documentary films. Member of the media panel, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC, 1971–76; member of the grants panel, Jerome Foundation, Minneapolis, MN, 1978–81. Worked as an advertising copywriter. Also known as Don Alan Pennebaker. Military service: U.S. Navy, served in Naval Air Corps, 1943–45; became ensign.

Awards, Honors: Grand Jury Prize nomination (with Chris Hegedus), documentary, Sundance Film Festival, 1987, for Jimi Plays Monterey; Pennebaker 1960's film Primary was named to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, 1990; Special IFP Gotham Award, documentary, Independent Feature Project (IFP), 1992; D. W. Griffith Award (with others), best documentary of the year, National Board of Review, 1993, and Academy Award nomination (with Hegedus), best documentary, features, 1994, both for The War Room; the National Board of Review cited The War Room for special recognition for excellence in filmmaking, 1996; Career Award (with Hegedus), Double Take Documentary Film Festival, 2000; Honorary Maverick Award (with Hegedus), Woodstock Film Festival, 2001; Bavarian Documentary Honorary Award (with Hegedus), Munich Film Festival, 2002; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding directing for a variety, music, or comedy program, 2004, for Elaine Stritch: At Liberty; CINE Trailblazer Award (with Hegedus), CINE Competition, 2004; Career Achievement Award, International Documentary Association, 2005.

CREDITS

Film Director; Documentaries:

Baby, early 1950s.

Daybreak Express (short documentary), Movie Visions, 1953.

Opening in Moscow, 1959.

Balloon, 1960.

(With others) Primary, Drew Associates, 1960.

(With Richard Leacock) David, 1962.

Jane, 1962.

Mr. Pearson, [Canada], 1962.

Casal Conducts: 1964, 1964.

Lambert, Hendricks & Co. (short documentary; also known as Lambert & Co.), 1964.

Timothy Leary's Wedding Day (short documentary; also known as You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You), 1964.

Elizabeth and Mary, 1965.

Hier Strauss, 1965.

Dont Look Back (also known as Don't Look Back), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1967.

Monterey Pop, Leacock–Pennebaker/Fair Enterprises, 1967.

Cecil Taylor and Allen Ginsberg (short documentary), 1968.

(With Jean–Luc Godard) One PM (also known as One American Movie, One American Movie/1 A.M., One A.M./One American Movie, One P.M./One Parallel Movie, and One P.M./One Pennebaker Movie), 1968.

(With Leacock) Two American Audiences: La Chi-noise—A Film in the Making (short documentary; also known as Film in the Making, Two American Audiences, 2 American Audiences, and Un film en train de se fair), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1968.

Keep on Rockin' (concert film; also known as Little Richard: Keep on Rockin'), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1969.

Company (also known as Original Cast Album: Company), Pennebaker Associates, 1970.

The Children's Theatre of John Donahue, Pennebaker, Inc./Minneapolis Urban Arts Project, 1971.

John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band: Sweet Toronto (also known as Keep on Rockin' and Sweet Toronto), Pennebaker Associates, 1972, also released in 1988.

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (concert film; also known as Bowie '73 with the Spiders fromMars), Cowboy Pictures/Twentieth Century–Fox, 1973, also released in 1983.

(With Hegedus) Elliott Carter (also known as Elliott Carter at Buffalo), Pennebaker Associates, 1980.

(With Hegedus) Town Bloody Hall (also known as A Dialogue on Women's Liberation), Pennebaker Hegedus Films, 1980.

(With Hegedus) Rockaby, 1983.

(With Hegedus) Rocky X, Pennebaker Associates, 1986.

Jimi Plays Monterey (edited from Monterey Pop; also known as Jimi Hendrix Live and Jimi Hendrix–Live at Monterey), Pennebaker Associates, 1986, released in 1989.

(With Hegedus) Suzanne Vega (short documentary; also known as Open Hand), Pennebaker Hegedus Films, 1987.

(With David Dawkins) Depeche Mode 101 (also known as 101), Westwood One Radio, 1989.

Shake (edited from Monterey Pop; also known as Shake (Otis Redding) and Shake!: Otis at Monterey), Pennebaker Hegedus Films/Movie Visions, c. 1989, broadcast by Cinemax, c. 1989.

(With Hegedus) Comin' Home (short documentary), Pennebaker Associates, 1991.

(With Hegedus) Jerry Lee Lewis: The Story of Rock & Roll, c. 1991.

Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You (also known as The Music Tells You), Pennebaker Associates, 1992.

(With Hegedus) The War Room, October Films, 1993.

(With Hegedus) Keine Zeit, 1996.

(With Hegedus) Happy Come Home (short documentary; also known as Victoria Williams—Happy Come Home), 1997.

Moon over Broadway, Artistic License Films, 1997.

(With others) Depeche Mode: The Videos 86 98 (also known as Depeche Mode—Videos 86 98+), Warner Reprise Video, 1999.

The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack (also known as Ramblin'), Lot 47 Films, 2000.

Down from the Mountain, Momentum Pictures/Cowboy Booking International, 2000.

Only the Strong Survive, Miramax, 2002.

"Ziggy Stardust," Best of Bowie (also known as David Bowie: Best of Bowie), EMI Distribution/Ventura Distribution, 2002.

65 Revisited, Pennebaker Hegedus Films, 2007.

Worked on other films.

(With others) Brussels Loops (short experimental film), 1957.

Film Producer:

(With Richard Leacock) Two American Audiences: La Chinois—A Film in the Making (short documentary; also known as Film in the Making, Two American Audiences, 2 American Audiences, and Un film en train de se fair), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1968.

Keep on Rockin' (concert film; also known as Little Richard: Keep on Rockin'), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1969.

Town Bloody Hall (also known as A Dialogue on Women's Liberation), Pennebaker Hegedus Films, 1980.

Startup.com (also known as STARTUP.COM), Artisan Entertainment, 2001.

Film Executive Producer:

The Cutman (short film), 2003.

Al Franken: God Spoke (documentary), Balcony Releasing, 2006.

Film Associate Producer:

Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock (concert film), Universal Music & Video Distribution, 1999.

Film Cinematographer; Documentaries:

Daybreak Express (short documentary), Movie Visions, 1953.

Jane, 1962.

Mr. Pearson, [Canada], 1962.

Dont Look Back (also known as Don't Look Back), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1967.

Monterey Pop, Leacock–Pennebaker/Fair Enterprises, 1967.

(With Richard Leacock and John Cooke) Two American Audiences: La Chinoise—A Film in the Making (short documentary; also known as Film in the Making, Two American Audiences, 2 American Audiences, and Un film en train de se fair), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1968.

Wild 90, Supreme Mix Productions, 1968.

(With others) Maidstone, Supreme Mix Productions, 1970.

Company (also known as Original Cast Album: Company), Pennebaker Associates, 1970.

The Children's Theatre of John Donahue, Pennebaker, Inc./Minneapolis Urban Arts Project, 1971.

John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band: Sweet Toronto (also known as Keep on Rockin' and Sweet Toronto), Pennebaker Associates, 1972, also releasedin 1988.

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (concert film; also known as Bowie '73 with the Spiders from Mars), Cowboy Pictures/Twentieth Century–Fox, 1973, also released in 1983.

Town Bloody Hall (also known as A Dialogue on Women's Liberation), Pennebaker Hegedus Films, 1980.

Rockaby, 1983.

Jimi Plays Monterey (edited from Monterey Pop; also known as Jimi Hendrix Live and Jimi Hendrix—Live at Monterey), Pennebaker Associates, 1986, released in 1989.

Shake (edited from Monterey Pop; also known as Shake (Otis Redding) and Shake!: Otis at Monterey), Pen-nebaker Hegedus Films/Movie Visions, c. 1989, broadcast by Cinemax, c. 1989.

(With Cooke) Comin' Home (short documentary), Pennebaker Associates, 1991.

Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You (also known as The Music Tells You), Pennebaker Associates, 1992.

(With Nick Doob and Kevin Rafferty) The War Room, October Films, 1993.

Moon over Broadway, Artistic License Films, 1997.

Down from the Mountain, Momentum Pictures/Cowboy Booking International, 2000.

Only the Strong Survive, Miramax, 2002.

65 Revisited, Pennebaker Hegedus Films, 2007.

(With others) A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy, Drew Associates, 2008.

(With Nicholas Proferes and Jan Welt) Beyond the Law, Evergreen/Grove Press, 1968.

Film Editor: Documentaries:

Sequence editor, Primary, Drew Associates, 1960.

Dont Look Back (also known as Don't Look Back), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1967.

One PM (also known as One American Movie, One American Movie/1 A.M., One A.M./One American Movie, One P.M./One Parallel Movie, and One P.M./One Pennebaker Movie), 1968.

Company (also known as Original Cast Album: Company), Pennebaker Associates, 1970.

Jimi Plays Monterey (edited from Monterey Pop; also known as Jimi Hendrix Live and Jimi Hendrix–Live at Monterey), Pennebaker Associates, 1986, released in 1989.

Depeche Mode 101 (also known as 101), Westwood One Radio, 1989.

Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You (also known as The Music Tells You), Pennebaker Associates, 1992.

(With Hegedus and Erez Laufer) The War Room, October Films, 1993.

Moon over Broadway, Artistic License Films, 1997.

Down from the Mountain, Momentum Pictures/Cowboy Booking International, 2000.

Only the Strong Survive, Miramax, 2002.

Film Editor:

Dal polo all'equatore (also known as From the Pole to the Equator), 1987.

Film Photographer:

Primary (documentary), Drew Associates, 1960.

Film Camera Operator; Documentaries:

Jerry Lee Lewis: The Story of Rock & Roll, c. 1991.

The War Room, October Films, 1993.

"Who's Back," Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who, Universal Home Entertainment, 2007.

Film Additional Video:

Startup.com (documentary; also known as STARTUP.COM), Artisan Entertainment, 2001.

Film Sound Recordist; Documentaries:

Primary, Drew Associates, 1960.

Rockaby, 1983.

Film Source:

Source of film from Dont Look Back, The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg (documentary), New Yorker Films/First Run Features, 1992.

Film Appearances: Documentaries:

Himself, Two American Audiences: La Chinoise—A Film in the Making (short documentary; also known as Film in the Making, Two American Audiences, 2 American Audiences, and Un film en train de se fair), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1968.

Voice, "Film as a Visual Newspaper," Before the Nickelodeon: The Cinema of Edwin S. Porter, First Run Features, 1982.

Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment (also known as Cinema verite—Le moment decisif), 1999.

Himself, The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack (also known as Ramblin'), Lot 47 Films, 2000.

(In archive footage; as D. A. Pennabaker) Himself, World Tour 1966: The Home Movies (also known as World Tour 1966: The Home Movies—Through the Camera of Bob Dylan's Drummer Mickey Jones), Highway 61 Entertainment, 2003.

Himself, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (also known as Bob Dylan Anthology Project), Emerging Pictures, 2005, broadcast on American Masters, PBS, and Arena, BBC, both 2005.

Himself, How It Is with Phooie, 2007.

Film Appearances:

Al, Wild 90, Supreme Mix Productions, 1968.

Television Director; Documentary Miniseries:

(With Chris Hegedus and Pat Powell) The Energy War (three parts), PBS, c. 1977.

Television Director; Documentary Specials:

(With others) Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitmen (also known as Crisis), ABC, 1963.

(With Kate Taylor) Dancers in School, KQED (PBS affiliate), 1971.

(With Chris Hegedus) DeLorean, Associated Television, 1981.

(With Hegedus) "Dance Black America," Great Performances, PBS, 1983.

"Jimi Hendrix," Cinemax Vintage Performance, Cinemax, 1988.

"John Lennon," Cinemax Vintage Performance, Cinemax, 1988.

Shake (edited from Monterey Pop; also known as Shake (Otis Redding) and Shake!: Otis at Monterey), Cinemax, c. 1989, released as a feature film by Pennebaker Hegedus Films/Movie Visions, c. 1989.

(With Hegedus and Erez Laufer) Woodstock Diary (also known as Woodstock 69), 1994.

Searching for Jimi Hendrix, Bravo, 1999.

Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, HBO, 2002.

National Anthem: Inside the Vote for Change Concert Tour, Sundance Channel, 2004.

(With Hegedus and Nick Doob) Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl, HBO, 2006.

The War Room+15, Sundance Channel, 2008.

Television Supervising Producer; Specials:

"Fox vs. Franken," The First Amendment Project (documentary; also known as The First Amendment Project: Fox vs. Franken), Court TV and Sundance Channel, 2004.

Television Cinematographer; Documentary Specials:

(With Chris Hegedus) "Dance Black America," Great Performances, PBS, 1983.

Searching for Jimi Hendrix, Bravo, 1999.

Television Cinematographer; Specials:

Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, HBO, 2002.

Television Photographer; Documentary Specials:

"Jimi Hendrix," Cinemax Vintage Performance, Cinemax, 1988.

"Otis Redding in Monterey—1967," Cinemax Vintage Performance, Cinemax, 1988.

Television Camera Operator; Documentary Specials:

"Eat the Document," ABC Stage 67, ABC, c. 1967.

Bessie—The Portrait of Bessie Schonberg, 1999.

National Anthem: Inside the Vote for Change Concert Tour, Sundance Channel, 2004.

Monterrey 40, VH1, 2007.

Television Camera Operator; Specials:

Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, HBO, 2002.

Television Editor; Documentary Specials:

Additional editor, "Eat the Document," ABC Stage 67, ABC, c. 1967.

(With Chris Hegedus) "Dance Black America," Great Performances, PBS, 1983.

Bessie—The Portrait of Bessie Schonberg, 1999.

Searching for Jimi Hendrix, Bravo, 1999.

Television Editor; Specials:

Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, HBO, 2002.

Television Consultant; Specials:

Monterey 40 (documentary), VH1, 2007.

Television Footage; Specials:

Children of the Left (documentary), PBS, c. 1989.

Television Footage; Awards Presentations:

The 34th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1992.

The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997.

Television Director; with Others; Episodic:

Living Camera, syndicated, multiple episodes, 1959–64, including "The Chair.".

"Adventures on the New Frontier," ABC Close–Up! (also known as ABC News Closeup and Bell & Howell Close–Up!), ABC, 1961.

The Addiction Project, HBO, 2006.

Addiction: The Supplementary Series, HBO, 2006.

"Opiate Addiction: A New Medication," Addiction, HBO, 2007.

Television Cinematographer; Episodic:

"Yanki, No!," ABC Close–Up! (also known as ABC News Closeup and Bell & Howell Close–Up!), ABC, 1960.

Sessions at West 54th, PBS, beginning c. 1997.

Television Camera Operator; Episodic:

Sessions at West 54th, PBS, beginning c. 1997.

The Addiction Project, HBO, 2006.

Television Editor; Episodic:

The Addiction Project, HBO, 2006.

Television Appearances; Documentary Specials:

(Uncredited) Himself, Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955–1970), American Movie Classics, 2000.

(Uncredited) Himself, Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s, American Movie Classics, 2002.

Himself, Indie Truth: An Inquiry into the Documentary, 2002.

Himself, See What Happens, 2002.

Himself, Tribeca Film Festival Presents, NYC TV, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Himself, Now with Bill Moyers (also known as Now), PBS, c. 2002.

Himself, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (also known as Bob Dylan Anthology Project), broadcast on American Masters, PBS, and Arena, BBC, both 2005, released by Emerging Pictures, 2005.

RECORDINGS

Music Video Director:

Bob Dylan, "Subterranean Homesick Blues," included in the film Dont Look Back, 1967.

The Who, "My Generation" (second version; live at Woodstock), 1967.

David Bowie, "Ziggy Stardust" (first version), 1973.

Bowie, "Changes," 1983.

Bowie, "White Light, White Heat," 1983.

Jimi Hendrix, "Killing Floor" (live version), 1986.

Depeche Mode, "Everything Counts" (second version; from Depeche Mode 101), 1989.

(With Frazer Pennebaker) Soul Asylum, "Summer of Drugs," 1993.

With Chris Hegedus, director of "Baltimore" by Randy Newman. Directed works for other musicians, including John Hiatt and Marti Jones.

WRITINGS

Screenplays; Documentaries:

Daybreak Express (short documentary), Movie Visions, 1953.

Dont Look Back (also known as Don't Look Back), Leacock–Pennebaker, 1967.

(With Jean–Luc Godard) One PM (also known as One American Movie, One American Movie/1 A.M., One A.M./One American Movie, One P.M./One Parallel Movie, and One P.M./One Pennebaker Movie), 1968.

Wild 90, Supreme Mix Productions, 1968.

Teleplays; Specials:

Commentary, "Dance Black America," Great Performances, PBS, 1983.

Author of other material that has appeared in television programs.