Joe Lauro is an American documentary filmmaker, musician and stock footage archivist.[1][2] He is the CEO of Historic Films Archive, a commercial stock footage archive focusing on American music on film and video and rare American history and pop culture on film 1895–2000.[3][4] He has directed and produced documentary films such as The Big Beat: Fats Domino,[5][6] the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll and Rejoice and Shout.[7][8][9][10]

Joe Lauro
NationalityAmerican
OccupationDocumentary filmmaker
Years active1999–present
Known forCEO of Historic Films Archive
Notable work'The Big Beat: Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll.

Life and career edit

Lauro born in Brooklyn, New York. He studied film at New York University and began working for a film archive service in New York after graduation. In 1991, Lauro founded the Historic Films Archive,[11][12] a stock footage library that contains over 40,000 hours of film and video which is derived from American Newsreels, Feature Films, Industrial shorts, home movies, out-takes, television programs and cartoons.[13][14][15] Lauro turned to the filmmaking with a documentary film Louis Prima: The Wildest! In 1999. Lauro is known for his documentary films focused on American music themes. Apart from directing, he has also worked as a music consultant on films that required archival music such as the Grateful Dead documentary LONG STRANGE TRIP, Bob Dylan's documentary NO DIRECTION HOME and others. In addition to performing with his own professional band, the Hoodoo Loungers, he was the host of the “Legends of Rock” series at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor.[16]

Filmography edit

As producer edit

  • 1999: Louis Prima: The Wildest![17]
  • 1999: Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Harold Arlen
  • 2003: The Howlin' Wolf Story
  • 2008: The Four Tops: Reach Out – Definitive Performances 1965–1973
  • 2009: The Supremes: Reflections – The Definitive Performances 1964 – 1969
  • 2009: I'm Rick James: The Definitive DVD
  • 2009: Motown: The DVD
  • 2009: The Panic Is On: The Great American Depression as Seen by the Common Man
  • 2010: Rejoice and Shout
  • 2010: Louis Prima: In Person!
  • 2016: American Masters

As director edit

  • 2008: Sam & Dave: The Original Soul Men
  • 2009: The Four Tops: Reach Out – Definitive Performances 1965–1973
  • 2009: The Supremes: Reflections – The Definitive Performances 1964 – 1969
  • 2009: I'm Rick James: The Definitive DVD
  • 2009: The Panic Is On: The Great American Depression as Seen by the Common Man
  • 2016: American Masters
  • 2016: The Big Beat: Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll[18][19][20][21]

Awards edit

  • Louis Prima : The Wildest Audience Award at the East Hampton Film Festival 2000
  • The Howling Wolf Story: Film Of The Year – National Blues Foundation (2003)
  • Historic Films archive – Archive of the year ( 2017 ) at the Focal International

References edit

  1. ^ "Joe Lauro And Fats Domino". 27east.com. September 16, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  2. ^ "Fats Domino remembered by Joe Lauro". The Guardian. December 17, 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  3. ^ "Joe Lauro: Archivist behind Greenport's 'Historic Films' and man of many musical parts". Northforker. September 7, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  4. ^ "Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dylan, and Other Music Icons Onscreen | The East Hampton Star". www.easthamptonstar.com. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  5. ^ "'The Big Beat' Director Joe Lauro on the Outsized Impact of Fats Domino". Film Society of Lincoln Center. January 23, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  6. ^ Light, Alan (February 23, 2016). "'The Big Beat' Celebrates Fats Domino, Rock's Reclusive Giant". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  7. ^ "Joe Lauro Making a Film on Fats Domino | PBS". American Masters. February 23, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  8. ^ "THE BIG BEAT: The Story Of Fats Domino & His Band". Kickstarter. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  9. ^ "The Big Beat: Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock and Roll / Reel Music35". oregonmusicnews.com. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  10. ^ "'The Big Beat: Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "Hero of the Ponderosa Stomp: Historic Films' Joe Lauro". OffBeat Magazine. September 15, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  12. ^ Sandomir, Richard (September 14, 2017). "Hal Tulchin, Who Documented a 'Black Woodstock,' Dies at 90". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  13. ^ Chow, Andrew R. (October 29, 2017). "What's on TV Sunday: 'Charlie Brown' and a Fats Domino Documentary". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  14. ^ "Hero of the Ponderosa Stomp: Historic Films' Joe Lauro". OffBeat Magazine. September 15, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  15. ^ "Images of Jazz Greats". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  16. ^ "Joe Lauro's New 'Legends of Rock' Compilation on Screen | The East Hampton Star". www.easthamptonstar.com. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  17. ^ Doyle, Patrick (February 26, 2016). "Inside Fats Domino's World: Crawfish, Cards, Boogie-Woogie". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  18. ^ "S30 E4: Fats Domino Filmmaker Joe Lauro on Making the Documentary | American Masters". PBS SoCal. September 13, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  19. ^ "Fats Domino Filmmaker Joe Lauro on Making the Documentary". Org. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  20. ^ "Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll | About the Film". American Masters. January 8, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  21. ^ "The legend who got overlooked: Fats Domino". Tampa Bay Times. February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2019.