User:Murmurerer/Tom Palazzolo

Tom Palazzolo (Born 1937-) is an American filmmaker, photographer, and painter. Palazzolo is known for making short films about Chicago's past and present, and the interesting characters he encounters throughout the city. He is also known for his film documentaries, Love It and Leave It (1973), Jerry’s (1974), and Sneakin’ and Peekin’ (1976).

Early Life
Tom Palazzolo grew up in a working-class neighborhood in northern St. Louis, Missouri. He was the eldest of two brothers and a sister. When he was young, Palazzolo had a natural hand for illustration and wanted to become a visual artist. He briefly attended the Ringling School of Art, in Sarasota, Florida. He later dropped out of the school, claiming that, "It was the cheapest school in America." Then in 1960, Palazzolo moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he studied painting at The School of the Art institute of Chicago. He felt limited to his artwork at the school and decided to work with film. He was inspired by the style of documentaries and began making short films.

Career
After receiving his MFA at The School of the Art Institute in 1965, he started his film work around the city of Chicago. His first project was an experimental film, entitled, O, which was shot on 16mm film. Palazzolo described it as a "montage of flying trapeze acts, drag races and parades." He enjoyed roaming the streets, filming activities and people he saw. In 1966, Palazzolo made The Story Of How I Became A Tattooed Lady. He interviewed an elderly lady who had 200 tattoos on her body and captured the sights of Riverview Park, a demolished amusement park. In 1967, Palazzolo experimented with different subjects and styles from Pop Art to 20’s style surrealism. In 1971, he made, Love It/Leave It, a 14 minute short-film that captured a psychedelic montage of a nude competition and Chicago's Democratic National Convention in 1968. This film displayed the pros and cons of sex, violence, youth culture and politics of the 1960’s. In 1974, he made, Jerry's, a documentary about a deli owner who screamed, shouted, and pushed his customers. This restaurant was once located in Streeterville.

His work has been shown at MOMA, The Whitney in New York, the New Wing of The Art Institute of Chicago, and has been featured on channel 11's Image Union.

Tom Palazzolo's Chicago
Tom Palazzolo's Chicago is a DVD collection which features three films from different parts of his career :

Labor Day: East Chicago (1979)
Palazzolo shot Labor Day: East Chicago, as an observational documentary in September, 1978, capturing the everyday lives of the working-class section of Chicago, Illinois. During the film, a narrative is told while the "Miss East Side" contest occurs. This competition is hosted by the local Lions Club, where young women are judged by a series of questions and a winner is chosen based on their answers. Palazzolo captures the emotions of the competitors, their friends and families, and the enthusiasm of the crowd. Whenever a contestant claims stereotypical answers for their greatest qualities, Palazzolo jump-cuts to something opposite of what they mean.

I Married a Munchkin (1994)
In I Married a Munchkin, Palazzolo interviews Mary Ellen St. Aubin about her and her husband, Pernell St. Aubin, on their works in the movie business in the 1930s and 40s. Pernell was known for his work as one of the Munchkin soldiers in The Wizard of Oz. Also shown in the film, were clips from the 1933 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, The Wizard of Oz; Three Wise Fools; and the 1992 Wizard of Oz Festival in Chesterton, Indiana.

Down Clark Street (2000)
In Down Clark Street, Palazzolo captures the studies of the part and the present and the effects of gentrification. He showcases the sights and sounds of Clark street in the 1960s and compares them with the Clark street of 1997. In the older portions of the film, Clark Street was covered with urban decay. Palazzolo described the Clark Street of the past as “the best integrated section of the city." It's citizens were united by their shared hardship. Palazzolo also displayed images of poverty, alcoholism and depression.