Mura Dehn, 1905-1987, co-filmmaker on Dancing James Barry, 1954, was a dancer, ethnographer and dance filmmaker. Almost upon arrival in New York from Europe in 1930, she began her lifelong interest in African American jazz dance, documenting it in writing and in several films. She approached Hurwitz in the early 1950’s to collaborate with her … Continued
Manfred Kirchheimer, 1931- , is a celebrated New York filmmaker. He was, in sequence, Leo Hurwitz’s student, cameraman and collaborator starting in the mid-1950’s. He was cinematographer on Essay on Death, 1964; Haiku (also co-filmmaker), 1965; The Sun and Richard Lippold, 1966; In Search of Hart Crane, 1966; Journey into a Painting, 1970; This Island, … Continued
Sydney Meyers (Robert Stebbins) 1906-1969, Starting as a violinist with the Cincinnati Symphony, he moved to an orchestra subsidized by New York City. He and his new wife, the dancer and dance critic, Edna Ocko, moved into the same building as Leo Hurwitz and his wife, Jane Dudley, also a dancer, in 1934. Interested in … Continued
Ralph Steiner 1899-1986 – Photographer and filmmaker – Hurwitz was introduced to Steiner by Leo’s brother in law, Cook Glassgold, while working for him at ‘Creative Arts’ magazine around 1931. Both were interested in film. Steiner, older than Leo by a decade, had previously made several “art” documentaries, including H2O, 1929. In the following years, … Continued