I filmed this 16MM story at a runaway teenage coffeehouse in New York City one night in December 1967. At the time, runaway was a household word and runaway teenage stories were in the news just about every day. I recall the statistic that there were 250,000 runaway teenage kids who had run away from their homes under 18 years of age in our major cities at that time. They were coming from all over the country. They came to New York in winter with nowhere to go and no protection from other rough folks who lived on the streets. I wonder what happened to them?
I was in New York city filmmaker at this time. Just about everything was a suitable subject for a documentary and virtually no one had been filmed using a 16mm camera and a professional audio recorder. I walked into this place and asked for permission (which was always given) and started to film. The resulting 10 minute movie ran on prime time NET - National Educational Television, the forerunner to PBS.
The homeless situation in New York City in 1967 was dire. At the time New York City was grappling with a high poverty rate, a shortage of affordable housing and a growing number of people living on the streets.
According to reports from the era, there were an estimated 25,000 homeless people living in New York City in 1967. Many of these individuals were sleeping on the streets or in public places like parks and subway stations.
The problem was particularly acute in areas like the Bowery and Skid Row, which were known for their large populations of homeless individuals. These areas were often characterized by rampant drug use, alcoholism, and crime, and were considered some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city.
Despite the severity of the problem, there were few resources available to help homeless individuals at the time. Many people who found themselves without a home were forced to rely on the generosity of strangers or the limited support of local charities and religious organizations.
The term "runaway" was heard on the nightly news back then. In 1967 New York City saw a significant increase in the number of young people leaving home and living on the streets. This phenomenon was driven by a range of social and cultural factors, including the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement and the counterculture of the time.
Many of these runaway teenagers formed communities in New York City, particularly in neighborhoods like Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side. They often lived in makeshift housing, such as abandoned buildings or parks, and formed tight-knit social networks to support one another.
For those interested in the singer, his name was Chris Wilson (also known as "Gandalf the Grey", "The Wizard" or "The Wiz") He had worked with the Salvation Army in the 60s and they would send him around to sing to kids to discourage them from running away. Shortly around the time of this video he signed with Columbia Records and in 1970 released an album called "Gandalf the Grey Am I". The CD version of that album includes the song from this video, "The Future Belongs to the Children". From what I gather, he passed away several years ago due to cancer. Here he is later in life singing another beautiful song - • SITS.avi . This comes from his RU-vid channel and you can find other performances of his on there as well. He also did a show on his channel talking about various subjects, one of which was dealing with cancer. He seemed to be a really nice guy with a big heart who lived an overall happy life.
I would like to thank the advertisers who have been posting their ads on my video clip. They include Brooklyn history. New York City history. History of Brooklyn New York. Gospel Mission shelter.BRC Homeless outreach. Homeless soup kitchen near me. Tahoe coalition for the homeless.
If you enjoyed watching this old film of mine I ask you to click the Super Thanks button below the video screen. That support will help me to keep digging into my archives and finding more material that you might enjoy.
Thank you
David Hoffman filmmaker
7 сен 2024
