Underplayed Gems

A Day in the Death of Donny B (1969)

A Day in the Death of Donny B poster
Original title
A Day in the Death of Donny B.
Directed by
Carl Fick
Genre
drama film
Country
United States
Runtime
14 min
Rating
6.8 of 10 from 4 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A young black man addicted to heroin spends a day in New York City trying to get money for his next fix by stealing, begging, and gambling. The film shows his actions while voice-overs from his parents, former addicts, and police comment on the consequences of drug use.

rawbleakgrittyeducationaldesperategrimrealisticdownbeat

What happens

A Day in the Death of Donny B is a 1969 American short docudrama written and directed by Carl Fick and shot in cinéma-vérité style. Mostly considered an anti-drug film, it was made for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The film follows its protagonist, Donny B, a young black man who appears to be a heroin addict, as he makes his way through the cruel ghettos of New York City. He tries to score money for his next fix by stealing hubcaps, purse-snatching, panhandling, and engaging in street gambling. The short film's soundtrack mostly consists of voice-overs of his parents despairing over his future, former addicts describing the junkie lifestyle, and cops informing the audience of the consequences of illegal drug use and addiction. Through the run time of 14 minutes, a blues-like tune written and performed by Harry Holt plays over the footage and voice-overs, with vocals that come in and out during the film, narrating Donny B as he does wrong. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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