A Great Day in Harlem

A Great Day in Harlem is a 1994 American documentary film directed by Jean Bach about the photograph of the same name. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[1]

Director Jean Bach acquired an original home movie showing the 1958 photo shoot from musician Milt Hinton.[2] She used Hinton's home video as the basis for her hour-long documentary.[2] In a piece published in The New Yorker, jazz critic Whitney Balliett praised Bach's film as "a brilliant, funny, moving, altogether miraculous documentary."[2]

Jean Bach described how, upon the film's release, a number of similar photographs employed the "A Great Day in..." theme.[3] Hugh Hefner assembled Hollywood-area musicians for "A Great Day in Hollywood" in conjunction with a sneak preview of A Great Day in Harlem.[3] Soon after, "A Great Day in Philadelphia" included musicians such as Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson and Ray Bryant.[3] During the filming of Kansas City, musicians including Jay McShann posed for "A Great Day in Kansas City."[3] A multi-page supplement in The Star-Ledger featured "A Great Day in Jersey," while a Dutch photograph was titled "A Great Day in Haarlem."[3]

The trend spread to other styles of music, with Houston blues musicians posing for "A Great Day in Houston."[3] "A Great Day in Hip Hop" was followed by XXL's "The Greatest Day in Hip Hop."[3] An Atlanta radio station gathered musicians for "A Great Day in Doo-Wop."[3] A New York cellist, inspired by both the original photograph and the film, assembled chamber musicians for "A Great Day in New York."[3] The New York Post ran "A Great Day in Spanish Harlem."[3]

By 2004, The New York Times was referring to the original photograph as A Great Day in Harlem.[3]