25th Bud Billiken Parade
25th Bud Billiken Parade
Master 1 - Tape 1 Footage from the 25th Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago, 1954.
25th Bud Billiken Parade
Police or some type of soldier group march in formation down the street, photographers from the Chicago Defender newspaper shoot snapshots of the parade. Good journalism/behind the scenes. Floats, cars; several shots: King and queen of parade, health dept. of Robbins, Illinois; the "Eagles" in white uniforms; float from Princeton Park Home; Fried Chicken in a box from Green Acre Farms (with women and signs saying Legs, Thighs, Breasts, and Backs); Young Repbulicans float, another parade Queen sitting on a tin-foil throne; a few crowd shots of people looking on; 1950s cars; an LBT float. Chicago Defender Newspaper photographer on mechanical lift above the crowd, taking snapshots, moving. Crowds of people mull about on the lawn (maybe Washington Park?) a crowd of parade spectators, all African-American,walking the grounds. Like a concert crowd but family oriented.
25th Bud Billiken Parade
Baton-twirling majorettes in short skirts marching casually down the street. Black shriners in uniforms (gold tufts from square hats, suits). WGES Fellowship Baptists church in float; women wave at spectators; Brother Isiah broadcasting (with Brother Isiah himself with microphone). Crowd of women wearing gowns by May Sons. Academy Models guild; clown with umbrella and kilt; Green Acres fried chicken float; more majorettes dancing to their own beat; military types in jeeps at dusk (lights on jeeps); big guns as in a military parade. Crowd of kids marching in parade, spectators, Cub scouts with signs. Spectators. Boy Scouts in uniform. National AAU Track Champions. As car passes you can see Bernie Howard on top of car with a movie camera. Uniformed kids salute. Queen on throne waves to spectators.
25th Bud Billiken Parade
Johnson Publications float. Chicago. POV car as it passes by numerous picnickers, spectators, etc. in crowd. More floats: King and Queen, health department, fire engine (with happy, waving chief), walking peanuts and peppermint sticks (nice shots of kids in outlandish suits), white military men; Black military band (drum, tuba, etc.); black soldiers, chicago police car, jeeps. Series of marching bands parade, Traditional white band with flag wavers, tall hats.
25th Bud Billiken Parade
Shot POV the float, as spectators wave at the camera. Rear following shot of lots of cars going down streets. Great shot of boy scouts and cub scouts waving placards. Spectators line the streets. CU of part of crowd. Black sailors play horns and band instruments. Cute shot of mother and daughter. Photographers from the Chicago Defender get out of their yellow car with cameras in hand, ready to take pictures. Photojournalism. The sign saying "press photographer" is studied up close in the window of their automobile. The Queen waves at people from her throne on a car.
25th Bud Billiken Parade
A Chicago Politician (white, probably an alderman) stands at a microphone ready to address the crowd. He puts his glasses on & signs autographs for women in the crowd. A sign in front of him says "Sweet Talking Freddie Williams." A Chicago policeman in hat and badge on chest. Williams appears and gets in the car with the alderman. They all wave at the spectators from their car. Signs on doors say aldermen MacDonald Carey, Merriam, and others. (Some upside down footage.) Beautiful 1950s convertibles pass with parade officials.
25th Bud Billiken Parade
More footage of floats with queens. Pet Milk Boys with Pet Milk labels and placards; wonderful shot. Footage of the Fultz quadruplets (Catherine, Alice, Anne and Louise), "Canadian Ace" float passes, with "Prospair" girls in bathing suits, then dark footage of people inside drinking Pepsi.. Majorette corps march in parade - red and white uniforms, young paper boys from the Chicago Defender wearing aprons and waving flags, ABC TV Super circus stars (clowns) on float, Miss Teenage Kentucky in car - representing Kentucky Defender (footage is flipped wrong way), Good shot defender paper boys, shot of spectators along street.