Tom Palazzolo Collection

Series In this Collection

Intellectual organization and arrangement
The Tom Palazzolo Collection is arranged into four Series:
SERIES I: Finished Films by Tom Palazzolo
SERIES II: Personal Films
SERIES III: Sketches, Unfinished Films, and Miscellanea
SERIES IV: Collected Films

Collection Items

Browse All Objects
Practice Wedding
Film
Practice Wedding
Pets on Parade
Film
Pets on Parade
1971
Labor Day East Chicago
Film
Labor Day East Chicago
1979
Pigeon Lady
Film
Pigeon Lady
1966
First Annual Miss Illinois Bikini Contest, The
Film
First Annual Miss Illinois Bikini Contest, The
circa 1974
Another Millionaire
Film
Another Millionaire
1975
Sharie Holeb's Prom Night
Film
Sharie Holeb's Prom Night
Deel Ford
Film
It’s This Way at Deel Ford
1980
I Married a Munchkin
Film
I Married a Munchkin
1994
Lilly's World of Wax
Film
Lilly's World of Wax
1986
Enjoy Yourself
Film
Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)
1974
Tattooed Lady of Riverview, The
Film
Tattooed Lady of Riverview, The
1967
Ricky and Rocky
Film
Ricky & Rocky
1972
Hey Girls
Film
Hey Girls
1990
Your Astronauts
Film
Your Astronauts
1969
Roger the Dodger
Film
Roger the Dodger
1974
Love It/Leave It
Film
Love It/Leave It
1973
America's In Real Trouble
Film
America's In Real Trouble
1967
He
Film
He
1966
Jerry's
Film
Jerry's
1976
Marquette Park II
Film
Marquette Park II
1980
Thinking of Her
Film
Thinking of Her
circa 1990
Campaign
Film
Campaign
1968
Conversation With Barbara Schermer, A
Film
Conversation With Barbara Schermer, A
circa 1993
Hot Nasty
Film
Hot Nasty
1972
Venus and Adonis
Film
Venus and Adonis
1966
At Maxwell Street
Film
At Maxwell Street
1984
Gay for a Day
Film
Gay for a Day
1976
1966: Peace March - Heads
Film
1966: Peace March
1966
Palazzolo_331
Film
Bears Win Loop Celebration
1985
Baton Lounge
Film
Baton Lounge
1974
80s Pilsen Backyard Circus
Film
80s Pilsen Backyard Circus
1980s
Film Center C. Cook
Film
Film Center C. Cook
Bat Colum Pix Mag
Film
Bat Colum Pix Mag
1977
Pizza Commercial @ Rodney's w/ John - Me
Film
Pizza Commercial @ Rodney's w/ John - Me
circa 1966
Gay Kiss-In At The Picasso
Film
Gay Kiss-In At The Picasso
1974
Gay
Film
Gay
circa 1974
The One With All the Feet
Film
The One With All the Feet
1962
The Filmmaker
Film
Filmmaker, The
1969
The Mini Mystery Tour
Film
The Mini Mystery Tour
1969
Gay For A Day - '76 Gay Parade Shot By 2nd Unit Camera
Film
Gay For A Day - '76 Gay Parade Shot By 2nd Unit Camera
1976
Gay Parade Trims
Film
Gay Parade Trims
1976
Gay for a Day Outtakes
Film
Gay for a Day Outtakes
1976
Gay For A Day - Outtakes WPrint 76 Gay Parade
Film
Gay For A Day - Outtakes WPrint 76 Gay Parade
1976
Gay For A Day - Outs 2nd Unit
Film
Gay For A Day - Outs 2nd Unit
Gay for a Day
Film
Gay For A Day - Out Orig Color
1976
Gay For A Day - Out
Film
Gay For A Day - Out
1976
Gay Parade 76 Outs
Film
Gay Parade 76 Outs
1976
Gay Parade OPTICALS Gay Day STEP PRINT
Film
Gay Parade OPTICALS Gay Day STEP PRINT
1976
Maxwell St ca. 1940s
Film
Found Maxwell St. ca. 1940s
1940s
Maxwell St ca. 1971
Film
Found Maxwell St. ca. 1971
circa 1971
Our Wedding 12-68 / Marcia & Tom
Film
Our Wedding 12-68 / Marcia & Tom
December 22 1968
Amy's 4th or 5th B-Day
Film
Amy's 4th or 5th B-Day
1979
Todd Summer 77? Halloween S-A&T with friends / Todd Dance 77-78 Halloween
Film
Todd Summer 77? Halloween S-A&T with friends / Todd Dance 77-78 Halloween
October 1977
Sarah's 6th BDay
Film
Sarah's 6th BDay
1976
James Bond SOUND Class He TALKS orig
Film
James Bond SOUND Class He TALKS orig
October 31 1991
View More Items
To request more information about the items in this collection, please contact the archive at info@chicagofilmarchives.org.
Items with Viewable Media
Collection Identifier
C.2013-08
Extent of Collection
1,729 reels of 16mm film totaling approximately 420,800 feet; 28 reels of Super 8mm film totaling approximately 1,400 feet; 11 reels of 8mm film totaling approximately 1,100 feet; 10 videocassettes; 11 DVDs
Language Of Materials
English
Custodial History
Most of the collection had previously been stored in Tom Palazzolo's home in Oak Park, IL until being brought to CFA in multiple trips over a period of seven years (2013-2020). Between 2005 and 2007, Chicago Filmmakers preserved eight of Palazzolo's films and the preservation elements were subsequently stored at CFA until becoming part of the collection in 2018, along with an additional donation of preservation prints that were previously stored at Chicago Filmmakers.
Related Materials
The Bill Stamets Collection also includes a number of prints of films by Tom Palazzolo that are also available in the Palazzolo Collection.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open to on-site access. Appointments must be made with Chicago Film Archives. Due to the fragile nature of the films, only video copies will be provided for on-site viewing.
Use Restrictions
Chicago Film Archives holds the copyright for the films created by Tom Palazzolo. For additional materials published by others, any determination of copyright status for reproduction is the responsibility of the user.
Creators
Palazzolo, Tom (was created by)
Tom Palazzolo (1937- ) was born in St. Louis, MO in 1937. His interest in painting led him to move to Chicago in 1960 and begin studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he also studied photography with Kenneth Josephson. Ken encouraged Tom’s interest in filmmaking, and Tom was given use of a Bell and Howell 16mm camera that had been donated to the department by a veteran WWII cameraman. Tom’s first films were completed shortly after his graduation with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in photography in 1965. At this time, he also began teaching art and photography at Richard J. Daley College.
 
In the 1960s Tom was associated with a group of “underground” filmmakers and in 1968 had a one-person film show at MOMA. That same year he married Marcia Daehn. Tom was then hired in 1969 by the US Information Agency (USIA) to show and discuss American independent films in the Middle East. His mission was to show how American democracy allowed for greater freedom and creativity than other forms of government. Before leaving on the tour, the Washington office informed Tom that he should never mention the United States’ then-involvement in Vietnam.
 
Tom has continued making and showing documentary films right up to the present; most recently, he produced Kapra Fleming's film Lee Godie: Chicago French Impressionist (2021). In 2018, his films were part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s “Never a Lovely So Real: Photography and Film in Chicago, 1950-80” exhibition. He has also been featured at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Lincoln Center, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, Museum of Contemporary Art, the New Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, Gene Siskel Film Center, and the Walker Art Museum, among other venues.
 
Tom has been the recipient of grants and awards from the American Film Institute, National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, Center for New TV, Illinois Academy of Art, and the Andy Warhol Foundation, as well as a National Film Preservation Foundation grant to preserve a selection of films in 2006. His work has been reviewed by Roger Ebert (Sun-Times), Gene Siskel (Tribune), New York Times, Variety, Village Voice, and London Times, among others, and has screened at festivals including the Chicago International, Ann Arbor, New York, Cannes (out of competition), Edinburgh, and more. Tom has had retrospectives at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 1977 and at Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art in Berlin, Germany, in 1989