King of the Hill: A 70th Anniversary Retrospective of Cincinnati’s King Records

Aug 8, 2014

0h 10m

★ 4.6

Overview

James Brown was the jewel in the crown, but the throne of Cincinnati’s King Records always belonged to its irascible founder, Syd Nathan. This is the 70th anniversary of the legendary record label and studio. It closed shop nearly 40 years ago, in a now long-neglected warehouse on the neighborhood border of Evanston and Walnut Hills, but its impact still reverberates across today’s music.

Genres

Music

Documentary

History

Production Companies

WCPO

King of the Hill: A 70th Anniversary Retrospective of Cincinnati’s King Records Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Narrator

Matt Peiken

Self

Philip Paul

Self/Archival

Syd Nathan

Self

Otis Williams

Self

Steve Halper

Self

Chris Schadler

Self

Cass Sterritt

Self

Brian X. Powers

'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.

6.5

The Harder They Come

Aug 1, 1972

Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.

7.5

When We Were Kings

Oct 25, 1996

It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.

7.0

Midsummer Rock: The Cincinnati Pop Festival 1970

Jun 13, 1970

Midsummer Rock is a television program based on the Cincinnati Pop Festival. The 90-minute TV version featured Alice Cooper, Mountain, Grand Funk Railroad, The Stooges, and Traffic.

8.0

Pigface: Free for All

Nov 17, 2006

Join drummer Martin Atkins and his industrial rock band Pigface for this document of their epic 2005 tour of the United States. Visits backstage and interviews with the band meld with the concert footage to create the ultimate Pigface experience. Witness rehearsals, life on the road, collaboration with Nocturne and Sheep on Drugs and the challenges of setting up and tearing down the stage as the band hits venues from New York to San Diego.

6.0

Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee

Oct 9, 2009

An improvised comedy, shot over five days by Shane Meadows, devised with and starring Paddy Considine. Rock roadie and failed musician, Le Donk has lived, loved and learned. Along the way he's lost a girlfriend but he has found a new sidekick in up-and-coming rap prodigy Scor-zay-zee. With Meadows' fly-on-the-wall crew in tow, Donk sets out to make Scor-zay-zee a star...

0.0

Oyler

Oct 30, 2015

A Cincinnati public school fights to break the cycle of poverty in its Urban Appalachian neighborhood, where senior Raven Gribbins aims to become the first in her troubled family to graduate and go to college. When Principal Craig Hockenberry's job is threatened, it becomes clear it's a make-or-break year for both of them.

6.4

The Definitive Elvis: Elvis and the Colonel

Mar 31, 2002

One of the dominating figures in Elvis Presley's life was his manager, who was known as the "Colonel". No other relationship in Elvis' life was as controversial and misunderstood as the one he had with Colonel Tom Parker. The truth about their unique friendship is revealed in this documentary.

7.5

James Brown: Soul Survivor

Oct 29, 2003

James Brown's legacy has influenced rap, soul, funk and R&B. But along with his huge talent, there's a dark side to Brown's success that includes stints in prison and unceasing tabloid speculation. This in-depth documentary takes a look at the meteoric highs and deep lows of Brown's career, offering some fascinating insights from the Godfather of Soul himself, as well as interview footage with Chuck D, Little Richard, Wyclef Jean and many others.

6.9

Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown

Apr 27, 2014

James Brown changed the face of American music forever. Abandoned by his parents at an early age, James Brown was a self-made man who became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, not just through his music, but also as a social activist. Charting his journey from rhythm and blues to funk, MR. DYNAMITE: THE RISE OF JAMES BROWN features rare and previously unseen footage, photographs and interviews, chronicling the musical ascension of “the hardest working man in show business,” from his first hit, “Please, Please, Please,” in 1956, to his iconic performances at the Apollo Theater, the T.A.M.I. Show, the Paris Olympia and more.

0.0

Les Autres Chemins

Sep 24, 2021

No overview available.

5.7

Northern Soul

Oct 17, 2014

Set in 1974, an authentic and uplifting tale of two friends whose horizons are opened up by the discovery of black American soul music.

6.9

American Pop

Feb 13, 1981

The history of American popular music runs parallel with the history of a Russian Jewish immigrant family, with each male descendant possessing different musical abilities.

0.0

Mogul: The Gulshan Kumar Story

Invalid Date

Biopic of Gulshan Kumar, the founder of the Indian music company, T-Series.

No Image Available

0.0

Hillbilly Jamboree

Jan 1, 1960

A lost film featuring "Grand Ole Opry" style acts.

7.2

Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz

Oct 1, 1997

"It must schwing!" was the motto of Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, two German Jewish immigrants who in 1939 set up Blue Note Records, the jazz label that was home to such greats as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins. Blue Note, the most successful movie ever made about jazz, is a testimony to the passion and vision of these two men and certainly swings like the propulsive sounds that made their label so famous.

6.3

Slave Trade: How Prince Remade the Music Business

Jul 8, 2014

In the mid-1990s reports emerged that Prince had fallen into dispute with his record company. Having signed what was ostensibly a new, 100 million dollar contract just a couple of years before, Prince was now demanding - not unreasonably to most commentators - control of his masters and the freedom to release what he wanted when he wanted. After a bitter war of words, during which the star scrawled Slave across his cheek whenever he appeared in public and routinely dissed his label, the parties finally settled and Prince henceforth was free to take full control of his music and the way it was sold to consumers. Prince approached this task with devastating foresight as he routinely created new marketing concepts which, with time, became the norm across the music world.

0.0

Streetlight Harmonies

Mar 31, 2020

Streetlight Harmonies shines a long overdue spotlight on the artists and celebrates the music that defined the musical generation of Doo-Wop. Utilizing all-new interviews along with HD restored archival footage the film will explore the history and social impact of this timeless era.

0.0

Quest for Beauty: The Life and Art of William Schickel

Feb 13, 2025

Quest for Beauty is a film documentary on the life and prolific art career of William Schickel who was a prominent 20th century Catholic artist. Schickel had a very prolific art career spanning sixty-plus years; he produced a large body of mostly commissioned work in painting, sculpture, stained glass, and architectural design. He is most well-known for his renovation of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where he worked personally with Thomas Merton. His works can be found in numerous private collections and museums, including the Vatican Museum. The film explores his Quest for Beauty and the challenges he faced, and his vision for the Church and his heart for unity in the Body of Christ.

8.0

La corte de Ana

Mar 19, 2020

She appeared when Spain was waking up from a long post-war period and crying with melodramas starring children, a child prodigy unlike any other; a girl who, in time, would become a symbol of freedom and a total artist. Actress, singer, friend, lover. This is the story of Ana Belén.