This clip gives a rare look into Daniel's early film making. This video, recorded in Daniel's West Virginia home in about 1978, was one of only a few surviving films made using a Super-8 camera. The prisoner in the film was his best friend Gerald Clutter, who lived just up the road, and was a loyal companion and survived a lot of such creative experiences with Daniel. Gerald still lives very near that location.
Sometime in the early 2000's the family home (having been sold) burned to the ground, and another house was built in what was the back yard.
Locals still celebrate Danny Johnston, and the High School still stages tribute concerts featuring his songs.
The silent film was adapted (with the subtitles) last year as we undertook an intensive RESEARCH effort into Daniel's life, calling on friends and family to contribute their insights and stories about Daniel. The sound track is from a random cassette tape sampling a tiny piece of his many unpublished works. God willing, these efforts will ... in time ... result in some fantastic biographical and entertaining material, allowing a much broader audience to experience Daniel's fwonderful music and art.
Danny, we miss you!