Early Jim Morrison film unearthed in Fla.: Film Depicts Jim Morrison While a Student

Yahoo! News ^ | March 10, 2005 | BRENDAN FARRINGTON

[wmichgrad]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Before The Doors' Jim Morrison made it as a rock singer, he wanted to make films. Now, 34 years after his death, the state of Florida has found and restored what it believes to be the earliest film of Morrison, shot in the early 60s when he attended Florida State University.

It was discovered when the Department of State went through 1,000 films in its archive and may have gone unnoticed if Jaime Madden hadn't noticed a familiarity in the way young Morrison was standing in part of the brief clip.

"He said, 'Oh my god! This is Jim Morrison!'" said Jody Norman, supervisor of the Bureau of Archives and Records Management. "It really tells a lot about an archivists' duty to pay attention to detail."

In the FSU promotional film, Morrison is seen walking to a mailbox and opening a letter. He stops suddenly with his leg thrust forward as a voiceover says, "We regret to inform you that we are unable to accept your application."

A little while later, Morrison is in a university office, dressed in a jacket and tie and questioning authority.

"We would like to accept you," Morrison is told. "Indeed, we'd like to offer more courses, more sections, but we just don't have the space that together with the lack of professors."

"But what happened?" Morrison asks. "How come my parents, and the state and the university didn't look ahead?"

Morrison later dropped out of FSU to attend the University of California Los Angeles film school.

The clip was discovered last year among films WFSU a PBS station operated by the university donated to the state in 1989 and was recently posted to the state's film archive Web site after being digitally converted. It will air on VH1 this Friday.

"To see that this may very well be the very first video footage of Jim Morrison just shows you we have such a rich history in our state," said Secretary of State Glenda Hood, who said she was a Doors fan. "Isn't it exciting to know that he is part of Florida State University history and part of Florida history and now people can experience this?"

[ozzymandus]

Oh, THAT Jim Morrison! I thought they meant my frat brother from college, Jim Morrison.

[mikeus_maximus]

You've got understand that the State Archives is about 1 block from FSU, the staff are all likely FSU grads, and they love any good publicity for FSU.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing, because I'm one too!

[Professional Engineer]

PING

[gman992]

The Lizard King lives!!!!

[EggsAckley]

It is appalling to see the graffiti in the Pere Lechaise (sp?) cemetary. All of the graves near Morrison's are terribly defaced. I think I remember hearing that they were planning to move his grave to a secret place to stop the vandalism. Wonder if they did.

Thanks for the pic. I'd forgotten how awful that site was.

[mountaineer]

Come on come on come on come on now touch me babeeee...

Yes, most definitely the most overrated song writer of the age.

[shekkian]

21st century archaeology

[Skooz]

Well, to be fair, he penned a few good tunes.

"The Crystal Ship" and "Soul Kitchen" are pretty good. But, for every good one he wrote, he produced a dozen stinkers.

[mdittmar]

Me thinks these people are just "Riders On The Storm"

[Drew68]

Overrated drunk.

Beat me to it. When I was a teenager I worshipped at the pedestal of the great Lizard King. I guess maybe because we shared the same birthday (albeit I was 25 years younger).

As I grew up I have re-evaluated The Doors and have come to believe that Morrison was perhaps the least talented member of the band. Robby Krieger was a better songwriter. Damn near anybody could have been a better singer. The only thing Morrison had going was sex appeal which he squandered away becoming an unwashed, unintelligable, bloated alcoholic possessed with delusions of grandeur common in substance abusers.

The Doors should have replaced him once the rigor mortis set in. They could have been like AC/DC and went on to record great work with a new singer.

[OXENinFLA]

Wow, Musta been before he found drugs too.......

---

Wed Mar 9, 7:03 PM ET
This undated image from a public relations film on Florida State University provided by the school shows a young Jim Morrison years before his more recognized role as lead singer for The Doors. The state of Florida has found and restored what it believes to be the earliest film of Morrison, shot in the early 60s when he attended Florida State University, 34 years after his death. (AP Photo/Florida State University via State Archives of Florida)
Wed Mar 9, 7:03 PM ET
This undated image from a public relations film on Florida State University provided by the school shows a young Jim Morrison years before his more recognized role as lead singer for The Doors. The state of Florida has found and restored what it believes to be the earliest film of Morrison, shot in the early 60s when he attended Florida State University, 34 years after his death. (AP Photo/Florida State University via State Archives of Florida)
Wed Mar 9, 7:03 PM ET
This undated image from a public relations film on Florida State University provided by the school shows a young Jim Morrison years before his more recognized role as lead singer for The Doors. The state of Florida has found and restored what it believes to be the earliest film of Morrison, shot in the early 60s when he attended Florida State University, 34 years after his death. (AP Photo/Florida State University via State Archives of Florida)

[bwteim]

You're right, I think the French would like to get rid of it due to vandalism. [Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise. The French have words for everything.]

[BonnieJ]

Wow..they sure have defaced his tomb. I had heard that France was trying to evict his body and send it back to the U.S. because of the activities and "momentos" of fans at that cemetary!

[Drew68]

Come on come on come on come on now touch me babeeee...

Yes, most definitely the most overrated song writer of the age.

To be fair, that one was penned by Doors' guitarist, Robby Krieger who also wrote "Light My Fire," "Love Her Madly," and "Love Me Two Times."

Krieger's songs were the bands biggest hits.

[freebilly]

The Doors, the most self-important, pretentious band in the history of rock 'n' roll....

[bwteim]

"they love any good publicity for FSU"

Considering how depressed FSU football fans must be, this find must be a step up....

[tx_eggman]

Horse Latitudes

When the still sea conspires an armor
And her sullen and aborted
Currents breed tiny monsters
True sailing is dead
Awkward instant
And the first animal is jettisoned
Legs furiously pumping
Their stiff green gallop
And heads bob up
Poise
Delicate
Pause
Consent
In mute nostril agony
Carefully refined
And sealed over

Genius I tell ya, pure genius ... /sarcasm off>

I wonder what color the atmosphere was on the drug addled planet he inhabited.

[FReepaholic]

...an unwashed, unintelligable, bloated alcoholic possessed with delusions of grandeur...

[bwteim]

Unfortunately for the other Dead, Dead Jim has a lease...

See
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/story/0,11711,1208852,00.html

"All are eclipsed by the necropolis's biggest draw, however: the gravestone of Jim Morrison. Christian Charlet, who is responsible for the cemetery and its 70,000 tombs, would happily do without the Doors frontman, who passed out in his bath (and into legend) in Paris in July 1971.

"We'd like to kick him out, because we don't want him, he causes too many problems," Mr Charlet told Reuters news agency. "If we could get rid of him, we'd do it straight away." Unlike many of the tombs, Morrison's is on a perpetual lease.

[TheLion]

"The Doors, the most self-important, pretentious band in the history of rock 'n' roll...."

And one of the best.