The Fayard Nicholas Family Home Movie Collection was deposited to the Archive by Tony and Vanita Nicholas, the son and daughter-in-law of dancer Fayard Nicholas. Fayard and his brother, Harold, performed as “The Nicholas Brothers”, and were renowned for their electrifying acrobatic style on stage and screen. The collection’s home movies range in date from 1934 to 1951 and include theatrical performances, public appearances, and worldwide travels taken by the Nicholas Brothers from their childhood through their young adult years. The footage includes other entertainment luminaries, such as Eartha Kitt, Carmen Miranda, and Harold’s wife Dorothy Dandridge, as well as rare footage inside the famed Cotton Club with Bill Robinson and Duke Ellington. Since 2015 the Archive has housed over a dozen 16mm reels, including home and non-home movie compilations.
Click here for a list of the Academy’s holdings related to Fayard Nicholas.