Hi all,

A student of mine is researching the television series American Bandstand, in particular the years between 1957 and 1964, from the point when Dick Clark joined the show to its migration from east coast to west. I'm wondering if anyone has leads on archived seasons and episodes beyond what's available through YouTube -- kinescopes, VHS, DVDs, etc. My student's search has yielded some best-of collections, but nothing more comprehensive, and nothing that preserves the show's embedded sponsor and advertising content.

Relatedly, can anyone help point me to scholarship on early AB, in particular the question of its racial content, place in civil-rights history, or African-American representation on TV?

Any suggestions are much appreciated!

Bob Rehak
Assistant Professor
Film and Media Studies Program
Swarthmore College

----
Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite
http://www.ScreenSite.org