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BLACK HISTORY
Black images in film
Gordon Parks, directed the film "Shaft" released in 1971
Photos courtesy of Dr. Alma Williams
Information compiled by
Eric Rose
Staff Writer
Oscar Micheaux
This gentleman was one of
the most prolific and adamant
champions of the Black image in
the early days of film. Bom to
former slaves in 1884 in
Metropolis, Ill., Micheaux started
out as a Pullman porter as a
teenager and, by the time he was
about 20, purchased a 160-acre
homestead with his savings.
From there he took an avid
interest in writing novels about
the people and places he knew.
In fact, in 1913 he published, at
his own expense, his first novel:
The Conquest: The Story of a
Negro Pioneer. In 1917 he
published his third book, The
Homesteader, which he released
as a feature-length film in 1919.
He went on to direct and produce
as many as 40 films, thus leaving
a heritage of positive images of
Blacks on the screen.
Clarence Muse
One actor of the 1930s who
was an early activist in the field
was Clarence Muse. Muse turned
away a law career to become an
actor and had as many as 200
roles in films. In 1932 he wrote
and published a pamphlet, The
Dilemma of the Negro Actor,
where he stated that although the
roles that Blacks had in
Hollywood did not reflect their
true experience, they would have
no jobs if they did not accept
them. Muse was also one of the
first Black screenwriters in
Hollywood, joining with poet
Langston Hughes to write, “Way
Down South,” a drama released
in 1939.
Hattie McDaniel
At 44 years old, Hattie
McDaniel received the role of
Mammy in the epic “Gone with
the Wind.” This role, as well as
the entire film, was protested
against by the Black press, the
NAACP and other sources and
led to the altering of the script to
a less-offensive film. However,
it was still unrealistic, but
McDaniel’s comic genius led to
her receiving an Oscar for it. She
understood the importance of
accepting such roles and later
said, “Why should I complain
about making seven thousand
dollars a week playing a maid? If
I didn’t, I’d be making seven
dollars a week actually being
one!”
Paul Robeson
Being an All-American
football star or valedictorian of a
class at Rutgers University is an
accomplishment that few would
ever attain. However, Paul
Robeson did that and even more.
Robeson earned a law degree from
Columbia University and had a
strong stage career until he
performed in Oscar Micheaux’s
“Body and Soul” in 1925. He
attempted to bring to the screen
the same spirit of Black grandeur
that he had on the stage, but the
powers-that-be turned all of his
“heroes” into “zeros” at every
turn. Such circumstances led
him to comment in 1937: “I
thought I could do something
for the Negro race in the films:
show the truth about them - and
about other people, too. I used
to do my part and go away feeling
satisfied. Thought everything
was okay. Well, it wasn’t.
Things were twisted and
changed-distorted. They didn’t
mean the same.”
Five years later, Robeson
swore never to appear in another
film after his movie “Tales of
Manhattan,” showed Blacks as
naive and over-religious. He
kept his promise even though
Hollywood did not.
Lena Horne
Long considered one of the
most beautiful Black women in
film, singer Lena Horne got her
start in film in the 1938 movie
“The Duke is Tops” before
signing up with the powerful
MGM Studio. Even though she
did not have to play maids and
servants because of her elegant
look, the studio frustrated her
because they did not know what
to do with a glamorous Black
movie star. Her frustration led
her to almost leave Hollywood,
but bandleader Count Basie
persuaded her to stay. She went
on to be in two of Hollywood's
biggest all-Black musicals,
“Cabin in the Sky” and "Stormy
Weather” in 1943. She
exemplified beauty in its truest
sense, even to the point of being
promoted by her studio.
Industry
Continued from P8
Poiter in the ’60s, Richard Pyror
in the 70s and Eddie Murphy in
the 80s. These actors were paid
significantly less than their white
counterparts — a continuing
tradition. Jim Carrey, Bruce
Willis and Sylvester Stallone
hover at the $20 million range
while seasoned performers
Washington and Wesley Snipes
receive salaries around $10
million.
Further, Black women until
recently had been stabilized at
the level of girlfriend, seductress,
secretary, mother or friend.
Hollywood is primarily white
and male sexism burdens all
women significantly, [with black
women bearing the brunt of the
weight], according to Carol
Mitchell-Leon, Clark Atlanta
University Director of Theater.
Further she posed these
questions: Why are there not
more quality film choices and
why would you jump in a pig sty
[industry] and expect a palace?
Similarly, the protective moat
of the unions act as very
exclusive good ‘ole boy
networks. Much like the country
and social clubs that still exclude
Black people, Hollywood unions
are the steepest high road, which
many in the industry see as
neccessary to motion picture
success. Shirley Moore, the
founder of the Alliance of Black
Entertainment Technicians is an
example of how careerpaths can
snake through Hollywood movie
lots.
It took her eight years to mo ve
from stage sweeper to union
property master. In that time,
doctorial candidates could have
began school and graduated.
The vanguard of the industry ’ s
conventional wisdom theorizes
that Blacks must make change
— by force if neccessary.
Also, independent filmmakers
like Spike Lee and John Singleton
have to become the rule instead
of the exception.