People of Color in Classic Film

A Farewell from Adrienne, Moderator of POC in Classic Film

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 23:00:00 +0000

Hello Friends and Family,

It pains me to even type this out, but as you can see, I have made the decision to bring posting on People of Color in Classic Film to an end. I am forever grateful for your following, your love, your commentary, and everything else you’ve done to support this blog. I’ve learned so much about entertainment history from running this blog; I’ve watched some great movies, and I’ve virtually met and befriended some great people.

For the last four months, I’ve been interning at the Virginia Film Office—this internship has allowed me to stay quite busy—a fun kind of busy! I’ve met some great people in Virginia’s film industry, had the opportunity to visit movie and television sets, and probably most importantly, I’ve been able to acquire some paid and volunteer opportunities on a few movies being filmed in the state. I’ve quickly learned that whether I’m wearing my intern hat, a Production Assistant hat, or even a one-day volunteer hat, the world of film is a spontaneous one—it’s get up and go, no questions asked. This kind of working life has prevented me from doing the things I was able to do consistently when I was in college or when I was out of work. I wished and prayed for work, for opportunities to be productive, and I finally got them, so now, I have to sacrifice a few things, and sadly, People of Color in Classic Film is one of those things.

But this isn’t a total goodbye—I have another blog called “The Life of an Aige Old Soul”—this blog is currently on Blogger, as well, but I will be moving it somewhere else (please check out my website for updates). On the “new” blog, I will still be expressing my love for entertainment history (including POC in Classic Film history) through posts—the only thing is, I just won’t have scheduled segments. I will be consistent without constraining myself.

I will not delete this blog, but I will however be deleting its social media pages.

Again, thank you all for your love and your support. See you on The Life of an Aige Old Soul!

Adrienne

UPDATE - 12/18/2020

In November of 2017, Adrienne founded a digital media company entitled "Kindaris Pictures". Find her:

Kindaris Pictures (Wix)
Kindaris Pictures on Facebook
Kindaris Pictures on Twitter

" " on Instagram
" " on Tumblr

Theresa Harris in "Tell No Tales" (1939)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 21:00:00 +0000

In Tell No Tales, Melvyn Douglas plays the role of 'Michael Cassidy', the managing-editor of The Guardian, a small newspaper that's about to be closed by its owner. When Cassidy gets a hold of one of the one-hundred dollar bills paid in the ransom of a recent kidnapping, he takes it upon himself to trace the dollar bill back to the kidnappers. He traces the bill back to various people, including the widow of a prizefighter named Ruby--played by Theresa Harris.

Tell No Tales is one of the most gripping mysteries I've ever watched. As Michael Cassidy traces the bill back to different people, he uncovers mini-mysteries and dramas throughout--and it was extremely exciting to watch! You should check it out--it is available on YouTube.

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Theresa Harris' Performance

Although the character of 'Ruby' works as a maid, her work isn't particularly relevant to Theresa Harris' brief appearance in Tell No Tales. As mentioned before, Ruby is the widow of recently killed prizefighter, Jim Alley. Tell No Tales presents to us a rare dramatic performance from Theresa Harris--and if you ask me, it was worthy of all acting awards.

*GIF Images from the film below*

I urge you to watch Tell No Tales--and if you just want to see Harris' performance, you can watch the second part of the movie's upload and skip to 6:58.

Theresa Harris Appreciation (Movies Online)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 21:00:00 +0000

Below is a list of links to movies (and a television episode) available online that feature our Star of the Month, the late Theresa Harris.

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Theresa Harris played the role of the "Powder Room Attendant" in Merrily We Go to Hell (1932), available on YouTube.

TH with Matthew "Stymie" Beard in Free Wheeling (1932)

TH played the role of the "Maid" on the Our Gang shot, Free Wheeling (1932), available on YouTube.

TH played the role of the "Ladies Room Attendant" in Night After Night (1932), available on YouTube.

With Barbara Stanwyck in Baby Face (1933)

TH played the role of "Chico" in Baby Face (1933), arguably her most notable role. This film is available on YouTube. The ending is cut off, however.

TH played the role of "Joan's Maid" in Broadway Thru a Keyhole (1933), available on YouTube.

Our Star of the Month played the role of the "Sacrificed Girl" in Black Moon (1934), also available on YouTube.

Theresa Harris singing "St. Louis Blues" in Banjo On My Knee (1936)

Theresa Harris played the role of the "Black Blues Singer" in Banjo On My Knee (1936). This film is available on both YouTube and Dailymotion.

She played the role of the "Black U.S. Team Member on the Sidelines Rooting for Jesse Owens" (phew!) in Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937). This film is available on YouTube.

With Melvyn Douglas in Tell No Tales (1939)

TH played the role of "Ruby" in 1939's Tell No Tales, also available on YouTube in parts.

As she appeared in The Velvet Touch (1958) (not listed) - Vintage Black Glamour

TH played the role of the "Maid" in Santa Fe Trail (1940), available on YouTube.

In Strange Illusion (1945), available on both YouTube and Dailymotion. Theresa Harris played the role of (guess) the "Maid".

In 1945's The Dolly Sisters, Theresa Harris played the role of "Ellabelle". This film is available on Dailymotion in parts.

TH played the role of the "Maid" in Three Little Girls in Blue (1946). This film is also available for viewing on Dailymotion in parts.

On the cover of a Sept. 1952 issue of Jet magazine.
(Very curious about the "Why Men Beat Their Wives" story, though...)

Theresa Harris played the role of "Esther" in The File on Thelma Jordon (1950). This was the third time she'd appeared in a film with Barbara Stanwyck. It's available on YouTube.

In "The Girl at the Station", a 1955 episode of Amos 'n' Andy, Theresa Harris played the role of "Gloretta". You can watch the episode on YouTube.

Theresa Harris on the left in The Gift of Love (1958). She played Scatman Crothers' wife in the film!

Finally, you can watch Theresa Harris in her final screen appearance as "Dora - Sam's Wife" in The Gift of Love (1958). It is available in parts on YouTube.

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Ms. Harris was uncredited in all but six of these roles--Free Wheeling, Baby Face, The Toy Wife, Tell No Tales, The File on Thelma Jordan, and "The Girl at the Station" episode of Amos 'n' Andy. Of her 90+ screen appearances, she was credited in only about 25 of them.

That's OLD News! (#15) - Theresa Harris & Co-Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 17:00:00 +0000

This month's installment of "That's OLD News!" contains historic news articles on our Star of the Month, Theresa Harris and fellow performers of color who appeared in some of the same films as she.

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"81 Year-Old Gets Film Role"
St. Petersburg Times - Jul 7, 1954

That 81-year old was Nellie Conley, aka Madame Sul-Te-Wan--and the film the short article speaks of may have been Carmen Jones (1954). Madame Sul-Te-Wan made her screen debut in 1915 (at the age of 42). Over the span of about four decades, she appeared in over fifty movies--including the pre-code crime drama, Thunderbolt (1929) with Theresa Harris. This article above provides some additional must-read trivia about Madame Sul-Te-Wan!

*I believe that Madame Sul-Te-Wan might be the bellhop (or hat check girl?) in the beginning of the clip above.

"Blue Blowers on the Air"

The Afro American - April 9, 1927

Curtis Mosby and his popular jazz and blues band, the Blue Blowers accompanied singer/actors in numerous films through the late 1920s and early 1930s. They accompanied Theresa Harris as she sang "Daddy, Won't You Please Come Home" in Thunderbolt. As indicated in the article above, Curtis Mosby and his Blue Blowers "went on the air" in 1927--when the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) began broadcasting in new cities on the West Coast, the band was selected as their musical headliner.

"Flying - Rochester Learns to Pilot Plane"

The Afro American - Jul 6, 1940

In July of 1940, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson flew into New York from Detroit for an opening at a Paramount Theater. He also performed "My, My" at the opening, the song he sang with Theresa Harris in Buck Benny Rides Again (1940).

*GIF set from Buck Benny Rides Again*

"New Million Dollar Film to Premiere"

The Afro American - Oct 29, 1938

Gang Smashers (starring Nina Mae McKinney) was written and produced by the legendary Ralph Cooper, and also distributed by the film company he'd co-founded, Million Dollar Productions. The year before, Ralph Cooper appeared in Gangsters on the Loose with Theresa Harris. He also wrote and produced the film.

"Universal Signs Carolyn Snowden"

The Afro American - Aug 14, 1926

Carolynne Snowden (posted by The Loudest Voice - Tumblr)

Unsung stage and screen performer, Carolynne Snowden (sometimes referred to as Carolyn or Caroline) signed a contract with Universal Pictures in 1926 (for The Marriage Clause). She appeared in movies for many of the other Hollywood studios, including The Green Pastures (1936), a film that, like Snowden, Theresa Harris played an Angel in.

Theresa Harris Bio (Star of the Month, Sept. 2015)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 16:00:00 +0000

"The Beautiful Maid", "Dainty", "sepia-toned comedienne"--most newspaper and magazine articles always made sure to reference her physical beauty before mentioning her name, Theresa Harris, People of Color in Classic Film's featured star for September 2015.

Theresa Harris was born on December 31, 1906 (some sources say 1909) to sharecroppers Isaiah and Mable in Houston, Texas. The Harris family relocated to California when Theresa was about eleven. After graduating from the infamous Jefferson High School, she attended the UCLA Conservatory of Music and Zoellner's Conservatory of Music to become a music teacher. Theresa had the voice and the talent, and she'd gained the education, but like many others, Hollywood started calling her name in the 1920s.

Theresa Harris made her film debut as a singer in the 1929 film, Thunderbolt. Over the next two (almost three) decades, she would play singers, servants, "tribal women", and random background characters in almost one hundred movies. Although she typically played their servants (and many times went uncredited), Theresa Harris is often praised for playing alongside more Hollywood starlets than any other Hollywood actor or actress--from the ladies gone too soon, like Thelma Todd (Horse Feathers), Lupe Vélez (The Half Naked Truth), and Jean Harlow (Hold Your Man); to the women who lived long enough to see their impact, like Barbara Stanwyck (Baby Face, her most notable role, and Banjo on My Knee), Ginger Rogers (Professional Sweetheart), and Bette Davis (Jezebel).

(With Eddie "Rochester" Anderson in Buck Benny Rides Again, 1940)

Most of Harris' credits were from the 1930s and 1940s. As the mid-1950s rolled around, she appeared less in film (more on television) and soon, she retired from show business completely, living comfortably on the money made from her 30-year film career with her husband, Dr. John Robinson. Theresa Harris died of undisclosed causes on October 8, 1985. She was 78 years old.

These days, Theresa Harris is mostly remembered for being a "beautiful maid"--a great actress, singer, and dancer, but Ms. Harris (Robinson) should also be remembered for being a champion of her race. She boldly spoke against discrimination she'd faced in Hollywood and encouraged the Black-American community support black-owned film companies, specifically Million Dollar Productions:

"I never had the chance to rise about the role of maid in Hollywood movies. My color was against me anyway you looked at it. The fact that I was not "hot" stamped me either as uppity or relegated me to the eternal role of stooge or servant. I can sing but so can hundreds of other girls. Hollywood had no parts for me." -- a popular quote by Theresa Harris, repeated in the August 28, 1937 issue of The Afro American.

Perhaps this quote is an indicator that Theresa Harris left Hollywood at one point? Here is another quote from the same article:

"Asked if she thought the company [the black-owned Million Dollar Productions] had a future, Miss Harris said: "It has as much of a future as any other film company, if adverse publicity and an impatient public do not kill it. I believe Mr. Cooper [Ralph Cooper] is sincere in his efforts. He is certainly hard working...We have tolerated so many rotten pictures made in Hollywood by whites, I do not see why our own people cannot be tolerant in the pioneering stages of this company...".

This month, when I view and review some of Theresa Harris' work, I will do so while keeping in mind that Theresa Harris was a force. On camera, she was the maid, the "tribal woman", the spectator--but behind the camera, she was a Paul Robeson, a Fredi Washington, a Clarence Muse, a Hazel Scott--a fighter and a woman of wisdom.

Check in later for a Theresa Harris "appreciation post"!

Sources:

Wikipedia

IMDb
The Afro American (Google News Archive)

Star of the Month (September 2015): Theresa Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Must-visit photo source

Man, oh man am I beyond excited to announce this month's featured star--Theresa Harris, singer, dancer, and Hollywood actress.

Explanation

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:03:00 +0000

Hello everyone! I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts this last month--especially lack of posts without prior notice.

Quite a few things have been going on in my personal life (nothing drastic)--things that have, obviously, taken quite a bit away from me. I've also had some great things going on in my professional life! I've been interning in the Film industry (I don't want to disclose where just yet) since May. For almost three months, I've been learning about the pre-production and production stages of movies and television shows, and I have to tell you, I've been enjoying every minute of it. After months of (self) doubt and worry, this internship has basically solidified for me that film is where I want and need to be.

I can't quite say when I'll be back blogging, because even after my internship is complete, I will have to re-continue my job search. But I promise, I will be back.

I hope everyone's been enjoying their summer--and I hope the rest of it is great for you!

Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#4)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 17:10:00 +0000

This is the last four slideshows for my race-bent casts of some of my favorite classic movies--all featuring June 2015's Star of the Month, Nina Mae McKinney as a cast member.

Below is a slideshow of a race-bent cast for That Uncertain Feeling (1941), the filming starring April 2015's Star of the Month, Merle Oberon.

Slideshow 1

Slideshow 2

Slideshow 3

Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#3)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 01:55:00 +0000

This is the third of four slideshows for my race-bent casts of some of my favorite classic Hollywood movies--all featuring Nina Mae McKinney as a cast member.

Below is a slideshow of a race-bent cast for Mildred Pierce (1945):

Racebent Classics -- featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#2)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 01:11:00 +0000

Below is the second of four slideshows with a race-bent cast for some of my favorite Hollywood classics (all featuring our Star of the Month):

The next slideshow will be shared on Wednesday!

Double Post! - by HepClassic

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 17:00:00 +0000

This week, I'd like for you all to check out two posts by our current and main guest blogger, HepClassic.

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In honor of Lou Gossett, Jr.'s 79th birthday (on May 27th), HepClassic shared a tribute post on his Tumblr:

"It is an amazing that the next actor I have chosen to pay tribute to parlays a lot into this upcoming holiday weekend, not to mention he was in my original plans for a tribute from February, that I am still catching up on and finally seeing realized. The past three blogs I had originally planned for February, but due to technical difficulties, I was unable to post them, to add personal business in the fold too making it nearly impossible. But, I digress.

February is African American History month on the calendar, but it is everyday for me, and it is a time to study, learn, and appreciate the contributions of African Americans into the fold of American culture. In film, there is little appreciation let alone knowledge of the contributions of African Americans in film pre- Sidney Poitier. Hattie McDaniel has garnered a little more respect nowadays, but only just that little. But, it is more than just them. One thing about African American classic Hollywood is that the history remains living, because many classic African American movie stars are still living and still working, like the actor I am about to pay tribute to. This will not be a traditional blog that you are used to seeing from me, and that is not because there is a happy ending involved.The actor I am paying tribute to today is Louis Gossett, Jr." - "Louis Gossett Jr.: Authoritative Advocate" (click the link to read the post in its entirety).

Lou Gossett, Jr. pictured with Ruby Dee & Sidney Poitier in the stage production of A Raisin in the Sun.

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This past June 10th marked 120 years since Hattie McDaniel's birthday in Wichita, Kansas. HepClassic shared a lovely post in honor of her birthday:

"No African American actor or actress in Hollywood would have a career today if Hattie didn’t start designing the architecture of a path with her contributions and achievements. In 2002, when Sidney Poitier received an Honorary Oscar for a life’s work, he stated this: “I dedicate this to the African American actors and actresses who went through those difficult years, whose shoulders I had the privilege to stand on.” Of course, a person who is most responsible for that shoulder and path for Poitier and other beneficiaries to follow was Hattie McDaniel’s." - "Hattie McDaniel: A First" (click the link to read the post in its entirety).

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Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#1)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:40:00 +0000

It isn't hard for me to lament over the roles that "could've been" for Hollywood's first black leading lady, Nina Mae McKinney. I'm constantly watching classic movies and thinking, "Hmm, -person of color- would have played this role..." but I digress...

Below is the first of four slideshows with a race-bent cast for some of my favorite Hollywood classics (all featuring our Star of the Month):

The next slideshow will be posted on Monday, June 22nd! :)

Happy Birthday, Nina Mae McKinney! (Appreciation Post)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Sat, 13 Jun 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Today marks 103 (or 102, depending on your source) years since the birth of Hollywood's first black leading lady, Nina Mae McKinney.

Nina Mae McKinney was born Nannie Mayme McKinney on June 13, 1912 in Lancaster, South Carolina. Below are links to "everything Nina Mae McKinney" available online:

*Also, some sources list McKinney's birthday as June 12th*

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Cinema

1. Nina Mae McKinney made her screen debut in King Vidor's 1929 film, Hallelujah!. The role of "Chick" was the first leading role for a black woman in a Hollywood film. You can click here to watch Hallelujah! in its entirety on YouTube.

2. McKinney received rave reviews for her performance in Hallelujah! but subsequent roles were limited and few. Her next role as a "Singer/Dancer" in the MGM short, Manhattan Serenade (1929). Then, in 1930, McKinney played the uncredited role of a singer in They Learned About Women.

*Manhattan Serenade was long thought to be a "lost film", but was found in 2014 and screened at the Film Forum in New York City on November 9, 2014. If you live in or near New York, you can catch a screening of it at the MoMA.*

3. McKinney's next (and more significant) role came with the 1931 Pre-Code gem, Safe in Hell. I've inserted two YouTube clips of our Star of the Month as "Leonie - the Hotel Manager":

[Clip 1 - Nina Mae McKinney introduces the song "Sleepy Time Down South"]

[Clip 2 - Gilda books a room in Leonie's hotel]

4. Nina Mae McKinney appeared in a couple of shorts in 1932--Passing the Buck and Pie, Pie Blackbird. You can watch Pie, Pie Blackbird below:

5. Like a lot of entertainers of color, Nina Mae McKinney would leave Hollywood to try a hand at success in Europe--and she was successful in her attempt! It was there that she was dubbed "the Black Garbo". Click here to watch a clip of her performing in a London nightclub.

6. McKinney's next major film appearance was alongside Paul Robeson in the London Film Production, Sanders of the River (1935). Watch the full movie on YouTube by clicking here.

7. Get a glimpse of Nina Mae McKinney in the 1935 film, Reckless (starring William Powell and Jean Harlow). The trailer for the film is below:

8. In 1936, McKinney made an uncredited appearance in The Lonely Trail and also appeared in the musical short, The Black Network:

You can find more of Nina Mae McKinney's film credits on IMDb. Below are two additional movie links (both leading to YouTube):

Nina Mae McKinney starred as "Isabelle Walton" in the Sack Amusement Enterprises pictures, The Devil's Daughter (1939).

Nina Mae McKinney played the role of "Rozelia" in Pinky (1949), a 20th Century Fox film.

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Music

Nina Mae McKinney introduced Irving Berlin's "Swanee Shuffle" in Hallelujah!. Watch her lively performance of the tune below:

In the early 1930s (circa 1932), McKinney recorded a few songs with jazz pianist, Garland Wilson's accompaniment. Among the known recordings are "Rhapsody in Love" and "Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day".

You can also hear Nina Mae sing "If You Want My Love, You Gotta Do More Than That". This song can also be heard The Big Broadcast, Volume 9.

Books

Nina Mae McKinney: The Black Garbo is the first--and currently, the only--biography written about Nina Mae McKinney. It was written by famed biographer Stephen Bourne and published in 2011. Mr. Bourne himself has admitted that The Black Garbo wasn't his best work, but again, the biography is still is the first and only attempt at telling Nina Mae McKinney's life story, so far.

Other Books That Mention Nina Mae McKinney:

African American Actresses: The Struggle for Visibility

by Charlene B. Regester

(I had the pleasure of reading this book in college, it's a great read!)

Every Step a Struggle: Interviews with Seven Who Shaped the African-American Image in Movies

by Frank Manchel

Toms, coons, mulattoes, mammies, and bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films

by Donald Bogle

In the Media

Magazine Articles

"A Jungle Lorelei" (Photoplay - July 1929)
Yep. That's the title. Writer Herbert Howe wrote an article on the 17 year old Nina Mae McKinney for the July 1929 issue of Photoplay magazine (a month before Hallelujah!'s theatrical release). Click with caution--the actual article gets no better than its title.

"Ex-actress Nina Mae McKinney trying to peddle her life story to a book publisher..." (Jet magazine - February 13, 1958)

Nina Mae McKinney to break in a new act on a USO tour of Japan... (Jet magazine - February 4, 1954)

Newspaper Articles

"Nina Mae McKinney Libeled in Nasty Magazine Article"
(The Afro American - March 29, 1930)

"Miss Nina Mae McKinney"
(A photo of Nina Mae McKinney applying the last touches to her makeup in the July 27, 1935 issue of The Afro American)

"Nina Mae Tires of Playing "Hell-Cat" Roles, Now She's a Lady in Revue"
(The Afro American - September 7, 1935)

"A Talk With Nina Mae McKinney"
(The Age - September 25, 1937)

"Nina Mae McKinney, star of early theatre, buried"
(An obituary in the May 20, 1967 issue of The Afro American)

Interesting Finds

Did you know that Nina Mae McKinney was the leader of an orchestra at one point in her career? Read more about it in Swing City: Newark Nightlife, 1925-1950 by Barbara J. Kukla.

(From I'll Keep You Posted)

From Family Search:

Passenger List from Le Havre, France to New York (March 11, 1931)

As a child, Nina lived with her "Aunt Carrie" while her parents moved to New York. I believe this may be a record of who "Nannie Mayme" lived with as a kid. The woman of the house is listed as "Galie McKinney"--perhaps Carrie's name was accidentally heard as "Galie"?

McKinney was briefly married to trombonist Jimmy Monroe in the 1930s. This may be a record of their marriage.

Based on previously shared news articles, Nina Mae McKinney lived with her parents (specifically noted, her mother) for a long time. When her mother passed away in 1962, she was living with her. Here is a 1940 Census record that may list Nina as the "daughter" of James Maynor and Georgia Crawford. Many online sources state that Nina Mae's father was Hal McKinney, leading me to believe that her mother may have remarried at some point.

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I hope you find this appreciation post to be quite an educational one! Please, feel free to share!

Also, please check out Guest Blogger, HepClassic's, birthday tribute to Ms. Nina Mae McKinney: "Nina Mae McKinney: Vivacious Lady".

That's OLD News! (#14)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 15:00:00 +0000

Here's a little something different for this month's installment of "That's OLD News!".

1929 (Lupe Vélez in The Pittsburgh Press)

1935: (Nina Mae McKinney in The Afro American)

1946 (Theresa Harris in The Afro American)

1955 (Kim Winona in Spokane Daily Chronicle)

1957: (James Edwards in Reading Eagle)

Star of the Month (June 2015): Nina Mae McKinney

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 14:00:00 +0000

I am more than excited to announce Nina Mae McKinney as June 2015's "Star of the Month".

One of my favorite actresses! I've written quite a few posts about her or including her, but I'm very excited to dedicate an entire month (her birth month) to her and her work.

Posts

"Happy Birthday, Nina Mae McKinney! (Appreciation Post)"

"Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#1)"

"Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#2)"

"Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#3)"

"Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#4)"

Paul Winfield: Eloquent Sketcher - a post by HepClassic

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Fri, 29 May 2015 16:31:00 +0000

Last week, guest blogger, HepClassic shared a touching post in honor of the late, great, and criminally unsung actor, Paul Winfield (who would have turned 76 on May 22nd). Here is an excerpt:

"Paul Winfield gave life to dramatic arguments for equality throughout his entire career, and whose performances put a human face to the many stories we deny and continue to deny today. His, like so many others, is an American story. He is a classic movie star in the truest sense, but since we deny these stories as equally important as the stories of James Stewart and Anthony Perkins, as we deny the stories of experience and the validity of them in our real life, one has to wonder when we can address these irrattional fears, include an “other” person’s narrative as important as someone who is not. The disregard, the suppression of facts, and the constant dismissal and degradation of Americans of color have to stop if we dare move this country forward, because “restoring” America to its previous self of social inequality will not do us any good. Behind every misconstrued stereotype and falsehood, lies a human face. Maybe it’s time we accept Paul Winfield for the star that he is, and for the American he was."

Wow!

Click here to read HepClassic's post in its entirety.

Happy Belated Birthday to the legendary Paul Winfield!

From NNDb

"Lena Horne: The Voice of Victory" - a post by HepClassic

noreply@blogger.com (Adrienne) — Sat, 09 May 2015 17:52:00 +0000

Today marks five years since we lost one of entertainment's greatest treasures, Ms. Lena Horne.

People of Color in Classic Film

A Farewell from Adrienne, Moderator of POC in Classic Film

Theresa Harris in "Tell No Tales" (1939)

Theresa Harris Appreciation (Movies Online)

That's OLD News! (#15) - Theresa Harris & Co-Stars

Theresa Harris Bio (Star of the Month, Sept. 2015)

Star of the Month (September 2015): Theresa Harris

Explanation

Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#4)

Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#3)

Racebent Classics -- featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#2)

Double Post! - by HepClassic

Racebent Classics - featuring Nina Mae McKinney (#1)

Happy Birthday, Nina Mae McKinney! (Appreciation Post)

That's OLD News! (#14)

Star of the Month (June 2015): Nina Mae McKinney

Paul Winfield: Eloquent Sketcher - a post by HepClassic

"Lena Horne: The Voice of Victory" - a post by HepClassic

Merle Oberon stands alone...

That's OLD News! (#13)

Merle Oberon in Comedies (Star of the Month - April 2015)

Merle Oberon Appreciation Post

Thoughts on Romeo y Julieta (1943) - Starring Cantinflas

That's Old News! (#12)

Star of the Month (April 2015): Merle Oberon

Cantinflas gets physical in 'Gran Hotel'...too physical.