Friday, February 26, 1999
Hollywood figures erase acting barriers
FILM: African Americans fight for exposure within movie
industry, unstereotypical parts
By Terry Tang
Daily Bruin Contributor
African Americans have always played a huge part in the
movie-going population. Yet, it took many decades of determined,
African American actors and filmmakers to convince a prejudiced,
mainstream Hollywood that on screen, as well as off, black is
beautiful.
Although today’s studios count on leading African American stars
such as Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson to draw in
audiences and box office dollars, the pre-civil rights era shows a
stark contrast. Stuck in a catch-22, African American actors rarely
got exposure in the predominantly white Hollywood films. African
Americans, moreover, usually were offered to play characters such
as the loyal servant or the butt of the jokes.
But, the treatment of aspiring African American actors in show
business was no laughing matter. Many African American entertainers
who had the charisma of a Liz Taylor or a Cary Grant and refused to
play stereotypes often lost out on ethnic and non-ethnic roles to
their white counterparts. Some African American personalities will
forever stand out in Tinseltown’s black history as pioneers.
Whether it was by humanizing their static characters or simply
speaking out against racism, several African American actors helped
break down racial barriers. Here are just some of the diamonds in
the rough.
Hattie McDaniel (1895-1952):
Before stepping in front of the camera, McDaniel was one of the
first African Americans to sing on the radio in 1915 as a vocalist
in Professor George Morrison’s Negro Orchestra in Denver, Co. After
her first acting gig as a maid in "The Golden West," McDaniel was
frequently typecast as a servant in many of her movies. The actress
was still able to bring depth and feistiness to her lady-in-waiting
roles and garnered the most attention of any African American
showbiz figure from the mainstream and black press.
The actress undoubtedly made history in 1939 by being the first
African American actor to be nominated and to win the Academy Award
for her supporting role as Mammy in "Gone With the Wind." Amidst
the controversy, McDaniel gracefully accepted her Oscar and saw her
win as indicative of an age when all African American children
could "aim high and work hard."
Paul Robeson (1898-1976):
Born the son of an ex-slave, Robeson was the first in his family
to go to college. Also a graduate from Columbia University’s law
school, Robeson quit his law career after finding the racist
atmosphere intolerable.
With his eloquence and natural warmth, Robeson decided to
venture on to the stage. As a result, he became the first African
American to play Shakespeare’s Othello with an all-white cast,
winning critical raves in both London and U.S. productions. And as
the deckhand Joe in the theatrical and film incarnations of "Show
Boat," Robeson turned the tune "Ol’ Man River" into his signature
song. But, beyond entertaining, the actor became an outspoken,
left-wing protester of racial prejudice and publicly embraced
communism. Besides refusing to sing in front of segregated
audiences, Robeson used his clout to urge Congress to outlaw racial
barriers in major league baseball. Although the entertainer spent
the last part of his life black-listed for his pro-Communism
speeches, he left an admirable legacy as a bold adversary of
hate.
Dorothy Dandridge (1923-1965):
Beyond possessing sex appeal that rivaled Marilyn Monroe’s, this
mixed beauty had genuine talent. But, as an African American
actress vying for roles in a time prior to the civil rights
movement, Dandridge found it frustrating to encounter prejudice at
every turn in order to land any challenging film roles. But in
1954, Dandridge made African Americans and whites sit up and take
notice in the cinematic opera "Carmen Jones." Her performance as
the title character made her the first bi-racial actor to earn an
Academy Award nomination.
More than just a Hollywood starlet, Dandridge also won the
limelight as the headline singer in nightclubs in big cities such
as New York and Las Vegas. Ironically, the actress was not allowed
to stay overnight in the very hotels she performed in.
In spite of dying from a barbiturate overdose at 42, Dandridge
is still a legend in her own right. Her life story, starring Halle
Berry, will be brought to HBO later this year and has provoked
interest from the likes of Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and
Vanessa Williams.
Lena Horne (1917-present): Before becoming one of the top female
jazz artists of all time, the music icon ventured from her native
Brooklyn toward Hollywood in the early 1940s to pursue acting. In
meetings with MGM studio heads, Horne initiated her own protest by
openly refusing to play the stereotypical African American
housekeeper, which appeared to be the only type of character
available. As a result, many of her film stints were more like
brief cameos which made editing them for white audiences easier.
Horne still gained cinematic praise for her acting and singing in
the movies "Cabin in the Sky," "Stormy Weather," and "Till the
Clouds Roll By," and became an instant sex symbol for African
Americans and whites.
Horne, united with the NAACP, took advantage of her fame and
traveled throughout the South during the civil rights era to preach
for equal rights. The songstress applied her principle of
color-blindness to her personal life as well. In 1950, the blues
diva publicly announced her three-year marriage to Lennie Hayton, a
colleague at MGM who was white and was alienated by the Hollywood
industry. Despite being outcasts, their marriage endured until
Hayton’s death in 1971.
Esther Rolle (1920-1998):
Probably best known for defining the African American family
matriarch, Rolle commanded the small screen in the 1970s in Norman
Lear’s "Maude" and its spin-off, "Good Times," which centered on
her "Maude" character, hardworking housekeeper Florida Evans.
Although the Emmy-winning actress had a passion for drama that
touched back to her youthful start on the New York theatre stage,
Rolle constantly paid attention to how African Americans were being
portrayed. For example, before "Good Times" began filming, Rolle
readily insisted to the show’s producers that Florida not be
another single, African American mother. The powers- that be
listened to Rolle and wrote a devoted husband into the sitcom.
Her authoritative pluck also won parts in an impressive array of
films, including "Driving Miss Daisy," "How to Make An American
Quilt" and Spike Lee’s "Rosewood." And while battling diabetes
within the last six months of her life, Rolle managed to watch her
last performance in Maya Angelou’s "Down in the Delta." The
actress, as evidence of her fighting spirit, was still reading
scripts up to her death.
Harry Belafonte (1927-present):
To younger generations, he is just the guy who sang that snappy
"Banana Boat Song (Day-O)." But, for many people, the name Harry
Belafonte is attributed with acting, activism and good will.
Perhaps a sign of his long list of accolades to come, Belafonte
won a 1953 Tony Award for his first Broadway performance in the
musical "John Murray Anderson’s Almanac." Soon after, he made his
first film, "Bright Road" along side Dorothy Dandridge, his future
co-star in "Carmen Jones." As her friend and fellow thespian,
Belafonte sympathized with her plight of being African American and
female in Hollywood.
Dandridge wasn’t the only person who influenced Belafonte’s
desire to combat racism. His close friendship with Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. deepened the entertainer’s dedication to march on
Washington for civil rights, regardless of the possible damage to
his career. Belafonte’s efforts also earned an appointment by
President John F. Kennedy as cultural advisor to the Peace
Corps.
Meanwhile, the ’50s and ’60s also saw Belafonte as the first
African American television producer and the first African American
performer to grab an Emmy Award.
Soon approaching 71, the UNICEF ambassador is still going
strong. After returning in 1995 from a 20-year break from film in
the little-watched "White Man’s Burden" opposite John Travolta,
Belafonte is currently doing double-duty, acting and producing.
Now, that’s power.Black History Month
UCLA Film and Television Archive
Princess Kouka stars as Gara and Paul Robeson stars as Jericho
Jackson in the 1973 film "Jercho."
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