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tcm · 3 years

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Pioneering Black Actors of Hollywood By Susan King

Clarence Muse and Rex Ingram by Susan King Thirty years ago, the legendary Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier reflected on the Black performers who paved the way for him in the Los Angeles Times: “The guys who were forerunners to me, like Canada Lee, Rex Ingram, Clarence Muse and women like Hattie McDaniel, Louise Beavers and Juanita Moore, they were terribly boxed in. They were maids and stable people and butlers, principally. But they, in some way, prepared the ground for me.”

Poitier prepared the ground for such contemporary Black actors and directors currently in competition during the 2021 awards season such as Regina King and Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami), Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods), the late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday) and Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah).

But it is imperative to remember the veterans from the 1930s-1960s who tried to break out of stereotypes and maintain dignity at a time when Hollywood wanted to “box” them in.

Clarence Muse

Muse appeared in countless Hollywood films often uncredited. And as Donald Bogle points out in his book Hollywood Black, Muse spoke his mind to directors if he felt he was being pushed around or when his characters were stereotypes. Bogle stated, “At another time when Muse questioned the actions of his character in director King Vidor’s 1935 Old South feature SO RED THE ROSE, Vidor recalled that Muse was quite vocal in expressing his concerns. A change was made. Vidor could not recall exactly what the issue was, but he never forgot Muse’s objection.”

The 1932 pre-Code crime drama Night World screened at the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival to a standing-room only crowd. The film stars Lew Ayres, Boris Karloff and Muse as the doorman at a club owned by Karloff. The audience was surprised that such a stereotypical role was anything but thanks to Muse’s poignant performance. Instead of being forced to be the comic relief, Muse’s Washington is a man worried about his wife’s surgery at a local hospital. Though his boss doesn’t treat him as an equal—after all it is 1932—Karloff’s Happy shows general concern toward Washington.

Muse, said Bogle, “also worked in race movies, where he realized there was still a real chance for significant roles and narratives.” One such was BROKEN STRINGS (’40), which he also co-wrote. It’s certainly not a great film, but Muse gives a solid turn as a famed Black violinist who wants his young son to follow in his footsteps. But the son wants to play swing with his violin.

Muse, who was a graduate of Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, also co-wrote the Louis Armstrong standard “Sleepy Time Down South.” In the 1920s, he worked at two Harlem theater companies, Lincoln Players and Lafayette Players, and 23 years later he became the first African American Broadway director with Run Little Chillun. He continued to act, appearing in Poitier’s directorial debut BUCK AND THE PREACHER (’72), CAR WASH (’76) and THE BLACK STALLION (’79) and was elected to the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973. He died one day before his 90th birthday in 1979.

Rex Ingram

Tall and imposing, Ingram had a great presence on the big screen and a rich melliferous voice. No wonder his best-known role was as the gigantic Genie in the bottle in Alexander Korda’s lavish production of THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (’40). Born in 1895, he began his film career in movies such as Cecil B. DeMille’s THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (’23). Ingram also has the distinction of playing God in THE GREEN PASTURES (’36) and Lucifer Jr. both on Broadway in 1940 and in the 1943 film adaptation of the musical CABIN IN THE SKY.

Ingram also brought a real humanity to his role as the slave Jim in MGM’s disappointing THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN (’39), starring a miscast Mickey Rooney, who was way too old at 19 to play the part. Ingram, though, breaks your heart when he talks to Huck about how his dream is to earn enough money to buy his freedom so he could join his wife and child living in a free state. And when he runs away, Ingram explains to Huck why he had to flee the widow Douglas: “If one of them slave traders got me, I never would get to that free state. I would never see my wife, or little Joey.”

He also is superb in Frank Borzage’s noir MOONRISE (’48) as Mose Johnson, the friend of the murderer’s son Danny (Dane Clark), who lives in a shack in the wilderness with his coonhounds. Noble and thoughtful, Mose is the film’s conscience and helps guide Danny to do the right thing after he kills a bully (Lloyd Bridges) in self-defense.

Ingram was one of the busiest Black actors at the time and at one point even served on the Board of the Screen Actors Guild. But the same year MOONRISE was released, he was arrested and pleaded guilty for transporting an underage girl from Kansas to New York. He served a prison sentence and for a long time his career was derailed. He even lost his home. Though his film career was never the same upon his release, he worked in TV and on the Broadway stage, appearing in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and died in 1969 at 73 shortly after doing a guest shot on NBC’s The Bill Cosby Show.

Ernest Anderson

Anderson never achieved the notoriety of Muse and Ingram, but the actor gave an extraordinary performance in the Bette Davis-Olivia de Havilland melodrama IN THIS OUR LIFE (’42) directed by John Huston. Born in 1915, Anderson earned his BA at Northwestern University in drama and speech. He was recommended for his role in the movie by Davis, who saw the young man working at the commissary on the Warner Bros.’ lot.

Anderson plays Parry, the son of the Davis-de Havilland family’s maid who aspires to be a lawyer. Davis’ spoiled rotten Stanley Timberlake gets drunk, and while driving she kills someone in a hit-and-run accident. Stanley throws Parry under the bus telling authorities he was the one driving the car.

Initially, the script depicted Parry in much more stereotypical terms, but Anderson went to Huston and discussed why he wanted to play the character with dignity and intelligence. Huston agreed. And for 1942, it’s rather shocking to see a studio film look at racism as in the scene where Parry tells de Havilland’s Roy why he wants to be an attorney:

“Well, you see, it’s like this, Miss Roy: a white boy, he can take most any kind of job and improve himself. Well, like in this store! Maybe he can get to be a clerk or a manager. But a colored boy, he can’t do that. He can keep a job, or he can lose a job. But he can’t get any higher up. So, he’s got a figure out something he can do that no one can take away. And that’s why I want to be a lawyer.”

Needless to say, such monologues were cut when the movie was shown in the South. Despite strong reviews for his performance, Anderson never got another role with so much substance. But he continued working through the 1970s and died in 2011 at the age of 95.

#Clarence Muse #Rex Ingram #Ernest Anderson #Bette Davis #Warner Bros #Black actors #Hollywood Black #TCM #Turner Classic Movies #black representation #Susan King

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beverlysimp · 2 years

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⚠️ SPOILERS FOR SCREAM FIVE ARE BELOW ⚠️

ok so like the movie was ok

so they kinda danced on the fact that Sam is billy loomis’ kid for the entire film and I wanna know who the mom is like rn

also no hate to that actress who played Sam but ion think she was the right person for this film

i thought that Jenna Ortega did a good job acting but it was a lot more of heavy breathing and not like whimpering and other shit you do when hurt

um I like that that liv girl died bc she was pretty damn annoying and the Vince dude

i think everyone kinda knew that Richie was gonna be a killer but at the same time I really liked him

amber was easy to tell from the start bc she was just so controlling but like there was no way she would be able to take out Wes and the jock dude but she somehow managed to take out dewey (ion rly understand that)

both amber and richie’s motives were like the same as mikey’s in the 2 movie and bc of there motives that it’s just for a sequel or requel that is how you can tell that they are real psychopaths bc their motive was just for another movie

um ion like the fact that Richie is like probs 22 and amber and is like 17-18 bc at the end it kinda sounds like they are dating cause they keep saying baby and honey and shit like how tf did they meet (I’m gonna say it was bc of a fandom website or sum) it’s not that I think its weird to be dating and be a couple years apart but if amber rly was that young than to me it kinda is (plus it would be illegal if she was actually 17)

I rly don’t like that it was gale and Sidney that killed amber cause it was basically two 40 or 50 year olds killing a child that just didn’t sit right with me

i literally loved the randy meeks memorial and they brought back Martha Meeks like AHHHHHH😻

I love that mindy (the girl twin) was like totally obsessed with how to analyze all the movie stuff like randy

i especially love that one line where dewey is like “your all suspects“ in a serious tone and shit and then there comes Martha saying “randy would be so proud“ like oml 😃

i also hate that they killed dewey cause him and randy were always my favorites BUT ig all main characters have to die eventually

i def liked that Sam didn’t doubt her sister and still untied her (like she did for a second but like who would put themselves through that much pain just to kill a couple ppl)

i like that most of the deaths were pretty gruesome

that part where Sam saw the knife and was gonna kill Richie my dumbass seriously thought she was going for the umbrella like in the first movie where sid killed billy 😭

amber, Richie, mindy, and Wes were my favorites (ik two of them are killers sadly)

mindy seems to be apart of the lgbtq community bc she was making out with a girl (doesn’t rly say anything abt being gay or sum tho) and she was wearing a gay heart pin (ion know if shes gay, lesbian, pan, bi, ect.)

I am in love with mindy ngl 😋

that little scene where mindy is holding a thumbs up to her brother when they are getting the medical help is just adorable

I WAS ALSO MADLY IN LOVE WITH WES BUT THEY HAS TO KILL HIM AND I WAS SO MAD I MEAN I KINDA SAW IT COMING BUT LIKE C’MON MAN 😡

ALSO WES’ MOM WAS JUST TRYING TO PROTECT HER SON LIKE THAT WAS A VERY SAD DEATH

and the house they used for the movie didn’t rly look like the original one (ion rly expect them to have actually used the original one anyway)

I ALSO WISH THAT STU COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE MOVIE ION KNOW IF IT WAS SUM WITH THE ACTOR BEING BUSY BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL TO SEE HIM

and how the hell would anyone like actually know that sam‘s father was billy like gosh dang did her mom say stuff when she was drunk or did Sam tell richie and he told amber or probably sum like that

overall the movie was ok and I’m rly gonna blame this on the writers bc I swear after the third scream the writers kinda got sloppy

AND ALSO IM SORRY IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ME ON ANY OF THESE ITS JUST MY OPINION PLS DONT GET MAD

#scream #scream 5 #gale weatherspoon #Sidney Prescott #Mindy Meeks #Wes hicks #martha meeks #dwight Dewey Riley #deputy dewey #Ghostface

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hamburgerhelpersotherhand · 4 years

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Could you write an imagine were Yandere Randy Meeks being obsessed with an GN actor that stars in horror movies mostly?. He has posters , magazines of photoshoots that the reader has been in .Also he owns every movie that they've been in.

The reader goes to his school ,but since they're even more popular than Billy and Stu ,they never talk. One day the reader goes to one of Stu's parties , Randy finds the reader making out with Tatum (who is single)

I hope you accept my request!!!

Thank you for requesting! I’m really into Scream so, of course I’m jumping on any opportunity to write about it 😔💝

It’s cut pretty short but I hope it still meets your expectations 💕

Warnings: Stalking, mentioned non-con, and loose ending.

You weren’t a big name out there— in Hollywood- but you were the biggest name in Woodsboro.

You were this small town’s very own celebrity and you were one of the good ones, too. Not like those who move to big cities to follow even bigger dreams, no. You always came back for the new semester and you always stayed humble.

It’s admirable, really. And that’s just what Randy Meeks is doing... admiring. He’s a cinephile, after all. A movie buff. He’s gotta see every film at least once before he dies, so it’s a no brainer he’d see yours eventually.

You’re a horror actor. One the studio picked up to surprise audiences— nobody suspects the unknown actor to be the last one standing, after all. And holy shit do you look good covered in blood.

When your movies were turned into vhs tapes, Randy stocked them on the shelves of the local video store he somehow still worked at. He’d pocket a copy every time. You never stepped foot in there, to no surprise. During the fall season, your face was plastered on nearly every surface. It would creep him out too, if he was you.

Randy doesn’t read much, but he grew an unhealthy habit of buying any magazine that would simply mention your name. The teen issues always had posters. He liked those, but he enjoyed the exclusive photoshoots even more. They were mainly to promote the movies you starred in, but boy were they something else. You just can’t get away with the same stuff on a magazine poster. He kept those under his bed. To, you know... admire. But— you- you were never suggestive in any of them. The real teasing was from the movies themselves.

On a particularly cool night, Stu decided to host a party. Randy almost declined his invitation, ready to stay home and binge a series he’d seen more than once, until he heard you were making an appearance at the Macher residence. He doesn’t know how you had agreed to any of it— you always seemed like the type to avoid parties and you didn’t know a single person from his circle- but he was all for it. There was no other greater opportunity to approach you than that very night.

The party started off slow, not a lot of people were keen on arriving early (or while the sun was still up), but sure enough the number of guests soon snowballed. Randy had spotted you when you had arrived and kept his eyes glued to your head. You were greeted by so many people, it was almost impossible to miss.

Randy took a swig of his beer.

Tatum split from her friend Sidney quick and approached you quicker. Her hands were all over you in a second, dragging you around the house. It was supposedly to show you around, but Randy didn’t feel good about it.

He followed at a distance, pretending to converse with Stu’s other friends.

Tatum was basically glued to you the entire night, giving Randy no room to get you alone. It made him want to squeeze his glass bottle ‘til it popped.

Before he knows it, you’re drunk and she’s sitting you on the couch.

At this point, people had started to leave. Things were settling and Stu wanted to pop in a movie while everyone else finished up the snacks.

As Stu was fiddling with the VHS, Randy watched Tatum gradually get closer and closer. Way too close.

You both lean in... and there’s a peck.

Randy has a white knuckle grip on his drink as he watches with widened eyes. He’s mad.

Sidney grabs his arm, only partially taking his attention off of the events unfolding on the couch.

“Have you seen Tatum?” Sidney asks him.

Randy points with his drink and Sidney spots the two of you getting a little too comfortable out in the open.

She sighs and pulls on his arm again.

“Could you drive me home? Tatum was my ride.”

“I hitched a ride with Stu. Don’t have a car.” Randy replies in an almost whispery fashion. He wouldn’t want to drive Sidney home anyway, not when Tatum is taking advantage of you like that. It boils his blood to see it, but he hasn’t the courage to intervene.

Stu finally gets a movie playing and snatches the remote. He plops down on the sofa, right next to the couch where you and Tatum are having your disgusting little make-out session.

It’s not the beginning of the film, actually very close to the end. The scene... he’s watched your films so many times that he recognizes it almost immediately and it would seem you do too.

You pull away from Tatum, while she attacks your neck with love-bites, and watch the screen.

The scene before you is from a movie you’ve starred in. And it seems to be making you uncomfortable.

“Oh, that’s in poor taste.” Sidney says, watching the television.

The contents of the scene are very graphic, Randy would even go as far as to say the implications at the end are even worse. But... the sequel lets you make it out alive, give or take a couple sanity points.

Stu sees your discomfort and laughs.

“Look at the way the big bad groped you! Doesn’t feel like acting to me.”

“Stu, leave them alone. You’re making things weird.” Tatum speaks out, probably because Stu’s butting into her kissing session.

All the while Randy is watching your reaction to the screen. You genuinely look hurt as you watch the scene play, it makes him wonder what really happened on set.

“I’m going home.” You finally state and Randy’s heart starts beating again.

Tatum whines, tells you she’s sorry about Stu and Stu just gives you a haunting grin. Sidney doesn’t talk to you, just waves, and neither does Randy, though he doesn’t wave. They then watch you get up, grab your coat, and leave.

But, this is his chance. Randy could approach you right now and comfort you. Could he do that? Does he know how to comfort someone right now? He’s not sure but, a couple minutes after you leave, he tells everyone he’ll be right back.

On his way out the door, he wonders if he’s a bad liar.

#ghostface x reader #yandere x reader #yandere #ghostface #randy meeks x reader #randy Meeks #stu macher #ask

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cecilspeaks · 4 years

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172 - Return of the Obelisk

“Nothing lasts forever” is a phrase with two meanings, and they’re both true. Welcome to Night Vale.

All of Night Vale is aglow. There is music in the air. You know what that means, listeners: the Obelisk has returned. It’s been nearly 8 years since the Obelisk last appeared, but it’s right back where it always shows up, in Mission Grove Park over on the east side, right next to the Wailing Pit. But a little bit south of the Memorial Debris Heap. The Obelisk returns every 5 to 10 years, sometimes as long as 50, and it brings with it joy, anticipation, and a deep fear. A terror so deep in the gut that it feels like you’ve eaten too much ice cream, but in all reality, your body is simply bracing itself for death. The Obelisk has always behaved benevolently, but so hast he sun, and we don’t trust that thing fully either, so I dunno. Past performance is not an indicator of future results. Unlike the sun, the Obelisk radiates a soft blue light, but like the sun, the Obelisk makes a lot of noise. In particular, music. The obelisk sounds like a Bach concerto played like a French horn and a theramine from inside a refrigerator. Everyone in town is gathering at Mission Grove Park to see the Obelisk in person, to pay homage to this rare visit, and to confront their fears head on. Hopefully everything works out fine, because there are some cool events I want to get to this weekend, and it would be terrible to have to cancel them over a rogue obelisk.

Let’s take a look at the community calendar, shall we? This Friday night is opening night of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony-winning musical “Sunset Boulevard” at the Night Vale Community Theatre. I’m very excited to finally see this show, it’s supposed to be a really lavish production, too. And it’s based on one my all time favorite Billy Wilder films about an aging silent movie star who finds an amulet that lets her travel in time, but whenever she moves through time, she enters someone else’s body and can’t leave until she saves her life. This staging of “Sunset Boulevard” is directed and produced by… oh my god, Susan Willman?? Really? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrhooonestly, this has been a pretty long week and Iiii might need to just rest at home on Friday. I mean I’m not trying to be rude here, but Susan Willman is the worst! Did you know she once judged the chili cook-off, and I came in third? Third! Behind Joel Eisenberg, which is fine, Joel’s an OK cook, but also behind who else? Susan Willman! You can’t be a judge and win first place. I’m also pretty sure Susan used a prepackaged spice mix in that chili. [laughs oddly] I don’t have that verified through a secondary source, but I can confirm, it was oversalted, again. I’m not saying, I’m just saying. Anyway, go see “Sunset Boulevard” on Friday if you want to watch uninspired actors and muddled blocking.

Saturday afternoon is the PTA bake sale fundraiser to send our Academic Decathlon team to a tournament in our state’s capital. The PTA secretary… [sighs] Susan WiIlman, says this money will go toward hotel and bus travel for our brilliant and talented Ac-Dec squad. “Academic Decathlon is about intelligence and perseverance,” says Willman in this overwrought press release. “Ac-Dec is about freedom and fastidiousness. It is a celebration of hard work, and we want Night Vale to show the rest of the state that blah blah blah blah blah,” God she just runs on! I mean yes, Ac-Dec is very cool and I wish our kids well. But chill with the grandstanding! Anyway, go buy a cake to support those amazing students, even though I’m sure Susan will still manage to mess up a box mix.

Sunday is Youth Reprogramming Day at the Night Vale Museum of Forbidden Technologies. Does your child love learning about new gadgets and advancements in technology? Well, come on down to the Museum of Forbidden Technologies on Sunday for a day-long reprogramming event. Docents and curators will engage those curious kids through hands-on unlearning. They’ll take their patented mindwipe beam and point it right at each child’s forehead until all interest in forbidden technology has been removed. Kids love the mindwipe beam, because it smells like grapes, and they don’t feel any pain for weeks after. Youth Reprogramming Day is a family friendly day of discovering that you know too much, and knowledge is treason.

Today’s appearance by the Obelisk is the 19th in recorded history. Little is known about what the Obelisk is, who controls it, or what it wants. Most scientists and historians agree that it was created by subterranean gods millennia ago, and they think its purpose is a type of census for life at ground level. The Obelisk is about 25 feet tall, it is oily and soft like a fresh brick of parmesan cheese, and when it appears, everyone in town carves their name into one of its four sides. We do not know why or when this practice began, it’s simply how it’s always been done. And to question tradition is to admit weakness. When the Obelisk eventually disappears, perhaps today, perhaps several days from now, it will take our names with it. And when it returns, those names will be gone and we will begin the tradition anew. No one knows what happens to those names. Are they simply erased, or are they read and recorded? Is this data mining for some ancient technology startup, or does the Obelisk truly belong to the gods? We only know what happens to one of the names carved on the Obelisk, and for that person, we feel both envy and pity. For while the Obelisk has always behaved benevolently, past performance et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Let’s have a look now at traffic. Route 800 is shut down until 4 PM today, as it has turned into a river. No cars are on Route 800, it’s just water. Rough and choppy, spiking white rapid caps atop nearly black rushing death. Highway officials are investigating the sudden appearance of this river, perfectly overlaying our main thoroughfare in and out of town. Beneath the quickly moving rush of the river, a single fish, probably a bass of some sort. Highway officials are uncertain because they don’t think about fish. Why would they? Highway officials are annoyed that you think so little of their awareness of fish species. They can tell a salmon from a marlin from a mackerel. “See what you made us do?” one highway official said. “We could have been repairing route 800, but you started picking on us for not knowing if that’s a bass or a mackerel or a whatnot. In fact,” the official continued, “we just looked it up on Wikipedia and it’s a bass. And fun fact,” they added, “did you know that bass can grow up to 25 pounds, have four rows of human teeth, and speak Spanish at a first grade level?” The river is now branching out down sides of streets and into neighborhoods. Pavement everywhere is a network of fresh water capillaries through town. Expect delays of up to 10 or 20 minutes, as you try to get to Mission Grove Park. This has been traffic.

The whole town feels like a carnival now with the flashing lights of the Obelisk and it’s crescendo of lively music filling the cool twilight air. We dance, we sing, we revel in togetherness and share our fears of what will happen next. What will the question be? And more importantly, what will be its answer? When every name has been placed upon the Obelisk, then the blue glow of the towering monolith will die away. The entire structure will turn black. All except one name. One name will remain lit on the Obelisk, and that person shall be sent forth to ask their question. They may ask any question they choose and the Obelisk will tell them and only them the answer. No one else will hear this communication. If the receiver wishes to share what they now know, they are allowed to do so.

Many years back, this ritual was more organized. Early Night Vale townships planned a democratic approach to this opportunity: a committee of the Obelisk was formed to decide on the single most important question to ask. This approach came about in response to the super blunder of 1932, when a 6-year-old boy named Bartholomew Thomason was chosen to deliver the question. He asked the Obelisk if he was, quote, “gonna have corn for dinner”. The obelisk apparently said no, because little Bart started crying and the Obelisk quickly disappeared, not to return for almost 10 years. By that time, the committee of the Obelisk was established and they chose the question: “how do you cure cancer?” Ah, this is a good and noble question. But the citizen chosen by the Obelisk was a farmer named Barry McKenney, who tried his best to take careful notes, but a lot of the detailed medical jargon was just too complex for him. The committee tried this question again 6 years later, but the Obelisk refused to respond to any question it had already answered. So Sidney Laynord of Old Time Night Vale, not having a backup question from the committee, asked if his wife Jessica was cheating on him with Gerald Framingham, and the Obelisk said no, but it only said that because Gerald’s actual last name was Framington, so Sidney just messed up.

Over the decades, the committee of the Obelisk asked: “Is God real”? And the Obelisk said yes, but nothing more. After that, they tried to ask questions that would elicit more detailed response. Um, one year they asked: “who planned the assassination of JFK?” and were disappointed to learn that it was a CIA - Fidel Castro – Frank Sinatra triumvirate that conspired to murder our 35th president. This was the most boring answer, but at least it verified what everyone already knew.

By the 1990’s, though, the committee of the Obelisk had kind of fallen out of fashion after years of corporate funding and corruption. See, this controversy exploded in 1997, when the question put forth by the committee, which at the time was headed by the CEO of Pepsico, was: “what’s the best tasting carbonated soft drink on the market today?” The Obelisk’s answer, to the chairman’s great disappointment, was Surge. Today, whoever is called on by the Obelisk is given free reign to ask whatever they choose. However many news outlets regularly publish lists of recommended question, but there is always the risk that someone will ask something frivolous like “what’s Jason Mraz up to these days?” or “where is the body of my missing fahter?” Please, God please, just don’t call on Susan Willman. She will blow it.

And now a word from our sponsors. Are you tired of wrinkled shirts? Do your clothes get static cling? [increasingly angry tone] How many times do you show up to work with your shirt all rumpled and not smelling like seafoam mist? You’re not going to get a promotion looking like that, and while no one deserves anything, you certainly should appear to earn that promotion. You need crisp, clean, non-ionised clothing that smells like seafoam mist. Don’t you wanna smell like seafoam mist?! Try Tide pods. With our special formula of citrus extract, kelp and milk fat, Tide pods can be the all natural solution to all of your laundry problems. You deserve Tide pods, because you deserve that promotion over Michaela, who’s only like 22 years old. What has she ever done to deserve a promotion? What’s Michaela’s deal even? Tide pods. Remember when we seemed like a big problem?

Oooooooo listeners, the Obelisk has gone dark. The music has ceased. The whole town encircles the tower waiting for its declaration for who shall ask the question. In the quiet night, under few start peeking thru the purple sky, we can hear only the sounds of crickets. The Obelisk, so black as to appear cut out from reality, suddenly shines a small blue line. It is a name, it is on the south face and is it… Oh no! No no no, listeners, I don’t know if I can stop this but I will try. Uuuh, let’s go now to the weather.

[“Pros and Cons” by Sugar & the Mint https://www.sugarandthemint.com/]

Welllll it’s too late. She’s asked her question. I’m not sure how I could have stopped this disaster, even if I made it over there before she could ask it. OK, as you know by now, the Obelisk lit up with Susan Willman’s name, and she grinned smugly and did that fake like “who me? What, oh my god!” gesture and then walked on up to the Obelisk. The crowd was calling out questions to her like game show audience trying to help a contestant, no single phrase discernible above the others, and Susan just looked around, her big goofy eyes scanning the people around her, as if she would actually lower herself to listen to their questions. [scoffs] She thinks she’s so high and mighty with her PT officer status and her hit Broadway musical. No no no, Susan’s above us all, just as important as she can be. She waved her arms like wings for quiet, and the audience obeyed, she’s so self-important, so attention seeking. And then she asked her question. The one question we as a town get only every decade or so, and Susan said: “Hey, so what’s your name?” What’s your name?!! God! What a waste! Did she forget we only get one question? The crowd began to boo, or at least I did. I started booing and I am part of the crowd.

The obelisk began to speak only into Susan’s mind and Susan listened closely. She giggled at first, like a little girl hearing a silly joke from a grandfather, and then her tear-filled laughs turned into tear-filled breaths, which eventually became tear-filled sobs. After about three minutes, the Obalisk vanished, and Susan stood alone on the small hill between the Wailing Pit and the Memorial Debris Heap, and she told us what she heard. Or [scoffs] she told us some of what she heard.

Susan said, in an unusually booming authoritative voice: “Whosoever speaks aloud the name of the Obelisk shall become the Obelisk. Whosoever becomes the Obelisk shall live forever. Whosoever lives forever shall know all things. Whosoever knows all things shall be damned. And whosoever hears the name of the Obelisk spoken aloud shall perish.” The crowd parted for Susan as she left the park. They mumbled their disappointment in both the question and its answer. Some spoke with pity, some with disdain, while some thought it was all pretty cool and now. “Much better than last time, when Dave asked who would win the 2013 NBA championships,” said one person. “Dave won a lot of money on that answer, though,” responded another. “He has a yacht now over at the Harbor and Waterfront Recreation Area.”

But most everyone whispered their fear for Susan’s power itself. I mean, Susan received a gif today, a cursed cursed gifts. You know what? I think I might go see that “Sunset Boulevard” after all and I love it. I don’t get to tell Susan very often what a visionary theatrical director she is, but I, I, [chuckles] I might even put some stacks down on her cakes Saturday too. Really support that academic Decathlon team. And the spirit of American ingenuity and perseverance, and all that.

Good question, Susan. I’d like to never learn the answer, but good question nonetheless. You’re one of, if not the, best person I know. Thumbs up.

Stay tuned next for our newest game show, “Nothing will ever be the same”.

Good night, Night Vale, Good night.

Today’s proverb: Bite your tongue. Fun, right?

#welcome to night vale #welcome to night vale transripts #wtnv #episode 172 #return of the obelisk

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redshirtgal · 5 years

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So whose job was it to cast all those redshirts (and stunt people) we celebrate here? Who figured out which actors were needed for each scene, which extras needed to be hired (and how much they would get paid) and which props were needed for each scene as it was filmed, in addition to the distributing copies of the scripts to all and sending them updated scripts as needed along with what time everything had to be in place for the cameras? All of these duties and more are usually the job of the second assistant director. The Star Trek set (and those of most television series) needed more than just the main director or even the first assistant because several scenes were usually being filmed at the same time. One of the most personable and popular second assistant directors who worked on the set of The Original Series was a young man by the name of Charlie Washburn. He was also known as “Charlie Star Trek” because one of his duties was to answer the phone on the set. When it rang, he crisply answered “Star Trek - Charlie!” The crew began calling him Charlie Star Trek and it stuck as long as he worked there. The Tennessee native originally wanted to break into writing advertisements. During the the two year program he had entered in Milwaukee, he happened to take a course in television. Charlie became fascinated with all the details of a director’s work and decided that was a far more interesting field. Even though he first began looking for work in television in Chicago and New York (more about that later), he eventually decided to come to Hollywood and enter the Directors Guild program and was accepted.

But before he could graduate, he had to served as an apprentice on an actual set. Luckily for Charlie, he was hired as a trainee on Star Trek for the second season. During his trainee period, he worked under assistant director. (Shapiro had previously worked on My Favorite Martian where he met Billy Blackburn and later he brought him on board The Original Series). Charlie enjoyed Tiger’s sense of humor and learned a lot about making personal connections with both the cast and the crew in addition to all the other duties a second assistant director needed to master. Tiger allowed him to gradually take over more and more of his duties as long as Charlie cleared any changes first. He ended his apprenticeship with over 400 hours of training.

Charlie Washburn graduated at the top of his class, so he did not have any trouble finding work. Star Trek immediately hired him back as a second assistant director. As mentioned previously, the show always needed two second assistant directors so Washburn was able to work alongside his former mentor, Tiger Shapiro, during the third season.

D.C. Fontana interviewed Washburn and another production crew member for an article for Inside Star Trek. Charlie provided many details about his work that he enjoyed, but he said one of the duties he dreaded were the firings. The decision was not his of course, but would get handed down from the producer’s office and it was up to one of the assistant directors to handle the firings professionally. Charlie was involved in the aftermath of the firing of one of the Earp brothers on the set of “ Spectre of the Gun.” Even though someone else had already informed the agent and the actor of the situation, that meant they had to hire a replacement and that was one of the duties of the directors team. When the new actor appeared on the set, Charlie realized he knew him and helped him make the transition as smooth as possible. Although he never mentioned the name of the actor himself, it was later disclosed by Memory Alpha that it was Rex Holman, who played Morgan Earp.

He was always proud of the relationships he had on the set, from the directors on down to the stage hand and electrical workers. Charlie was known and loved by everyone for both his courteous manner and his professionalism. In an article that appeared on the Directors Guild online quarterly newsletter, he was quoted as saying -

"Not a single day passed by that I didn't greet every single crew member by name and ask about their families," he shares. "I'm proud to say I was the first AD to be goosed by an electrician on Star Trek when I was up on the rigging one day putting together the call sheet. After it happened, [gaffer] George Merhoff smiled and said: 'Hey, Charlie. Now you're part of the group.'”

For the same Inside Star Trek article, Washburn submitted one of the call sheets he had written up for a scene in “Plato’s Stepchildren.” This gives the readers an inside look at how much attention to detail a second assistant director had to have as he read the script each day. He needed to be able to anticipate who was needed when and where they needed to be, including make-up call times. Notice since Nimoy, Doohan, and Nichols were the ones who had to be in makeup the earliest, there is a notation in the special instructions that they will be given breakfast that morning. If anyone in the main crew or the guest star had to be on the set at or earlier than 7:30 a.m., that meal was provided. Speaking of breakfasts, providing them (and sometimes delivering them in person) to designated actors was one of Charlie’s duties as a second assistant director. And he had a funny story for that article about the particularly large one that Bill Shatner always ordered. It seems that in contrast to the usual order of one or two eggs, toast or maybe just yogurt, Shatner’s standing order consisted of two scrambled eggs, bacon, grapefruit, wheat toast and a large orange juice. Evidently, unit manager Greg Peters was trying to contain unnecessary costs as much as possible. When he saw the size of that order as compared those of the other cast members, his immediate question was why did Bill need that much for breakfast? Charlie told him there was no way he was going to ask Shatner that question but Greg was welcome to try. And of course, Peters was as reluctant as Charlie was to ask, so he dropped it. But Charlie knew the real reason. Shatner ate the toast and drank the orange juice, his wardrobe man was given the half grapefruit. The rest? That went to his Doberman. Imagine Greg Peters’ reaction if he only knew.

Charles Washburn and Nichelle Nichols were hired during the tumultuous period of the Civil Rights movement of the 60s and the expansion of opportunities for minorities was in its infancy. Charlie often mentioned in interviews that when he first started working for Star Trek in 1967, there were only three black people who were usually on the Desilu set. Himself, Nichelle Nichols, and the guy who ran a food truck in the morning and shined shoes on the lot in the afternoon. Even though he claimed he rarely saw racism on any of the sets he worked on after graduation, Washburn admits it did exist during his time growing up in Tennessee. And an incident in Chicago when he first began looking for AD related work also illustrates the racial bias of the times did not only exist in the South. Some production friends encouraged him to apply for an opening at an NBC affiliate because he was told they were specifically looking for a black in the control room. With high hopes, he went in for an interview, but never heard back. Months later, he called one of those production friends to find out if the job had been filled. He was told no one had been hired. The studio just wanted to be able to say they were encouraging blacks to apply. That was the impetus for his move to Hollywood and his application to the Directors Guild program. Charlie distinguished himself as the first African American to apply and graduate from the program.

Charlie even has a Trek crewman named after him. In “The Doomsday Machine,” we see Lt. Washburn (the science officer above) as part of the landing party investigating what happened to the Constellation. He and two others ran a structural and control damage analysis of the disabled ship, then he was the one who delivered the report to Scotty and Kirk. Coincidentally, Richard Compton (who played Washburn) directed The Next Generation episode “Haven” with Washburn as his first assistant director.

In the latter part of Star Trek’s third season, Charlie received an offer to work on a movie in Jamaica. If he were to stay on until the end of the season, he would miss out. He did the honorable thing and told Gene about the choice he had to make. Gene encouraged him to take the movie offer with his blessings. He told Charlie that if he really thought Star Trek would be renewed for the fourth season, he would not have done so. Gene graciously thanked him for all his contributions.

But his contributions to Star Trek did not end there. Years later, Washburn was one of the production people asked for by Gene Roddenberry to work on his new series, The Next Generation. He served as a first assistant director during the first season. Washburn stayed connected to Star Trek even later, although it was an unofficial Trek fan production. He was hired to work on James Cawley’s Star Trek: New Voyages as the first assistant director of the double episode Blood and Fire which was written by David Gerrold.

After The Original Series ended and his work on that film was finished, Charles Washburn was hired for The Bill Cosby Show as a second assistant director for 19 episodes, then as first assistant director for 16 more. Other TV shows he worked for as a first assistant director were Vega$ (9 episodes) and of course, the previously mentioned Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Charles Washburn also found steady work on movie sets as either a second or first assistant director, including such well known films as Dirty Harry, Sounder, Lady Sings the Blues, and Uptown Saturday Night (as seen above with Sidney Poitier). He was a unit manager for 6 episodes of McMillan and Wife and 2 of The Six Million Dollar Man as well as for the movies Bustin’ Loose and Fly Away Home. Charlie also was the associate producer for one episode of Get Christie Love! He even had a few acting roles squeezed into movies or TV shows he worked with. He was a Papuan in one of his earliest movies, Skullduggery (where he also appeared with Roger C. Carmel) and an intern in Dirty Harry.

But remember his ultimate goal was to be a director. Yet, for all his experience, he never achieved this position. Washburn explained in the Inside Star Trek article that even though it was possible for second assistant directors like him to eventually advance to be an assistant director and then be hired eventually as a director, that was not the only path. Actors often used their own experiences and their relationships to their directors to learn how directing was done. And if someone were highly acclaimed as an actor, name recognition would open many opportunities to leave acting and to immediately begin directing. So progressing from second assistant to first assistant director did not guarantee that person would be hired as a director.

Charlie’s last years were spent at the Screen Actor’s Home in a small apartment. His good friend Larry Nemecek helped him move. But Charlie stayed as active as possible, considering his kidney dialysis treatments. He organized screenings and shows for the residents there as long as he could. But Charlie lost his battle with kidney disease at age 73. Larry Nemecek wrote a very nice memorial article on his blog, complete with some personal photos. Ten months later, Larry Nemecek was contacted by the people responsible for the memorial reel at the Oscars. He handed over all the personal photos he had of Charles Washburn. However since this was for the Oscars, nothing from the years of his work on Star Trek was mentioned. The team decided to use a short clip from Lady Sings the Blues where Charlie was the assistant director and a photo Larry sent in of Charlie sitting at his desk, overflowing with papers and other mementos. The above photo is a clip from that tribute.

#Star Trek TOS #Charlie Washburn #Behind the scenes #Directing

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papermoonloveslucy · 4 years

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Desi’s TOPS Picks!

July 9, 1955

For the July 9, 1955 issue of TV Guide, Desi Arnaz was tasked with picking TOPS - Television’s Own Promising Starlets! Arnaz picked six young women he believed would be popular and successful on television in the years to come. This was a rare time that Lucille Ball was not part of the article, except for her name being dropped as Desi’s original TOPS pick. There is not even a photo of Lucy!

The cover features Clara Ann Fowler (1927-2013), known by her stage name Patti Page, a singer of pop and country music and occasional actress. She was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female artist of the 1950s, selling over 100 million records during a six-decade long career. Page's signature song, "Tennessee Waltz", was one of the biggest-selling singles of the 20th century. Page had three additional #1 hit singles between 1950 and 1953, "All My Love (Bolero)", "I Went to Your Wedding", and "(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window". In 1955, Page was seen in “The Patti Page Show,” her own 15-minute television show and was a frequent musical guest on variety programs.

Here’s a closer look at Desi’s TOPS, along with notes about their career since 1955:

MARJIE MILLAR was born on August 10, 1930 in Tacoma, Washington, as Marjorie Joy Miller. In 1935, she won a Shirley Temple look-alike contest at Tacoma's Roxy Theater over 200 other local contestants. Mogul Hal Wallis took an immediate interest in her. In March 1952 she was named "Miss Hollywood Star of 1952." She was crowned one of Hollywood's new deb stars by Hollywood hair stylists in 1953. She was known for Money from Home (1953) and About Mrs. Leslie (1954). In July 1955 she had just finished two seasons on ABC TV’s Emmy-nominated series “Where’s Raymond?” starring Ray Bolger. After Desi’s recognition, she did the film When Gangland Strikes (1956). She was married to Charles Candoo, John Dennis McCallum, John Florea, and James Sidney Rollins Jr. She died on April 16, 1966 in Coronado, California.

Desilu Connection: On “Where’s Raymond” she acted opposite “I Love Lucy” character actors Elvia Allman, Bobby Jellison, Shirley Mitchell, Verna Felton, Jay Novello, Joi Lansing, and Wil Wright, as well as creative staff Argyle Nelson, Claudio Guzman, and Dann Cahn. The series filmed at General Service Studios, just like “I Love Lucy”.

FRANCES RAFFERTY was born on June 16, 1922 in Sioux City, Iowa. During the Depression her family moved to Los Angeles in search of work. Frances was signed by MGM at the age of 19 and began with a dancing bit in Presenting Lily Mars (1943) starring Judy Garland. She was a war-era cover girl for Yank, the Army weekly. Unable to secure starring parts, Frances remained a B-level co-star. She died in 2004 at age 81.

Desilu Connection: Lucille Ball was instrumental in casting Rafferty in Desilu’s hit sitcom “December Bride” (1954-59), where she played Ruth Henshaw in 156 episodes, including one that starred Desi Arnaz as himself! At MGM, she was in the films Thousands Cheer (1943) and Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945) with Lucille Ball.

VERA MILES (nee Ralston) was born in Boise City, Oklahoma on August 23, 1929. Miles won the title of "Miss Kansas" in 1948, leading soon to small roles in Hollywood films and television. series. The same week this TV Guide hit the stands, she appeared in the film Wichita, starring Joel McRae as Wyatt Earp. Coincidentally, Miles went to high school in Wichita, Kansas. Her main claim to fame was as one of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘blondes’ appearing in Psycho (1960) as Lila Crane, Marion’s sister. Miles also did the 1983 sequel playing the same role.

Desilu Connection: In 1958, Miles did “Mr. Tutt”, an episode of Desilu’s Colgate Theatre, produced by Desi Arnaz. In 1966, Miles appeared on an episode of “The Bob Hope Show” with Lucille Ball.

JEANNE BAIRD was born on March 28, 1927 in Du Bois, Pennsylvania. She got her start in TV’s “The Living Christ” as Martha in 1951.

Desilu Connection: In 1955 she did an episode of “I Married Joan” (NBC’s answer to “I Love Lucy”) which filmed at General Services Studios, same as “Lucy”.

PEGGY KING was born in 1930 and known as "Pretty Perky Peggy King" when she appeared on “The George Gobel Show” (1954-57) and guest-starred on many other TV shows. In 1952, MGM signed her to a contract, which led to a cameo in Vincente Minnelli's The Bad and the Beautiful and a series of commercial jingles for Hunt's tomato sauce. These last brought her to the attention of Mitch Miller, who signed her to a long-term contract, under which she made two best-selling albums. She sang the Oscar-nominated song "Count Your Blessings" on the 1955 Academy Awards telecast, and both Billboard and Down Beat magazine named her Best New Singer of 1955–56. She was nominated for an Emmy in 1955, the same year this TV Guide was published. The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted King into their Hall of Fame in 2010, which led to her resuming her singing career in 2013.

Desilu Connection: There is no known direct connection between King and Lucy and Desi, although both were associated with MGM and Vincente Minnelli. It is likely that Desi is just listening to the Hollywood critics, who praised King highly and predicted she would rival the greats. While she had a moderate success, she never achieved the legendary status of Garland, Shore, Whiting, or Stafford.

VIRGINIA GIBSON was born on April 9, 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri, as Virginia Gorski. In the fall of 1943, she was a dancer in Roll Up Your Sleeves on Broadway. Gibson was signed by Warner Brothers in 1950 and made her film debut in Tea for Two (1950). On television, Gibson was a regular on “Captain Billy's Showboat” (1948). She also starred in “So This Is Hollywood” (1955) and was a regular performer on “The Johnny Carson Show (1955–56). In 1956 she returned to Broadway to play Ethel Merman's daughter in the musical Happy Hunting, earning a Tony nomination for her work. She died in 2013 at age 88.

Desilu Connection: Gibson is perhaps best known for playing Liza, one of the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in MGM’s 1955 musical. Lucy and Desi were also at MGM during this time, and even mentioned Seven Brides on an episode of “I Love Lucy.”

If the idea of Desi Arnaz and young female talent rings a bell, it should! Ricky Ricardo was often faced with a green-eyed Lucy when surrounded by beautiful Hollywood starlets. It happened in “Don Juan and the Starlets” (ILL S4;E17), which coincidentally (or not) was aired around the same time as this article was being written for TV Guide!

Lucy again got jealous of Ricky fraternizing with up-and-coming young talent in “Desert Island” (ILL S6;E8) just a year later.

Editor’s Notes: Considering the well-known circumstances of the Arnaz divorce, and Desi’s reputation as a womanizer, it might be easy to conclude that producer Desi had some sort of personal interest in promoting these attractive young ladies in TV Guide. However, I’m not so sure that is a reasonable assumption to make. First, articles of this sort were rarely written by the ‘author’ (Desi) but by press agents, with approval of the person with the byline. The extent of Desi’s control of the list or the text that accompanies them is up for debate. In fact, some of these talented women are only tangentially related to Arnaz publicly, and some - not at all.

When all is said and done, the only one on the list that has approached icon status is Vera Miles, due mainly to her participation in Hitchcock’s Psycho. While Frances Rafferty was on a weekly TV series (”December Bride”) the show has not fared well in syndication and is largely forgotten by today’s viewers. However, Rafferty is the most likely to have been ‘Desi’s pick’ due to her working on the Desilu lot and appearing with him in an episode of the show. At the time, Peggy King was certainly the odds-on favorite for stardom, so her inclusion was a no-brainer. Virginia Gibson took a left turn back to Broadway and earned a Tony nod, so that interrupted her trajectory toward Hollywood fame. Sadly Millar and Baird’s careers fizzled and are only remembered today by die-hard fans.

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blackkudos · 4 years

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Robert Hooks

Robert Hooks (born Bobby Dean Hooks, April 18, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and activist. He is most recognizable to the public for his more than 100 roles in films, television, and stage. Most famously, Hooks, along with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald S. Krone, founded The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). The NEC is credited with the launch of the careers of many major black artists of all disciplines, while creating a body of performance literature over the last thirty years, providing the backbone of African-American theatrical classics. Additionally, Hooks is the sole founder of two significant black theatre companies: the D.C. Black Repertory Company, and New York's Group Theatre Workshop.

Biography

Early life

The youngest of five children, Hooks was born in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C. to Mae Bertha (née Ward), a seamstress, and Edward Hooks who had moved from Rocky Mount, North Carolina with their four other children, Bernice, Caroleigh, Charles Edward "Charlie", and James Walter "Jimmy". Named Bobby Dean Hooks at birth, Robert was their first child born "up-north" and the first to be born in a hospital. His father, Edward, died in a work accident on the railroad in 1939.

Hooks attended Stevens Elementary School. In 1945, at the insistence of his sister Bernice who was doing community arts outreach for youngsters at Francis Junior High School, he performed the lead in his first play, The Pirates of Penzance, at the age of nine. From the ages of 6 to 12, Bobby Dean journeyed with his siblings to Lucama, North Carolina to work the tobacco fields for his uncle's sharecropping farm as a way to help earn money for the coming school year in D.C.

In 1954, just as Brown vs. Board of Education was being implemented in the north, he moved to Philadelphia to be with his mother, her second husband, and his half-sister, Safia Abdullah (née Sharon Dickerson). Hooks experienced his first integrated school experience at West Philadelphia High School. Hooks soon joined the drama club and began acting in plays by William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett. He was graduated in 1956, passing on a scholarship to Temple University in order to pursue a career as a stage actor at the Bessie V. Hicks School of Theatre (alongside Charles Dierkop and Bruce Dern, with whom he second-acted plays doing their pre-Broadway tryouts in Philadelphia) while working at Browning King, a men's tailor shop at Fourteenth and Chestnut streets.

Career

Having trained at the Bessie V. Smith School of Theatre in Philadelphia, and after seeing A Raisin in the Sun in its Philadelphia tryout in February 1959, Hooks moved to New York to pursue acting. In April 1960, as Bobby Dean Hooks, he made his Broadway debut in A Raisin in the Sun replacing Louis Gossett, Jr. who would be doing the film version. He then continued to do its national tour. He then stepped into the Broadway production of A Taste of Honey, replacing Billy Dee Williams; then repeating the same national tour trajectory as he had done for "Raisin..." the previous year. In early 1962 he next appeared as the lead in Jean Genet's The Blacks, replacing James Earl Jones as the male lead, leaving briefly that same year to appear on Broadway again in Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright before stepping back into the lead role in The Blacks in 1963. He then returned to Broadway, first in Ballad for Bimshire and then in the short-lived 1964 David Merrick revival of The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More (as a character created by Tennessee Williams for this revival) and starring Tallulah Bankhead and Tab Hunter in his only stage performance. Immediately thereafter, in March 24, 1964 he originated the role of Clay in Amiri Baraka's Dutchman. With this play, on the advice of Roscoe Lee Brown, Hooks became known as, Robert Hooks. He also originated roles on the New York stage in Where's Daddy? for which he won the Theatre World Award and he was nominated for Best Male Lead in a Musical for Hallelujah Baby while he was simultaneously starring in David Susskind's N.Y.P.D.—the first African American lead on a television drama.

In 1968 Hooks was the host of the new public affairs television program, Like It Is.

Hooks was nominated for a Tony for his lead role in the musical, Hallelujah, Baby!, has received both the Pioneer Award and the NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement, and has been inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. He also won an Emmy for his PBS special, Voices of Our People.

Significant roles for which Hooks is known include Reeve Scott in Hurry Sundown (1967), Mr. T. in the blaxploitation film Trouble Man (1972), grandpa Gene Donovan in the comedy Seventeen Again (2000), and Fleet Admiral Morrow in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He also appeared on television in an episode of the NBC crime drama series The Eddie Capra Mysteries in 1978 and portrayed Doctor Walcott in the 1980s television series Dynasty.

Activism

Arts and Culture

In 1964, as a result of a speaking engagement at the Chelsea Civil Rights Committee (then connected to the Hudson Guild Settlement House) he founded The Group Theatre Workshop (GTW), a tuition-free environment for disadvantaged urban teens who expressed a desire to explore acting. Among the instructors were Barbara Ann Teer, Frances Foster, Hal DeWindt, Lonne Elder III, and Ronnie Mack. Alumni include Antonio Fargas, Hattie Winston, and Daphne Maxwell Reid.

The Group Theatre Workshop was folded into the tuition-free training arm of the The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) founded in 1967 with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald S. Krone with a $1.3 million grant from the Ford Foundation under the auspices of W. McNeil Lowry.

From 1969-1972, Hooks served as an original board member of Black Academy of Arts and Letters (BAAL) (located in New York) alongside C. Eric Lincoln, President; John O. Killens, Alvin F. Poussaint, and Charles White. Chartered by the State of New York, BAAL's mission was to bring together Black artists and scholars from around the world. Additional members included: Julian Adderley, Alvin Ailey, Margaret Walker, James Baldwin, Imamu Baraka, Romare Bearden, Harry Belafonte, Lerone Bennett, Arna Bontemps, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee Davis, St. Clair Drake, Ernest Dunbar, Katherine Dunham, Lonne Elder III, Duke Ellington, Alex Haley, Ruth Inge Hardison, Vertis Hayes, Chester Himes, Lena Horne, Jacob Lawrence, Elma Lewis, Henry Lewis, Paule Marshall, Donald McKayle, Arthur Mitchell, Frederick O’Neal, Gordon Parks, Sidney Poitier, Benjamin Quarles, Lloyd Richards, Lucille D. Roberts, and Nina Simone.

In response to the violence in his home town of Washington, D.C. in the wake of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, and aided by a small grant from the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, Hooks took a leave of absence from the Negro Ensemble Company to create The D.C. Black Repertory Company (DCBRC, 1970-1981). As Founder and Executive Director, the DCBRC was intended as a further exploration of the ability of the arts to create healing. The a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock was created and developed within its workshop process.

The Inner Voices (Lorton Prison arts training program, 1971) proved to be a result of the beneficial effect of the DCBRC in the D.C. area. In response to a direct plea from an inmate, Rhozier "Roach" Brown, who was serving a life sentence in Lorton, Hooks' D.C. Black Repertory Company structured the first prison-based arts program in the United States. While it is the norm now, it was then a revolutionary attempt at rehabilitation through the arts. Eventually The Inner Voices performed more than 500 times in other prisons, including a Christmas special entitled, "Holidays, Hollowdays." Due to Roach's work, President Gerald Ford commuted his sentence on Christmas Day, 1975.

His relocation to the West Coast redirected Hooks' approach to parity in the arts with his involvement with The Bay Area Multicultural Arts Initiative (1988) as a board member and grant facilitator-judge. Funded by monies from a unique coalition made up of the San Francisco Foundation (a community foundation); Grants for the Arts of the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, and The National Endowment for the Arts, the function of this organization was the funding of deserving local multicultural arts organizations.

In 1992, Hooks co-founded (with writer Lonne Elder III) Arts in Action. Located in South Central Los Angeles, this was a film and television training center established to guide individuals who aspired to careers in film production. It formulated strategies and training for securing entry-level jobs. Courses included: career development workshops; pre-production and production for film and television; creative problem solving in production management; directing for stage and screen—principles and practices; also the craft of assistant directors, script supervisor, technicians, wardrobe, make-up, etc.

The Negro Ensemble Company of Los Angeles (NEC-LA) (1994-1997) was created because so many New York members and original members had relocated to the west coast. Hooks, as founder and executive director enlisted alumni from his New York Negro Ensemble Company to serve as board members: Denise Nicholas, Denzel Washington, James Earl Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson. NEC-LA's goal was to be a new and innovative multi-ethnic cultural project that strived to achieve the community effectiveness and professional success of its parent organization.

Personal life

Hooks is the father of actor, television and film director Kevin Hooks. He married Lorrie Gay Marlow (actress, author, artist) on June 15, 2008. Previously, he was married to Yvonne Hickman and Rosie Lee Hooks.

Awards

1966 - Theatre World Award (1965–66 ) for "Where's Daddy?" (The Billy Rose Theatre)

1979 - American Black Achievement Award - Ebony Magazine

1982 - Emmy Award for Producing (1982) Voices of Our People: In Celebration of Black Poetry (KCET-TV/PBS)

1966 - Tony Nomination, Lead Role in a Musical for Hallelujah, Baby

1985 - Inducted into The Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, recipient Oscar Micheaux Award (1985)

1986 - March 2nd declared Robert Hooks Day by the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Tom Bradley

1987 - Excellence in Advertising and Communications to Black Communities from CEBA (Excellence in Advertising and Communications to Black Communities)

2000 - Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa honorary degree, Bowie State University

2000 - May 25th declared Robert Hooks Day in Washington, D.C.

2005 - Beverly Hills/Hollywood Chapter NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement

2005 - Beverly Hills/Hollywood Chapter NAACP Trailblazer Award to the Negro Ensemble Company

2005 - Trailblazer Award – City of Los Angeles

2006 - The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), Lifetime Achievement Award (Dallas)

2007 - The Black Theatre Alliance Awards / Lifetime Achievement Award

2015 - Living Legend Award (2015) National Black Theatre Festival

2018 - October 18th proclaimed Robert Hooks Day by Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C.

2018 - Hooks is entered into The Congressional Record by the Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, September 4, 2018, Vol. 164

2018 - Visionary Founder and Creator Award - D.C. Black Repertory Company on its 47th anniversary

Acting Credits

Film

Sweet Love, Bitter (1967) .... Keel Robinson

Hurry Sundown (1967) .... Reeve Scott

Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) .... Chicken

Carter's Army (1970) .... Lt. Edward Wallace

Trouble Man (1972) .... Mr. T

Aaron Loves Angela (1975) .... Beau

Airport '77 (1977) .... Eddie

Fast-Walking (1982) .... William Galliot

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) .... Admiral Morrow

Passenger 57 (1992) .... Dwight Henderson

Posse (1993) .... King David

Fled (1996) .... Lt. Clark

#04/18

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paulodebargelove · 4 years

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Michael Joseph Jackson (29 August 1958 - 25 June 2009) was a singer-songwriter, music producer, dancer and actor. Called the King of Pop, his contributions to music and dance, along with his publicized personal life, have made him a world figure in popular culture for more than four decades.

The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene, along with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and as a member of Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson has become a dominant figure in popular music. Music videos for his songs, including those for "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Thriller", have been credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these videos helped to bring the then relatively new MTV television channel to fame. With videos like "Black or White" and "Scream", he continued to innovate the form in the 1990s, as well as forging a reputation as a touring solo artist. Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a series of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, which he named. Its distinctive sound and style has influenced many artists from various musical genres.

1982 Michael Jackson's Thriller album is the best-selling album of all time. His other albums, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), are also among the world's best-selling albums. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been introduced to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame Songwriters and the dance hall of fame as the first and only dancer in pop and rock music. His other accomplishments include multiple Guinness World Records, 13 Grammy Awards, the Grammy Legend Award, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, more than any other artist, including "Artist of the Century" and "Artist of the 1980s ", 13 number one singles in the United States during his solo career, - more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 of the era - and estimated sales of more than 400 million records worldwide. Jackson has won hundreds of awards, making him the most awarded artist in the history of popular music. He became the first artist in history to have a single top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when "Love Never Felt So Good" reached number nine on May 21, 2014. Jackson traveled the world attending events in honor of to his humanitarianism and, in 2000, Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities, more than any other artist.

Aspects of Michael Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships and behavior, the controversy generated. In the mid-1990s, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the civil case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of another child allegations of sexual abuse and several other charges after the jury found him innocent of all charges. While preparing for his comeback show entitled This Is It, Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine poisoning on June 25, 2009, after suffering cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death sparked a global abundance of sadness, and a live broadcast of his public memorial service was seen around the world. Forbes currently occupies Jackson as the top-earning dead celebrity, a title held for the fifth consecutive year, with $ 140 million in earnings.

Life and career

1958-1975: Early life and Jackson 5

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958. He was the eighth of ten children in an African-American working class family who lived in a two-bedroom house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city and a part of the metropolitan Chicago area . His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Witness. She once aspired to be a country-and-clarinet and piano artist, but worked part-time at Sears to help support her family. Her father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a former boxer, was a metallurgist at US Steel. Joe also performed on guitar with a local rhythm and blues band called the Falcons to supplement the family's family income. Michael grew up with three sisters (Rebbie, La Toya and Janet) and five brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy). A sixth brother, from Marlon elder double Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe. In 2003, Joe acknowledged that he regularly beat Jackson as a boy. Joe was also said to have verbally abused his son, often saying that he had a "fat nose". Jackson stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, although he credited his father's strict discipline with playing an important role in his success. Speaking openly about his childhood in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast in February 1993, Jackson acknowledged that his youth had been lonely and isolated. Jackson's deep dissatisfaction with his appearance, his nightmares and chronic sleep problems, his tendency to remain hyper-compliant, especially with his father, and to remain childish throughout his adult life, are consistent with the effects of the bad treatment he suffered as a child.

In an interview with Martin Bashir, later included in the broadcast of being with Michael Jackson in 2003, Jackson acknowledged that his father hurt him when he was a child, recalling that Joseph often sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his brothers rehearsed, and that "if you don't do it the right way, it would tear you up, really you." Both of Jackson's parents, at odds with long-standing allegations of abuse, with Katherine stating that while lashes are considered abuse today, that action was a common way of disciplining children at the time. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon also said that their father is not abusive, but misunderstood.

In 1965, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers, a band formed by their father and which included brother musicians Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and backup singers who play congas and tambourines. In 1966, Jackson began to share vocals with his older brother Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to Jackson 5. That next year, the group won a great local talent show with Jackson performing the dance to Robert's 1965 hit Parker "Barefootin '". From 1966 to 1968, the band toured the Midwest, often performing in a series of black clubs known as the "chitlin" circuit "as the opening act for artists like Sam & Dave, the O'Jays, Gladys Knight, and Etta James The Jackson 5 also performed in clubs and bars, where striptease shows and other adult acts were performed, and local audiences and high school dances.In August 1967, while outings on the east coast, the group won a weekly amateur night concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy" (1968), his first single, for Steeltown Records, a Gary, Indiana label, before signing with Motown in 1969. The Jackson 5 left Gary in 1969 and moved to the Los Angeles area, where they continued to record music for Motown. Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts", writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and vocalist." The group set a chart record when their first four singles "I Want You Back" (1969), "ABC" (1970), "What Would You Save Love" (1970), and "I Will Be There" (1970) - peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. in May 1971, the Jackson family moved into a large two-acre home in Encino, California, where Michael evolved from a child performer to a teen idol. As Jackson began to emerge as a solo artist in the early 1970s, he continued to maintain ties with Jackson 5 and Motown. Between 1972, when he began his solo career, and 1975, Michael released four studio solo albums with Motown: Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972), Música & Me (1973), and forever, Michael (1975) . "Got to Be There" and "Ben", the title tracks of their first two solo albums, both became successful singles, as did a remake of Bobby's day "Rockin 'Robin".

The Jackson 5 were later described as "an avant-garde example of black crossover artists." Although the group's sales began to decline in 1973, and the band members angered under Motown's refusal to allow them creative or input control, they continued to score several top 40 hits, including the first five single "Dancing" Machine "(1974), before the group left Motown in 1975.

1975-1981: Move to Epic and Off the Wall

In June 1975, Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records, and was renamed the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine chose to stay with Motown and pursue a solo career. The Jacksons continued their international tour, and released six more albums between 1976 and 1984. Michael, the group's main songwriter during this time, wrote hits like "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (1979), "This Place Hotel" (1980), and "Can You Feel It" (1980). Jackson's film work began in 1978, when he starred as the scarecrow in The Wiz, a musical directed by Sidney Lumet, who also starred Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross. The film was a box office disaster. While working on the film Jackson met Quincy Jones, who was organizing the film's soundtrack, and Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall. In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.

Off the Wall (1979), which Jones and Jackson co-produced, based Jackson as a solo artist. The album helped Jackson transition from the "bubble gum" of his youth to the more complex sounds he would create as an adult. Composers for the album included Jackson, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Off the Wall was the first solo album to generate four top 10 hits in the United States: "Off the Wall", "She's Out of My Life", and the singles on the "Do not Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and " rock With You ". The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his individual efforts: Favorite Soul / R & B album, Favorite Soul / R & B Male Artist, and single Favorite / R & B soul for "Do not Stop 'Til You Get Enough ". He also won year-end Billboard awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album, and a Grammy for Best Male R & B Vocal Performance Artist from 1979, with "Do not Stop 'Til You Get Enough". In 1981, Jackson was the winner of the American Music Awards for Best Soul / Favorite R & B Album and Soul / Male R & B Artist. Despite his commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he obtained the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of the wholesale album profit.

1982-1983: Suspense and Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, forever

In 1982, Jackson combined his interests in composition and film, when he contributed the song "Someone in the Dark" to the storybook for the film ET The Extraterrestrial. The song, with Quincy Jones as producer, won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children for even more 1983. success came after the release of Thriller in late 1982. The album won Jackson plus seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards, including the Merit award, the youngest artist to win.

"Thriller" was the best-selling album worldwide in 1983. It became the best-selling album of all time in the United States, and the best-selling album of all time worldwide, selling an estimated 65 million copies. The album topped the Billboard 200 charts for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin 'Somethin'". In March 2009 Suspense was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. Suspense won Jackson and Quincy Jones the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) for 1983. He also won the album of the year, with Jackson as the artist on the album and Jones as his co-producer, and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male , Jackson award. "Beat It" won Record of the Year, with Jackson as an artist and Jones as a co-producer, and Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, a Jackson award. "Billie Jean" won Jackson two Grammy awards, Best R & B Song, with Jackson as his composer, and Best R & B Vocal Performance, Man, as the artist himself. Suspense also won another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical in 1984, the grant from Bruce Swedien for his work on the album. The AMA Awards for 1984 provided Jackson with an AMA and Merit Award for Male Artist, Soul / R & B and Best Male Artist, Pop / Rock. "Beat It" won Jackson AMAs for Favorite Video, Soul / R & B, Favorite Video, Pop / Rock, and Single Favorite, Pop / Rock. Suspense he won AMAs for Favorite Album, Soul / R & B, and Favorite Album, Pop / Rock.

In addition to the award-winning album, Jackson released "Thriller," a fourteen-minute short music video directed by John Landis, in 1983. "defined music videos and broke racial barriers" on the Music Television Channel (MTV), an incipient entertainment television channel in season. In December 2009, the Library of Congress selected the music video "Thriller" for inclusion in the National Film Registry. It was one of twenty-five films nominated that year as "works of lasting importance to American culture", which would be "preserved forever." The zombie-themed "Thriller" is the first and, as of 2009, the only music video to be introduced on the record.

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citizenscreen · 7 years

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Only a handful of movies have been announced for the 2018 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival (TCMFF), but excitement builds anyway as tickets are scheduled to go on sale in just a few days. The 2018 festival is scheduled for April 26 – 29 and many of us have been waiting for 2018 passes since this year’s event concluded. It’s a vicious cycle we enjoy perpetuating. In any case, mark your calendars for 10AM ET. on Tuesday, November 7 if you’re a Citi member for the exclusive pre sale and for 10AM ET. November 9 for the public sale. Get all of the details you need at TCM. You’ll note, by the way, that passes for this festival are not cheap and overall expenses can be prohibitive, but if you’re a classics fan and have never attended TCMFF it’s a sacrifice worth making at least once. You can read any number of posts about past experiences by many bloggers to know why. Now to 2018…

Along with the anticipation of the festival itself is the yearning for our favorite movies to be screened. I’ve yet to be disappointed with a screening in the five years I’ve attended the festival, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have ideas about what I would love to see. This year is no different. The chosen theme for TCMFF 2018 is Powerful Words: The Page Onscreen, which is intended as a “celebrating the representation of the written word on the silver screen.” When you consider that all movies start out as written words the possibilities for screenings are endless. That said, I still have had specific titles swirling around in my head since the dates and theme were announced and I’d like to share those recommendations with you. I should mention that I planned the list to contain 10 suggestions, but as you’ll see I failed miserably at limiting the list to so few. In fact, it was a strain on my heart to keep it at a svelte 21.

These are not listed in order of preference and I also did not take into account whether any have been screened in previous festivals. I don’t think that should necessarily be a deterrent. You’ll also notice my choices are from varied eras, allowing for the greatest number of guests possible. I’ve highlighted the guests I’d like to see in a few instances to make it easy for TCM to know who they should extend an invitation to. You’re welcome! Also, while I don’t mention the inclusion of writers they would no doubt enhance any presentation. Here we go…

My TCMFF 2018 Recommendations

Powerful Words: The Page Onscreen

Alan Crosland’s The Beloved Rogue (1927) starring John Barrymore and Conrad Veidt gets the most votes in my mind. This film, about French poet François Villon, had been thought lost for decades. According to legend, The Beloved Rogue is the John Barrymore movie the star watched with a large audience who didn’t know he was in attendance. The story goes that Barrymore was standing at the back of the movie palace and, dissatisfied with his own performance, said, “what a ham…”

It would be fun to have Drew Barrymore introduce this movie with Tom Meyers of the Fort Lee Film Commission. Tom and his team have several Barrymore-related projects in the works in Fort Lee. The Barrymores have strong ties to America’s first film town. I believe the TCMFF crowd would appreciate some early film history added to the introduction of the great Barrymore in a silent movie.

Another movie I am really rooting for is William Dieterle‘s The Life of Emile Zola (1937). This movie has a memorable supporting cast, but it’s the film’s star, Paul Muni, who would make this special. He was my father’s favorite actor, which means a lot to me right now. Plus I’ve never seen him on a big screen. This biopic of the famous French novelist, which won Best Picture of the year, would be the perfect opportunity for me to do so.

Rouben Mamoulian‘s 1931 screen adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson‘s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is another one I’d love to see. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde stars Fredric March, who won the Oscar for his portrayal of the main character(s), and Miriam Hopkins who is always enjoyable to watch.

Curtis Bernhardt‘s Devotion (1946) starring Ida Lupino and Olivia de Havilland as Emily and Charlotte Bronte should be a strong contender. The movie also stars Paul Henreid, which means Monika Henreid can be on hand to introduce the movie. Monika has just completed Paul Henreid: Beyond Victor Laszlo, a documentary focused on her father’s career.

Based on John Steinbeck‘s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, John Ford‘s The Grapes of Wrath (1940) is as essential as it gets among book-to-film adaptations. It would be terrific to have both Jane Fonda and Peter Fonda on hand to introduce this movie, which features one of the greatest performances from their father’s legendary career.

Based on a collection of stories titled The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (1894), Disney’s 1967 animated classic of the same name directed by Wolfgang Reitherman should be considered a bare necessity. (Pa rum pum.) But seriously folks, wouldn’t it be fun to watch this animated classic together?

Norman Taurog‘s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) would be an enjoyable screening. This movie features a stellar cast and we can have the added attraction of Cora Sue Collins in attendance to discuss the making of it. Cora Sue plays Amy Lawrence in the movie and she is sure to enchant the TCMFF crowd with her stories.

The perfect vehicle to follow Tom Sawyer is Irving Rapper‘s The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944). This movie is not without its flaws, but it’s no throw away second feature either. After all Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was one of – if not thee – greatest humorists the world has ever known. His story deserves the kind of actors cast in this picture including Fredric March, Alexis Smith, Donald Crisp and Alan Hale leading a terrific list of supporting players. To introduce this one we can have any number of Mark Twain Prize winners including Carol Burnett, Carl Reiner, Billy Crystal, Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg and on and on. Just sayin’.

Sidney Franklin‘s The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934) starring Norma Shearer and Fredric March focuses on the difficult early family life of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. This is another one I’d love to see with the TCMFF audience. The cast alone is worth standing on line for.

The lovely Barbara Rush should introduce The Young Philadelphians (1959) in which she co-starred with Paul Newman. Directed by Vincent Sherman, the movie is based on a 1956 novel by Richard Powell. Plus, I happen to be very fond of it and its terrific cast, which includes Alexis Smith, Brian Keith, Robert Vaughn, Billie Burke and a few other classic greats of note. I’d have Illeana Douglas interview Barbara Rush, by the way.

Rob Reiner’s Misery (1990) is memorable thanks in large part to Kathy Bates’ extraordinary performance as the fan from hell. The fact that the movie is sure to chill even the most ardent horror fan is a side benefit. With Reiner, Bates and James Caan, (who’s also great in the movie) in attendance the experience would be absolutely unforgettable. Jot that down!

Based on the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847), William Wyler’s 1939 movie of the same title would be a treat on the big screen. I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of this movie because of what I think is a sell out ending. However, I also think it would be an immersive experience watching Wuthering Heights with a TCMFF audience.

Lumet’s criminally underrated Fail-Safe (1964) starring Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau and another impressive list of players is one of the greatest thrillers of all time. Directed in the style of 12 Angry Men, Fail-Safe is based on the novel by Eugene Burdick. With an ending that leaves one speechless this is sure to be a hit with the TCMFF crowd. Again, the Fondas could introduce it along with Charles Matthau.

Phil Karlson’s Scandal Sheet (1952) starring Broderick Crawford and Donna Reed is a fantastic film noir choice. I know Reed’s daughter, Mary Owen, does appearances for screenings of her mother’s films. It would be great to have her introduce this movie, which tells the story of a newspaper editor who commits a murder, alongside Eddie Muller.

George Cukor’s version of Louisa May Alcott’s novel would be fantastic to see on the big screen. Little Women (1933) features an impressive cast any number of which can be well represented for an introduction. To name just two ideas – Tom Meyers would do a swell job of representing the Fort Lee-born Joan Bennett and Wyatt McCrea can discuss the movie and Frances Dee’s career.

Fred Zinnemann’s Julia (1977) is based on the story by Lillian Hellman and both of the film’s two stars, Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, deliver affecting performances. It would be a huge attraction to have them both in attendance for a screening of this memorable film.

Peter Brook’s 1963 adaptation of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a must. I had to read the book in high school and I will never forget the effect it had on me. The same goes for Brook’s naturalistic and truthful telling of the disturbing story. Any member of the cast and/or the director in attendance to discuss the making of the movie would be great.

Charles Vidor’s Hans Christian Andersen (1952) starring Danny Kaye is my favorite of his movies. Beautiful to look at, wonderful to listen to and with all the charm of its star, Hans Christian Andersen reminds us fairy tales can come true. Who doesn’t want to share that with like-minded classic movie fans?

An Odets/Lehman screenplay based on a Ernest Lehman novel – that’s what big money screenings are made of. Oh yeah plus Lancaster, Curtis and a memorable supporting cast. That’s what makes up Alexander Mackendrick‘s Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and its cynical world. I would love to see this introduced by Jamie Lee Curtis and Eddie Muller.

Any number of movies based on the writing of W. Somerset Maugham would be treats at TCMFF. For personal reasons, however, I’m going with William Wyler’s The Letter (1940), which is based on a 1927 play by Maugham. Given this movie’s power of seduction (who can look away after that opening sequence) it deserves an introduction with serious clout. My plan would be to ask either Susan Sarandon, since she narrates the TCM original documentary, Stardust: The Bette Davis Story, or Meryl Streep who narrates the terrific Tribute to Bette Davis on the network. Both of them in attendance talking about Davis before we watch one of her greatest films would be a dream.

I was going to end my recommendations list with Wilder’s Sunset Blvd. because what better example of writing for the screen is there? But then I couldn’t in good conscience include Wilder’s masterpiece and leave out the movie that beat it at the Oscars, Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s All About Eve (1950), which I also love. Of the two I had to admit Mankiewicz’s movie is the better choice due to the fact that the writer of the short story, The Wisdom of Eve, on which the movie is based does not get screen credit. TCMFF 2018 is the perfect occasion during which to honor the writer’s work officially this many years later. Of course either Sarandon or Streep would do quite nicely introducing this movie alongside Ben Mankiewicz.

Mary Orr’s The Wisdom of Eve was originally a 9-page short story that appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine in May 1946. Orr later expanded the story, in collaboration with Reginald Denham, into a successful play. 20th Century Fox later paid Mary Orr $5,000 for all rights to The Wisdom of Eve. What resulted is one of the all-time great motion pictures, which also deals with the importance of writing to a star’s career – stage or screen.

Those are my 21 choices. I know acquiring all of the movies I mentioned is not possible and I know that some may not even be in good shape, but maybe I made note of a few that hadn’t occurred to anyone before. If not, then at least I enjoyed giving serious thought to how I would schedule the festival myself if I had great powers. Also, in case anyone’s interested, I have quite a few ideas for panels and Club TCM presentations. For instance, Illeana Douglas can moderate a group discussion about Pioneering Women Screenwriters and Victoria Riskin can discuss her father Robert Riskin’s many contributions to films. Let me know if you want to hear more of those ideas and what your movie recommendations would be. Here endeth my post.

Hope to see you at TCMFF 2018!

The Page Onscreen: Recommendations for #TCMFF 2018 Only a handful of movies have been announced for the 2018 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival (TCMFF)

#TCM #TCMFF 2018 #The Page Oncreen #Written Word in Movies

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silverscreenclassics2016 · 4 years

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by Paul Batters

It is an absolute thrill to receive this award a second time and I cannot thank Brittaney from The Story Enthusiast enough. It is very kind and thoughtful of you to think of me, and similarly I think I needed this award at this time to boost spirits. It’s nice to be recognised and this award gives impetus to bloggers to continue writing and not be disheartened.

In keeping with the process, I’ll first state the rules of the award nomination.

List the award’s official rules

Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog

Thank the person who nominated you

Provide a link to your nominator’s blog

Answer your nominator’s questions

Nominate up to 11 bloggers

Ask your nominees 11 questions

Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts

Here are the answers to the questions kindly provided by Brittaney.

1. What British or International film would you recommend to a friend who has never seen one?

To be honest, this would greatly be impacted by what type of cinematic experience they were after.

I would probably direct them to Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bete (1945) as a dark yet beautiful and tragic fairy tale. The magic and fantasy of Cocteau’s vision is stunning and unforgettable.

In terms of Italian Realism, then I would direct them to Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948), which I think is one of the greatest films ever made and inspired so many international directors.

For sheer beautiful sentimentality and an ending I cry to EVERY time I see it, Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso (1988) is a masterpiece.

To choose a British film is near impossible but if I had to choose ONE as an introduction it would probably be a pre-Hollywood Hitchcock like The Thirty Nine Steps (1935), simply because it’s one of my favourites.

2. Which classic film director do you prefer and what is your favourite of their films?

Hitchcock is a stand-out and whilst I have the greatest affection for most of his films, Vertigo is the one which reaches deep into me every time. A real masterpiece in every way.

Also a huge fan of John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, The Asphalt Jungle) and Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, Ace In The Hole, Witness For The Prosecution).

3. Which character actor or actress do you think would have made a great lead?

Oh Claude Rains certainly and indeed showed that he could in a few films. For me, Rains is one of the most incredible actors – period. He would have also been a great success in the modern era as well.

4. What child actor do you believe should have had success as an adult but didn’t?

Bobby Driscoll is a child actor who had wonderful potential but was treated poorly, cast aside and followed a tragic course that ended his life. If things had been different and he had been taken care of as a boy, we may have seen Driscoll become successful as an adult.

5. What film do you love, but dislike the ending?

I wouldn’t say I ‘love’ Schindler’s List but it is one with an ending that I have found problematic. Over time, I have found myself less enamoured with the film, even though it was an Oscar winner and had a massive impact. In fairness, it is impossible to bring to the screen the horror of the Holocaust and do justice to those that suffered (although Come And See (1985) is quite a harrowing film in presenting Nazi atrocities in the East). But Schindler’s List does have its’ issues.

For me the ending is one of the key issues. It seems to shift our emotions as an audience to the figure of Oskar Schindler himself, instead of the millions of Jews, Roma, political prisoners, POWs and others who were murdered by the Nazis. It feels like Spielberg is going for the Oscar winning moment with Schindler declaring ‘I didn’t do enough’ and the orchestral manipulation of our emotions as we cry for Schindler becomes a strange sort of catharsis. Who should we actually be crying for?

The moment at the actual grave of Oskar Schindler is bittersweet but again our attention is drawn away from who the victims of the Nazis were and are. I would have ended it in the following way:

After Oskar Schindler declares the war over to the gathered workers and the SS guards ‘leave as men not murderers’ and asks to observe three minutes of silence, the audience hears a sole voice singing which leads to a candle being re-lit and a return to colour. Fin.

6. Whose onscreen wardrobe do you covet and would like to claim for your own?

I must say that Cary Grant looks impeccable and would undoubtedly stake a claim on his wardrobe.

7. Which original film do you think could be improved as a remake and who would you cast?

There are certainly many original films which should not be remade. Yet some original films (such as 1930’s The Maltese Falcon and 1936’s Satan Met A Lady) were remade (in the aforementioned case as 1941’s The Maltese Falcon) and became iconic films. I’m also going to cheat with this question and ‘remake’ and partially recast a film by doing so at the time it was made.

The film I would remake would be Dracula (1931) and whilst keeping Bela Lugosi as Dracula, Edward Van Sloan as Professor Van Helsing and Dwight Frye as Renfield, I would make the additional changes to the cast:

Mina – Madeleine Carroll

Harker – Robert Donat

Dr. Seward – Claude Rains

Lucy – Myrna Loy

Certainly the first part of the film would remain unchanged, as Lugosi’s entrance is legendary and his interaction with Renfield especially memorable. I would like to add more of Dracula’s brides attempt to seduce Renfield, as well as Renfield’s view of Dracula – imagine seeing Lugosi scamper like a lizard down the side of his castle!

Lucy’s demise and vampirization would be further delved into, with the infamous delving into the crypt to confront her as a vampire also depicted. It’s just too good an opportunity to ignore.

The much criticised anti-climactic ending would obviously be far better done, with the Count being staked in full view of the audience (or at least show Lugosi’s face and a wonderful supernatural ending to the vampire).

8. Which classic film actor or actress do you think would be successful in today’s film industry?

Something tells me that Joan Crawford would have been successful. She was tough enough and determined to make it in a very different time under very hard circumstances. Crawford was also incredibly hard-working and adaptable, with a career that spanned five decades – that’s pretty good going!

9. What film trope do you never tire of seeing?

I’ve never tired of the MacGuffin and the way that outstanding directors use it. Hitchcock, of course, used it perfectly, and John Huston used a MacGuffin in The Maltese Falcon.

10. If you could adapt a piece of classic literature that has not yet been made into a film, what book would you choose and who would you cast in the main roles?

I’m going to cheat here and include a response I previously used for a similar question elsewhere. But I cannot get past Budd Schulberg’s book ‘What Makes Sammy Run?’ – not because it’s a favourite per se as many books I love have been made into films but because it’s a powerful book and should be made. I know and understand the stories behind why it’s never been made as a film, as it is a terrifyingly cynical view of the film industry.

In terms of casting, it’s very difficult which might also explain why it was never made. But I’ll take my best shot, using actors from the classic era.

Al Mannheim: Dana Andrews Sammy Glick: Frank Sinatra Cathy ‘Kit’ Sargent: Teresa Wright Sidney Fineman: James Gleason ‘Sheik’: Anthony Quinn Laurette Harrington: Martha Hyer Carter Judd: Jeffrey Hunter Rosalie Goldblaum: Cathy O’Donnell

11. Which of today’s modern actors or actresses do you think would have been successful in classic films and why?

George Clooney and Jessica Chastain. Both have an amazing quality on the screen, photography beautifully and most importantly are outstanding actors who bring their A game to every performance.

The Nominees

I now nominate the following bloggers for the Sunshine Blogger Award. All of these are classic film bloggers are wonderful writers and I encourage you to check out their sites if you haven’t already.

Silver Scenes

Classic Movie Man

Out Of The Past

Stars And Letters

Cinematic Catharsis

The Classic Movie Muse

Silver Screenings

Films From Beyond The Time Barrier

The Last Drive In

4 Star Films

I Found It At The Movies

The Questions

The questions I was given by Brittaney were fun and challenging, and so I am going to offer them to the nominees as well.

What British or International film would you recommend to a friend who has never seen one?

Which classic film director do you prefer and what is your favorite of their films?

Which character actor or actress do you think would have made a great lead?

What child actor do you believe should have had success as an adult but didn’t?

What film do you love, but dislike the ending?

Whose onscreen wardrobe do you covet and would like to claim for your own?

Which original film do you think could be improved as a remake and who would you cast?

Which classic film actor or actress do you think would be successful in today’s film industry?

What film trope do you never tire of seeing?

If you could adapt a piece of classic literature that has not yet been made into a film, what book would you choose and who would you cast in the main roles?

Which of today’s modern actors or actresses do you think would have been successful in classic films and why?

Paul Batters teaches secondary school History in the Illawarra region and also lectures at the University Of Wollongong. In a previous life, he was involved in community radio and independent publications. Looking to a career in writing, Paul also has a passion for film history.

The Sunshine Blogger Award – A Second Time Honour! by Paul Batters It is an absolute thrill to receive this award a second time and I cannot thank Brittaney from…

#classic cinema #classic film #Hollywood #sunshine blogger award #sunshine blogger award 2020

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mrmichaelchadler · 5 years

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The Best Current Source for Streaming Classic Movies is ... Amazon Prime?

What is the classic movie fan to do in the era of Netflix? For a few glorious years FilmStruck was our salvation, offering a rich, well-curated collection of films from the silent era through the 1970s, something Netflix gave up on years ago.

So with FilmStruck dead, where can the fan of classic movies—let's say, just for the sake of argument, anything older than 40 years—get their fix without resorting to renting each and every title on iTunes or Fandango?

The answer might surprise you. The meatiest streaming source for world cinema classics is Kanopy, a free service offered through most (though not all) public and college library systems. But there's a limit of five streams per month and while they carry hundreds of titles from the Criterion Collection from such directors as Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman, the collection of classic American cinema is relatively small.

That's where Amazon Prime Video enters the picture. Netflix has maybe a dozen Hollywood feature films from the years between 1940 and 1980, along with a collection of war documentaries and rarities from pioneering women filmmakers and African-American directors. Interesting, yes, even admirable, but awfully limited in scope and selection.

Prime Video offers a rich, rapidly-churning catalog of sixties and seventies cinema: "Chinatown" and "All the President's Men," "A Clockwork Orange" and "Raging Bull," "The Great Escape" and "Mickey One." And back it goes through Billy Wilder's "Some Like it Hot" and "The Apartment," John Huston's "Moby Dick," Howard Hawks' "Red River," "Born Yesterday" with Judy Holliday and William Holden, "Platinum Blonde" with Jean Harlow, and holiday perennial "It's a Wonderful Life" just to name just a few.

Dig a little deeper and you can find the deliriously baroque western "Johnny Guitar" with Joan Crawford, end-of-the-world drama "Five" from radio drama pioneer Arch Oboler, "Dead Reckoning" with Humphrey Bogart, "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" with Ray Harryhausen effects, and Ben Gazzara in "The Strange One," the first film from "Private Property" director and Actor's Studio legend Jack Garfein. There are silent films, crime pictures, westerns, and musicals, plus gialli, spaghetti westerns and Italian crime thrillers, Japanese gangster pictures, cult oddities like Slava Tsukerman's "Liquid Sky" and Teruo Ishii's "Horrors of Malformed Men," and even a few international classics.

So why isn't Prime Video getting more attention?

Amazon's catalog of Hollywood and international classics is admittedly on the shallow side compared to the height of FilmStruck, which married two amazing catalogues with a deep collection of film history. But it's an eclectic collection and it's always churning out new titles. In 2018, Amazon Prime members could stream "Mean Streets," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "The Man Who Would Be King," "Barry Lyndon," "Bullitt," "Performance," "Point Blank," "Bonnie and Clyde," "Gone With the Wind," and "The Wizard of Oz."

Still, there's a major problem: finding the films in Amazon's catalog. FilmStruck was curated, and told subscribers what was new and it provided spotlights on directors, actors, and various themes to encourage exploration. The classics of Prime Video are buried amongst scores of B-movies, old and new.

There are others problems: Amazon offers both a Prime Video service of streaming movies with a subscription along with its huge selection of Amazon rentals. Recommendation galleries and search results often bring up a mix of both. Even some individual films—"Red River," for example—are offered from multiple sources, only one of which is included in the Prime subscription. The search results don't always favor the free version, which is usually indistinguishable in quality. The only difference is that one will cost you a few dollars to rent. It may simply be a flaw in the system but a more cynical take might see this as a sneaky way to grab a few extra bucks. Whatever the reason, it's doesn’t help the Amazon Prime subscriber make the most of their service.

While the majority of films are presented in fine editions, indifferent quality control means that there are scores of poor copies of public domain titles (as well as some more recent films) that don't look or sound much better than the bargain bin videotapes you could find 20 years ago. That's an instant turn-off in an age where studios routinely remaster their catalog for the HD era.

Browsing by genre on Amazon Prime is like wading through the donations bin of a library sale and counting on Amazon's own recommendations isn't much better. For a company that built its success on targeting consumers based on their buying patterns, the metrics of Amazon's search function fail to sort the wheat from the chaff of its streaming library.

And there's a lot of chaff in their vast collection. For example, when I log in to my account and click my way to "Movies" and "included with Prime," I get plenty of recent releases front-loaded on the page. There are even a few genuine classics in my "Top Rated Movies" feed: "A Clockwork Orange," "The Big Country," "The Great Escape." But when I scroll down to "Classic Movies" the pickings are, shall we say, a little less promising. 1983 "Animal House" knock-off "Screwballs," "Lone Wolf McQuade" with Chuck Norris, and the vile "The Evil That Men Do" with Charles Bronson are all offered up before "All the President's Men" and "The Apartment" appear. Definitions of the term "classic" aside, what in my search history churns up these suggestions?

With FilmStruck gone and no real alternative filling the void at present, Amazon is in a prime position to grab up fans of classic movies. But why isn't there some kind of mailing promoting those older classics cycling through the catalog every month? And why aren't Amazon's Facebook and Twitter feeds alerting movie buffs of what's new beyond "Mrs. Maisel" and "You Were Never Really Here" and other Prime Originals? For a marketing powerhouse like Amazon, they can't seem to find my sweet spot, and I'm a guy who is constantly clicking on classic titles to spotlight in my newspaper columns and website.

There's a great selection of films for film buffs, classics fans, and adventurous viewers. All they need is a little help finding them. So here's a sampling of just a few titles from across the spectrum that you can stream now with a Prime subscription, a little something for all tastes:

Bonafide Classics:

Alan J. Pakula's "All the President’s Men" (1976) with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.

Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" (1974) with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.

World War II adventure "The Great Escape" (1963) with Steve McQueen leading a grand cast of escapees.

Stanley Kubrick's anti-war classic "Paths of Glory" (1958) with Kirk Douglas.

George Cukor's "Born Yesterday" (1950), which earned an Oscar for Judy Holliday.

Howard Hawks' epic western "Red River" (1948) with John Wayne and Montgomery Clift.

George Stevens' "The Talk of the Town" (1942) with Jean Arthur, Cary Grant, and Ronald Colman.

Leo McCarey's "The Awful Truth" (1937) with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.

Gregory La Cava's screwball masterpiece "My Man Godfrey" (1936) with William Powell and Carole Lombard. There are plenty of bad editions out there; this is from an excellent source.

"Gumshoe"

A Deeper Dive:

"Images" (1972, R) – Susannah York won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her performance as a deeply schizophrenic author in Robert Altman’s richly textured psychological thriller.

"Gumshoe" (1972) – The feature debut of director Stephen Frears is a playful tribute to American crime movies starring the late Albert Finney as a small time Liverpool entertainer playing private detective.

"Age of Consent" (1969) – James Mason is an artist who flees England for Australia to go Gauguin on a tropical island and a young Helen Mirren is his muse in Michael Powell's final feature film.

"Mickey One" (1965) – Warren Beatty is a nightclub comic who goes on the run when the mob tries to kill him in the offbeat psychodrama from director Arthur Penn.

"Zulu" (1964) – Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, and Michael Caine are hopelessly outnumbered in Cy Enfield's end-of-the-empire military epic set in a colonial 19th century African outpost.

"Underworld U.S.A." (1961) – Organized crime is merely another form of big business in Sam Fuller's punchy, pulpy revenge drama with Cliff Robertson, one of the director's best.

"The Big Country" (1958) – William Wellman's sweeping cattle country epic stars Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Burl Ives, and a gloriously epic score.

"The Barefoot Contessa" (1954) – Ava Gardner is the title character in the Joseph L. Mankiewicz drama, but Humphrey Bogart took top billing and supporting actor Edmund O'Brien took home the Oscar.

"Johnny Guitar" (1954) – Scarlett businesswoman Joan Crawford takes on repressed Mercedes McCambridge in a psychological western with political reverberations from Nicholas Ray.

"Merrily We Go To Hell" (1932) – Dorothy Arzner, a rare career woman director in the Hollywood’s early sound era, directs this sassy pre-code drama of society decadence and excess with Fredric March and Sylvia Sidney.

"Cockfighter"

Cult Movies:

"Cockfighter" (1974) – Warren Oates is an obsessive cockfighting trainer who takes a vow of silence after his hubris costs him the championship in the offbeat adaptation of Charles Willeford's novel directed by Monte Hellman.

"Wake in Fright" (1971) – The brutal, blackly funny thriller of an urban schoolteacher (Gary Bond) stranded in a grimy mining town in the sun-blasted Australian Outback anticipates the New Australian Cinema. Donald Pleasance co-stars.

"Death Laid an Egg" (Italy, 1968) – Italian murder mystery intertwines with surreal satire in Giulio Questi's "film blanc" starring Jean-Louis Trintignant as a gentleman poultry farmer who unwinds from a hard day by murdering prostitutes. Gina Lollobrigida and Ewa Aulin co-star.

"Homicidal" (1961) – If William Castle is the B-movie Hitchcock, then this devious little gem is his "Psycho," an inspired twist with a shocker of a first-act murder, a third-act psychologist’s explanation, and Castle's own invention: the "Fright Break."

"The Golden Coach"

Foreign Affairs:

"Perceval" (France, 1978) – Eric Rohmer’s most unique feature, a strange, sophisticated mix of theater, medieval literature, story-song, and cinema, is a glorious odyssey into the very nature of stories and storytelling.

"The Firemen's Ball" (Czechoslovakia, 1967) – A satirical edges of Milos Forman's dark comedy of a small town fire brigade's annual fund raising party unraveling in chaos was not lost on the Soviet government, which tried to ban the film.

"The Golden Coach" (France, 1952) – Anna Magnani is the earthy, vivacious diva of a traveling troupe of Italian commedia dell'arte players in a Peruvian backwater in Jean Renoir's loving tribute to the theater of love and the power of art. Amazon offers the English language version, which Renoir acknowledged as the definitive version.

"Zero for Conduct" (France, 1933) – Jean Vigo's anarchic gem celebrates the rebellious spirit of adolescent boys in the first masterpiece of pre-pubescent self-actualization, a strange and wonderful film full of unbridled imagination, flights of fantasy, and delirious images.

from All Content http://bit.ly/2GCnDMa

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nofomoartworld · 7 years

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How an Unfinished James Baldwin Manuscript Became a Documentary Film

Forthright, nimble, and unrelenting in his accounts of social and racial injustice, the ideas of iconic author James Baldwin will stay evergreen as long as relevant patterns repeat. Any number of passages from his published work hit a vein with the issues of today, but a new film does exactly that with a twist: it uses one of Baldwin’s unfinished books to create a documentary, political essay, and biography all at once, as well as a vulnerable vision of how Baldwin saw his place among his peers.

Drawing from Remember This House, an unfinished manuscript of Baldwin’s that examined the deaths of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr., the film I Am Not Your Negro cuts straight to the source. Director Raoul Peck uses Baldwin’s words exclusively with the voice talents of actor Samuel L. Jackson, who adopts an uncharacteristic, weary tone to match the material.

Crowd gathering at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington in I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

“This film is like a warning, a last chance,” Peck explains to The Creators Project. “It's Baldwin saying, ‘As long as we don't touch these core problems around the so-called American Dream, we can't have a common future.’"

He continues, “When I finished the film, I thought it would go nowhere because it was too violent in what it's saying. But to have Baldwin, who had the guts to use those words—nigger, negro—and say exactly what they are, that’s powerful. Those are invented words, and he did not invent them, white people did. He said, ‘I did not invent Jim Crow or slavery. You invented something that they’re afraid of. I give you your problem back.’”

Growing up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti until his family fled the Duvalier dictatorship to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1961, Peck has built a decades-long film career focused on power, politics, and social injustice. He’s jumped back and forth from documentary to narrative, tackling the life and death of Patrice Lumumba—the DRC’s first independent Prime Minister—in both formats (Lumumba), in addition to covering the complex aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake (Fatal Assistance). But even though James Baldwin’s work spoke of the political climate on a different continent, Peck always found the author’s words to strike a personal chord.

“I read him when I was 16 or 17 years old, and he framed me,” Peck says. “He structured my brain in a way where I learned how to question things. I learned whatever the material—film, literature, news—to not to just see the surface but all the different layers below it.”

Ten years ago, Peck first envisioned making a film about Baldwin, and as luck would have it, Gloria Baldwin [the family member that runs Baldwin’s estate] knew the director’s work and agreed to give him complete access to Baldwin’s archives—a dream scenario. At first, the project took on a more traditional biopic approach, but Peck soon felt that putting artifice on top of Baldwin’s text felt wrong. Within the archives though, the 30 pages of Remember This House stood out. “I knew I had a story with that,” Peck says. “I decided I could push the words to the front, but I needed that whole process of elimination to slowly reach the core of the film and find the right form to go with the content.”

Peck divides I Am Not Your Negro up into chapters, each drawing on a specific theme or aspect of Baldwin’s worldview. Blending newsreel footage, Baldwin’s televised appearances (like his Dick Cavett interview or Yale debate with William F. Buckley), and modern-day media, he frames callbacks across time of political rhetoric and social unrest. In one section, police brutality and the rise of Black Lives Matter takes center stage, as Peck does earlier with the ingrained racism in Hollywood’s past.

Hollywood is a topic that Baldwin covered in great length in his long essay The Devil Finds Work. Peck illustrates these ideas with expertly chosen film clips: Stagecoach, King Kong, Billy Wilder’s Love In The Afternoon, and others go under the microscope, intercut with the harsh reality occurring outside the cinema. The Defiant Ones, a chain-gang drama starring Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis, especially stands out as a defining point in Baldwin’s life, as the author noticed black and white audiences react differently to a scene in which Poitier’s character gives up escape to stay with Curtis. It’s a shock of multiple perspectives on the same reality that Peck noticed early on in his life.

“In Port-au-Prince there were at least seven drive-in cinemas, so it was really something to go to during the week,” Peck says. “I grew up on American films starring John Wayne and Tarzan, and the idea about Africa given to me was a bunch of savages living in the forest, and then this white guy in underwear running everything. So when I went to Congo at the age of eight, I thought there would be natives dancing around the airplane. I really did. After that I knew there’s something wrong here.”

Though he may have felt hesitation over whether the film would even find distribution, Peck is now keenly aware of the zeitgeist landscape into which his film is coming out. With #OscarsSoWhite trending at this time last year, and this week finding a slew of black-led films in the running (including I Am Not Your Negro), the mistake could be made of letting up on the issue. But Peck says he spots the harmful routine.

“This country knows perfectly how to deal with this problem,” he says. “They make a fake discussion, saying, ‘Oh, there are a lot of black movies this year.’ But what role did I play in that? I didn't ask permission ten years ago to start this movie, it's just by chance that it comes out this year. The real question that's hidden is ‘Who decided to greenlight the movie?’ As long as we don't have a black person, or openly gay person, that has power to greenlight a $100 million movie, the power is not shared. Down the line it’s always about power, and who has the power to tell the story. Everything else is just discussion.”

youtube

Theatrical one-sheet for I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

I Am Not Your Negro is currently playing at select theaters. To find a screening near you, click here.

Celebrate James Baldwin at Hilton Als' New Exhibition

An Exhibit Takes Aim at Art History, Race, and Drake

Gold-Leaf Collages Contrast The Civil Rights Movement and The Space Race

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#IFTTT #The Creators Project RSS Feed

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geeks-n-stuff · 7 years

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Quite possibly no other trend in Hollywood filmmaking today is both more loved and loathed than that of the remake. It’s safe to say that if you were a fan of a particular film as a child, there’s a very good chance that it’s been remade, is in the process of being remade or is being considered for a remake. Studios like a sure thing and since a sure thing is impossible to predict, the next closest option is remaking something that people once loved.

Of course, this technique is not without risk. Bring up the word “remake” in the presence of movie lovers and the groans are often overwhelming. This is an unfair reaction, however, because remaking popular titles is a deeply entrenched part of Hollywood’s cinematic history. It’s easy to remember the failures, but people tend to overlook the successes. And although a film like, say, the 1992 comedy hit White Men Can’t Jump wasn’t likely on anyone’s dream list of remakes, the prospect of revisiting that story is enticing enough to some.

Thanks to an exclusive announcement from THR, we now have confirmation that White Men Can’t Jump is in fact, getting set to be remade. Heading up the project for 20th Century Fox is the creator of ABC’s award-winning series Black-ish, Kenya Barris, who will share producing duties with pro athletes Blake Griffin of the L.A. Clippers and Ryan Kalil of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. In addition to his producing role, Barris is also set to write the film’s script. At present time there is no casting news, nor is there a confirmed release date.

The original White Men Can’t Jump stared Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes and Rosie Perez and enjoyed a good reception from audiences. It was also fortunate enough to arrive at a time when the pop-culture of the early 1990s meshed with the film’s overall style and tone; not to mention at a point in the careers of Harrelson and Snipes when both actors’ popularity was on the rise. The story follows the lives of two street basketball hustlers in Los Angeles who decide to team up in order to better cash in on more lucrative opportunities. Harrelson’s character Billy Hoyle is adept at taking advantage of people’s misconception that because he is white, he won’t be good at basketball (hence the film’s title) and Snipes’ Sidney Dean is a talented and cocky athlete whose disdain for being beaten by Billy leads him to initiate a partnership between the two.

There’s no reason to believe that a remake of White Men Can’t Jump couldn’t succeed – or even surpass the original’s appeal. However, in order for this to happen, the film must secure a strong cast – Kevin Hart springs to mind as the perfect Sidney Dean, alongside James Franco or Paul Rudd as Billy Hoyle. But in addition to whoever Barris and co decide to cast, the film must have a script that crackles with humor, energy and fun in order to even begin to challenge the original. Anything short of these requirements will likely see the film fall into the all too familiar trap of remakes that didn’t reach their potential.

-CDG

#WhiteMenCantJump @WesleySnipes WoodyHarrelson

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