**Which my sister and I would often Yell at each other at the dinner table much to the confusion, and slight bemusement, of our parents. MGM studio boss Louis B Mayer when he was snatching up, for cheap, Jewish talent, looking to flee Europe in the late Thirties was rebuffed in London by Hedy who knew how to bargain. What does that staircase dance have to do with blackface?? Although the film has been critically revised in recent years, in 1998 it was referred to by the American Film Institute as "one of the best American films of all time". With interviews (including Mel Brooks, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeanine Basinger, Robert Osborne, Michael Tilson Thomas, and her family), expertly edited (by Dean, Penelope Falk and Lindy Jankur) the film is assembled with care. An attractive woman like Josephine Baker or the lady in my avatar (Nina Mae McKinney), had to leave to country to be able to perform in roles suited to their talent. A Hungarian and an Austro-Hungarian playing sultry African ladies: Steffi Duna in Anthony Adverse; Hedy Lamarr in White Cargo. Answer: Juanita Hall, an African-American woman who played Bloody Mary in South Pacific and a Chinese-American woman in Flower Drum Song. These problems, in many ways continues to exist today. Famous Comedian Succumbs to a Bone Tumor at His Daughter's Home at 68", "For people experiencing homelessness, watching television is a meaningful act", "Robert Downey Jr. Has No Regrets Over 'Tropic Thunder' Blackface: 'It Blasted the Cap on the Issue, "Why Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon aren't talking about blackface", "Billy Gould Dies At 81. The once-notorious theatrical chestnut White Cargo was toned down for public consumption in this 1942 MGM-ized adaptation (the property had been previously filmed in England in 1929). Damn, Lawrence Olivier looked RIDICULOUS in blackface. I've often wondered, though, why the supporting roles in such films couldn't have been played by racially authentic actors. Also, the Wikipedia page for "whiteface" contains only 16 examples of it ever occurring in film and television history, the most recent of which was a 2018 episode of Atlanta, where Donald Glover played a creepy character that was clearly inspired by Michael Jackson. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Addeddate 2005-09-29 08:16:44 There probably are a lot of offensive blackface scenes in films, but for the most frightening, it has to be Joan Crawford in "Torch Song"! Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, having its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival, throws a large net and catches many treasures that might make you rethink some of what you thought you knew about the movie star who was lauded in the Thirties and Forties as the most beautiful woman in the world. The woman who helped to sell war bonds and kissed soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen for the war effort while her patent on secure radio communication was seized, could never be contained. Notable actors from the period who wore blackface include Laurel and Hardy, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Doris Day to name but a few. ps- sorry for making it "all about me" just thought MAYBE it'd add some perspective. speedracer5, If there were as many positive portrayals to balance out the negative ones, it wouldn't have been so detestable. Lamarr, born Hedwig Kiesler in 1914, grew up in an assimilated Jewish family in Vienna. And weirdly, white people seem to love it. Remember, these are days when married couples were shown as sleeping in single beds. Hedy Lamarr is impossible to put into a box. Dozens of white, able-bodied A-list stars have either been nominated or won Oscars after playing a character with a disability. White Cargo is a 1942 film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Hedy Lamarr and Walter Pidgeon.Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it is based on the 1923 London and Broadway hit play by Leon Gordon, which was in turn adapted from the novel Hell's Playground by Ida Vera Simonton.The play had already been made into a British part-talkie, also titled White Cargo, with Maurice Evans in 1929. I can't tell in that B&W photo, looks like Hedy got a good tan. In the current discussion around racism and systemic discrimination, in almost all aspects of society, the topic of white people dressing up in blackface is more prevalent than ever. © 2020 Turner Classic Movies Inc. A Time Warner Company. In 1969, Merv Griffin asked Hedy Lamarr on his TV show if her salacious and later disowned ghost-written autobiography didn't hurt her image. White Cargo (1942) Quite the scandalous film here and from the 'golden-era days', [a black and white picture in several ways] We have a saucy "black" chic as the temptress in the film, but its a white actress in 'blackface', only not quite white as it turns out. There were large Hispanic and Asian communities in California, with each having theatrical companies that could have supplied more talent. I actually think Roman Navarro is better in his role than Helen Hayes is in hers. Larry's blackface could've used some help, but Larry's sassface is ON POINT. Sam Jaffe in GUNGA DIN gives probably the greatest brownface performance of all time.

I thought this was actually a really touching and progressive use of yellow face, if such a thing is possible. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Hint #1: She had played both roles on stage. Bombshell exposes the cruelty she encountered. There is plenty to see in the realm of what almost becomes a guilty pleasure - Hedy's looks and style remain irresistible catnip. Actually thought she was black but knew something was a little off about her at the time. As an inventor, her patented secure communication systems, via frequency hopping, not only helped defeat the Nazis, but are still in use in the present, contributing to the workings of GPS, WiFi, satellites and Bluetooth. Robert Donat is superb in THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS. I'm surprised that no one mentioned "Broken Blossoms" yet.

This is a list of entertainers known to have performed in blackface makeup, whether in an overtly racist or comic "minstrel" role, as satire or historical depiction of such roles, or in a portrayal of a character using racial makeup as a disguise, for whatever reason.

sistercelluloid.com/2014/07/13/torch-song-joan-crawford-in-blackface-and-thats-not-all/. This is a list of entertainers known to have performed in blackface makeup, whether in an overtly racist or comic "minstrel" role, as satire or historical depiction of such roles, or in a portrayal of a character using racial makeup as a disguise, for whatever reason. It is regarded as a landmark film for being one of the first to ultilise sound and image at the same time, something that was unheard of during the silent era. And their implicit message—blonde white heiresses are ditzy sl**s—is unlikely to prove controversial. White Cargo is the interesting and revealing story of Britain's White Slaves and indentured servants who were shipped to the American colonies prior to the birth of the USA. From 1967 to 1970, he played the prosperous rancher Don Sebastián Montoya in the NBC Western series "The High Chaparral. It is fantastic. Here are a few examples of the discourse on this particularly misguided debate: The film finds ample time to mock those who like to pride themselves on how they are viewed in the affluent surroundings of the Hamptons and even touches on the casual racism of those communities when black people aren't around. So basically, white actors have played characters of different identities since the beginning of cinema, so it's hardly like the Wayans brothers can be judged harshly for what is a light-hearted parody which mostly relies on white actors in the first place. "She goes through her role thoroughly, her facial expressions are most expressive and the lack of dialogue on her part is not greatly missed," wrote the New York Herald Tribune.

Though many times, it is very apparent that the actor is not the ethnicity he or she is supposed to be--Shirley MacLaine in Gambit comes to mind (MacLaine, Asian? People are seriously trying to argue that White Chicks, a film directed by a black man which sees two black FBI agents have to go undercover as a pair of rich white women, should also be cancelled or removed from streaming services because it is "racist against white people". Neither of the Wayans Brothers are attempting to mock white people or portray them as something evil – the white characters do all that for them. May 30, 2018 in General Discussions. The New York Times, November 29, 1940, p.26, How Czar Peter the Great Married Off His Moor, Kake Walk at UVM digital collection, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Libraries, "March 1, 1949: Louis Armstrong's Reign As King Zulu", https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2020-06-10/ant-and-dec-apologise-saturday-night-takeaway-sketches/, Evans’ Release – Ethan Skolnick's Season Ticket – Sun-Sentinel, Blackface still dominates pop culture - but feigning ignorance is no longer an excuse, http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2006/articles/1142225472.php, "The Theatre: Scarlet Sister; Red Apples", "Scrubs Blackface Episodes Scrubbed From Hulu", https://www.thefader.com/2016/07/29/skit-that-killed-chappelles-show, "Billy Crystal's Oscar-Night Sammy Davis Jr. Impersonation Draws "Blackface" Criticisms", "Danson's appearance in blackface at Goldberg roast draws criticism", "Bamboozled: Spike Lee's masterpiece on race in America is as relevant as ever", "Was This The Most Embarrassing Moment In Jewish Cinema History? But one of the things that makes Olivier's "Othello" must-see viewing is the story that the great actor studied the funky movements of … Think big anyway.". This is clearly not an issue, despite what some would like to make out. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Comedian Had a Long Career in Minstrel Shows, Vaudeville", "What white America will never understand about blackface", "Soul Man' Just Goes To Show Discrimination Isn't Funny", http://amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/7/jimmy-kimmel-oprah-winfrey-jimmy-fallon-chris-rock/, "Kimmel, Fallon avoid Ralph Northam controversy in late-night monologues; both have histories using blackface in skits", "Matt Lucas and David Walliams apologise for "playing characters of other races" in 'Little Britain, "Pigmeat Markham, Comedian Extraordinaire", "Herbert Nadal, 83, Dies. They give the film a freshness, immediacy and audacity that would have been impossible to achieve with any other narrative voice. All Rights Reserved. But one of the things that makes Olivier's "Othello" must-see viewing is the story that the great actor studied the funky movements of his friend Sammy Davis, Jr. to prepare for the role.

In his 2004 review of the movie for New York Magazine James Hannaham wrote: White Cargo is the interesting and revealing story of Britain's White Slaves and indentured servants who were shipped to the American colonies prior to the birth of the USA. Written by Don Jordan (tv producer and director) and Michael Walsh The white characters in the film aren't dehumanised in anywhere near the same way that black people are when white people wear blackface. If there had been roles of doctors, judges, businessmen etc... and many others offered to and played by minorities, those embarrassing ones might not have been noticed.