That's Old News! (#10)

There's no video this time around, but this month's collection of articles are inspired by our featured star for the month of November, Mr. Lawrence Chenault. All of the articles below are on performers who appeared in race movies.

(Links to articles are attached to their respective titles)

************

"Chenault Stricken By Loss of Friend" 

The Afro American - Sept. 8, 1928

This previously shared article on Lawrence Chenault reports the details on the actor's sudden collapse after a stage performance. Mr. Chenault, who'd recently lost a good friend, ventriloquist Johnnie Woods, was ordered to rest for a year.

************

Arnold's 'Dope' From the T.O.B.A. Circuit

Subheading: "Stars Leave for Chicago"

(by B.W.F. Arnold, Director of Publicity - T.O.B.A.)

The Afro American - Apr. 25, 1925

Evelyn Preer and Edward Thompson in The Melancholy Dame (1929) [posted by ~Kicha~ on ipernity]

Lafayette Players and real-life couple, Edward Thompson and Evelyn Preer, received praise for their work on the theatre circuit in this 1925 Afro American article!

************

"Tondaleyo Plans Legit Comeback"

The Afro American - Apr. 12, 1947

PHOTO OF TONDALEYO ON FLICKR

Dancer/actress Tondaleyo had been out of the spotlight for months before this article in The Afro American was published.

************

"Lucia Moses is the Beautiful Star in "Scar of Shame""

The Afro American - Apr. 6, 1929

Lucia Lynn Moses in The Scar of Shame (1927)

Lucia Lynn Moses received rave reviews in Europe for her performance in The Scar of Shame. It appears that the Prince of Wales was quite taken with her beauty, as well.

************

Riding the Airwaves 

with Edgar A. Thompson (BCL)

Subheading: "Stepin Fetchit"

The Milwaukee Journal - Mar. 31, 1938 

Stepin Fetchit in 1959 (from Wikimedia Commons)

Still a "star" of Hollywood at the time that this article was published, The Milwaukee Journal reported that the controversial actor would be appearing at a neighborhood playhouse with a band and an all-black revue. 

************

I hope you found this month's edition of That's Old News! to be quite informative! See you next month! :)

************

The images used in this post are being used for informational purposes only. If the rightful owner(s) of any of these images wishes to have them removed, please contact me, and I will do so.

--Adrienne

The Versatility and Importance of Lawrence Chenault

Our 'Star of the Month' as the mischievous "Yellow-Curley Hinds" in Body and Soul (1925) 

So far, I've seen our Star of the Month play a self-hating and white-passing black man in The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920), a kind and influential man of the upper class in The Scar of Shame (1927), and a "pipsqueaky" criminal in Body and Soul (1925). One black man playing more than one (or two) kinds of characters in 1920s/1930s film was a rarity. 

One may say that colorism plays a part in this--as light-skinned black actors tended to fill the majority of a race movie's cast--especially as the protagonists. 

For this (and also because he was mostly an actor of the stage), we must thank Oscar Micheaux (and others) for casting this man in numerous movies. We must also thank the groups of people who, in more recent years, began uncovering the previously "lost" race films. Without these people, we would not know the greatness that was Mr. Lawrence Chenault.


************

Lawrence Chenault as "Jefferson Driscoll" in The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920)

Like many race film performers, Lawrence Chenault was given the opportunity to play something other than a servant or a down-and-out bluesman/woman; and as expressed before, not only was he able to play "something" other than the roles usually given to black actors (in Hollywood)--he was able to play many things other than the usual: the aforementioned white-passing man (who managed a hotel), the criminal, the upper class citizen--and the unmentioned (and unseen since the 1920s) role as a cowhand in The Crimson Skull (1922). 

With only three films seen so far, I've come to hate a Lawrence Chenault character (Symbol), love one (Scar), and find humor in another (Body and Soul). What's even more amazing about his performances is that while he was able to portray such different characters, he still managed to bring his own signature style and dignity to each one--much like what Denzel Washington has done over the last two or three decades. To put it in a clearer perspective, let's say that The Symbol of the Unconquered was Chenault's Training Day, The Scar of Shame his Antwone Fisher, and Body and Soul his Malcolm X (Part 1). 


************

Lawrence Chenault is a man and a performer--whose praise is long overdue. For the reasons mentioned above (and more), I've wanted to pay tribute to him for a long time. I'm still searching for more information on his personal life and more on his career. Unfortunately, my search has ended with few results, but I don't think it's impossible to uncover that information--and I am a firm believer in the power of the internet (and books, of course). 

Chenault as a grieving "Ralph Hathaway" in The Scar of Shame (1927)

In the mean time, let us shine a light on the name Lawrence Chenault--for it has been in the dark for far too long.


************

Previous Posts

November Star of the Month announcement

Appreciation Post

The images used in this post are screenshots from their respective films. They are being used for informational purposes only. If the rightful owner(s) of any of these images wishes to have them removed, please contact me, and I will do so immediately. 

-- Adrienne

Star of the Month: Lawrence Chenault - Appreciation Post

The first post dedicated in honor of November 2014's 'Star of the Month', Mr. Lawrence Chenault! 

*Full Credits List (IMDb)*

Below is a list of links to films featuring the unsung screen and stage performer:

The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920) 

In this film, Lawrence Chenault plays "Jefferson Driscoll", a white-passing hotel manager with a hatred for the Black race.

Fan trailer for The Crimson Skull (1922)

Lawrence Chenault played the role of "Bob Calem", a cowhand who wears a skeleton costume to scare a gang of outlaws who have begun to wreak havoc on the range.

Body and Soul (1925)

Lawrence Chenault played "Yello-Curley' Hinds--the Phony Reverend's Former Jailmate". 

The Scar of Shame (1927)

Lawrence Chenault played the role of "Ralph Hathaway", an affluent man and potential father-in-law to one of the lead characters. 

Ten Minutes to Live (1932) 

Lawrence Chenault played the role of "Gary Martin". 

Star of the Month Social Media Posts: Ruby Dee (October 2014)

For those of you who don't use social media, here are the images and videos of Ruby Dee that were shared on Facebook and Twitter: 

Clip of her award nominated/winning performance in American Gangster (2007)

For this role, Ruby Dee was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She was also nominated in this category for the Awards Circuit Community Awards, the Image Awards, and the Satellite Awards. She won for the African-American Film Critics Association and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also won the Alliance of Women Film Journalists' award for "Hanging in There Award for Persistence". [IMDb] 

************

Screenshot from The Afro American newspaper (Aug. 31, 1946):

I actually shared this photo on social media in September.

************

Profile photo for Facebook and sidebar photo for POC in Classic Film blog:

From Wikimedia Commons

************

With Sidney Poitier and Lou Gossett, Jr. during a stage performance of A Raisin in the Sun (1959):

From Wikimedia Commons

************

Photos of Ruby Dee with her first husband, Frankie Dee Brown, and others:

From FamousFix

I wonder what publication these photos are from? Perhaps a Johnson publication? The text looks very Jet, to me.

************

Here is the playlist of videos that were shared during the "Ruby Dee Movie-Viewing". However, I closed the Watch2Gether room after about 20 minutes, because no additional viewers showed.

************

I hope you all enjoyed the posts for this month! I promise to "bring it" a little better as each month passes. 

Our Star of the Month for November is an unsung actor of the stage and screen, Mr. Lawrence Chenault. [Post]

Star of the Month (November 2014): Lawrence Chenault

This month, People of Color in Classic Film will pay tribute to Lawrence Chenault, an unsung performer of the stage and screen.

Screenshot of a scowling Lawrence Chenault as "Jefferson Driscoll" 
in The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920)

Posts

"Appreciation Post"

"The Versatility and Importance of Lawrence Chenault"