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

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

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

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

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

"Blue Blowers on the Air"

The Afro American - April 9, 1927

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

"Flying - Rochester Learns to Pilot Plane"

The Afro American - Jul 6, 1940

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

*GIF set from Buck Benny Rides Again*

"New Million Dollar Film to Premiere"

The Afro American - Oct 29, 1938

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

"Universal Signs Carolyn Snowden"

The Afro American - Aug 14, 1926

Carolynne Snowden (posted by The Loudest Voice - Tumblr)

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

That's OLD News! (#14)

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

1929 (Lupe Vélez in The Pittsburgh Press)

1935: (Nina Mae McKinney in The Afro American)

1946 (Theresa Harris in The Afro American)

1955 (Kim Winona in Spokane Daily Chronicle)

1957: (James Edwards in Reading Eagle)

That's OLD News! (#13)

Today I present to you links to six different historic news articles. As always, I hope you find them informative!

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"Red Wing, Indian Princess of Old Movies, Now Earns Living Making War Bonnets" 

(The Milwaukee Journal - August 5, 1958)

Hollywood's first Native American star, Red Wing (born with the "Christian name" Lillian St. Cyr and sometimes referred to as "Princess Red Wing") retired from the film industry in the early 1920s. By 1958 (the year this article was published), she'd been making war bonnets, war shirts, beaded suits, and other Native garments out of animal skins and furs. Click the link above to read the article!

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"The Lincoln Moving Picture Presents "The Law of Nature" With an all Negro Cast featuring Noble Johnson"

(The Afro American - September 22, 1917)

Actor and film producer, Noble Johnson 
Source

Every week, The Afro American included the schedules of Baltimore's black theaters. In the (Saturday) September 17, 1917 issue of the paper, they revealed that the Lincoln Motion Picture Company's film, Law of Nature would be shown at the Regent Theatre on the upcoming Monday. Click the link above to see the full program, including the annoucement of the Law of Nature's showing.



Additional Information: The Lincoln Motion Picture Company was one of the first African-American-owned film production companies. It was founded in 1916 (some sources say 1915) by screen star, Noble Johnson, and his brother George. 

Also, the Regent Theater was opened on June 19, 1916 in Baltimore, Maryland. The theater originally seated 500. Read more about the historic theater here.


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"Claudia McNeil Role is Cited"

(The Milwaukee Sentinel - July 29, 1966)

Source

According to The Milwaukee Sentinel, stage and screen actress Claudia McNeil won the majority of votes for Plays and Players magazine's poll for "best feminine performance". 


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"No Stopping Run Run Shaw"

(New Straits Times - November 5, 1990)

Source

I love this article from the New Straits Times. In just a few minutes of watching and listening to him interact, reporters like Suraya Al-Attas were able to get a glimpse of who entertainment mogul, Run Run Shaw was, what film meant to him, and what he meant to film. 


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"Ben Powers Leads Talent - 'New Laugh-Ins' Being Hailed"

(The Victoria Advocate - July 9, 1977)

From article

In honor of an unsung talent who starred on my favorite television show (Good Times), Mr. Ben Powers. Read The Victoria Advocate's profile of one of Laugh-In's newest cast additions at the time.


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"Gossip of the Movie Lots and Nite Clubs"

(The Afro American - December 3, 1932)

From the article

Many-a "colored players" (including Mildred Washington, pictured above) had a job in Paramount's Marlene Dietrich vehicle, Blonde Venus. Click the link above to see just a few of the movie's black bit players and extras.


Additional Information: Blonde Venus was race movie queen, Evelyn Preer's last movie. She died of double pneumonia two (almost three) months after the movie's U.S. release. Mildred Washington, one of Hollywood's "beautiful maids" died of appendicitis almost a year after the movie's release.


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That's Old News! (#12)

Below are links to ten historic entertainment news articles:

• "Merle Oberon's Marriage Stranger Than Fiction"

St. Petersburg Times - July 29, 1945

Source

Famed columnist Louella Parsons didn't seem too enthusiastic about Merle Oberon's marriage to cinematographer and DP, Lucien Ballard. This union was Oberon's second marriage. Click the link above to read the article.

• "Hal Boyle Writes...Cantinflas Explains What Makes a Comedian" 

The Nevada Daily Mail - September 20, 1960

Cantinflas with Bing Crosby in Pepe (1960) - Source

Just as the article's title says, comedy legend, Cantinflas, explains to Hal Boyle what makes a good comedian. He also explains why he never took on a "serious role". 

• "You Can't Help Liking Ethel Waters, Her Hearty Laugh, Sparkling Eyes"

Ottawa Citizen - February 23, 1954

Accompanied photo in Ottawa Citizen

Radio and television editor for the Ottawa Citizen, Claude Hammerston, made a trip to Toronto just to interview the legendary Ethel Waters. He had a nice chat with her about her career, her opinion on television, her religion, and more. 

• "Howe Observes His 50th Year"

Toledo Blade - December 31, 1967

Source

James Wong Howe celebrated his 50th year as a Hollywood cinematographer while shooting The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1967) in Selma, Alabama. 

• "Eartha Kitt Casts Strange Spell On Stage"

Palm Beach Daily News - December 26, 1954

Even at the age of 26, Eartha Kitt had a confidence, frankness, and maturity that was well beyond her years. Click the link above to read her rags-to-riches story as originally told to the International News Service.

• "Sunshine Sammy: He Tells How He First Got Into the Movies"

The Afro American - February 4, 1933

Accompanied photo in The Afro American

Ernest "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison not only told The Afro American how he got his start in movies, but also how he got the nickname "Sunshine Sammy". He also talked about his love for the stage and what (at the time) kept him from returning to Hollywood. 

• "Theresa Harris on "Hollywood Hotel""

The Afro American - August 28, 1937

Source

Singer/actress Theresa Harris was a busy woman in 1937! Not only did she appear in four films released that year (one, Bargain with Bullets, aka Gangsters on the Loose is mentioned in the article), but one could also hear her voice in a radio adaptation of One Mile from Heaven. 

• "Nicholas Brothers: 50 Years of Footwork"

Schenectady Gazette - June 20, 1987

Source

Click the link above to take a short journey through Fayard and Harold Nicholas' 50-year career in show business.

• "New York to Call Anna Chang In Spring"

The Gridley Herald - November 19, 1924

Anna Chang pictured with Cary Grant in Singapore Sue (1932) (Source)

The Gridley Herald reported that the "Chinese Songbird of San Francisco", Anna Chang would be joining Irving Berlin's Music Box revue in Spring of 1925! Get all of the details in the link above.

• "Spencer Williams Back to Hollywood"

Washington Afro-American - January 24, 1950

Source

After spending ten years in Texas making independent pictures, Spencer Williams made his return to Hollywood in 1950. It's possible that he was returning to prepare for his new role in the Amos 'n' Andy TV series. Click the link above to view the small news story!

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I hope you found this installment of "That's Old News!" to be very informative! :)

Anna May Wong, the Star (Appreciation Post/That's Old News!)

As January nears its close, I'd like to honor our Star of the Month with an "appreciation post" and by also making her the sole subject of January's "That's Old News!" installment. 

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That's Old News! (January 2015)

From NoirWHALE

After working the stages and screens of Europe for a few years, Anna May Wong brought her stage talent to Broadway for the first time in 1930. Click here to read The Milwaukee Sentinel's rave review of her performance in On the Spot, a "Chicago gangster play". 

From The Red List

There always seemed (and seems) to be much interest in Anna May Wong's ethnicity and nationality. The November 3, 1934 issue of The Montreal Gazette featured an article that expressed awe over Ms. Wong's "strange combination" of East and West. Click here to read it.

From Explore Chinatown

A December 1936 issue of The Pittsburgh Press reported Anna May Wong's complaints about discrimination in Hollywood. The newspaper seemed to dismiss Ms. Wong's charges, however. Read the article here.

From the Google News Archive

*This news story might be triggering, for it contains some violent/graphic keywords. 

A March 1937 issue of The Bulletin reported physical threats against Anna May Wong, her father, and against Mrs. David O. Selznick's children by a "Dr. E.J. Foote" if the actress and the producer's wife didn't give him $20,000 each. Read more of the story here.

From Love HK Film

Anna May Wong and Philip Ahn were not only co-stars on a few films, but they were also childhood friends. Did a real life romance ever blossom between the two? They (somewhat) denied the rumors in an October 1937 issue of the Herald-Journal. Read it here.


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Anna May Wong Appreciation

Movies Online

Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words
(2013 documentary on YouTube)

Hollywood on Parade No. A-3 (1932) (YouTube)
(Anna May Wong plays herself in this short)

Hollywood Party (1937) (YouTube)
(After 8 minutes and 50 seconds of cultural appropriation abound, Anna May Wong emerges in part one of the upload of this short)

The Toll of the Sea (1922) (YouTube)
(Anna May Wong's first lead role)

The Thief of Bagdad (1924) (The Internet Archive)
(Anna May Wong appears as "The Mongol Slave")

Daughter of the Dragon (1931) (YT)
(Anna May Wong stars in this Dr. Fu Manchu film as "Ling Moy")

A Study in Scarlet (1933) (The Internet Archive)
(Anna May Wong stars in this Sherlock Holmes film as "Mrs. Pyke")

Limehouse Blues (1934) (The Internet Archive)
(Anna May Wong stars as "Tu Tuan")

Bombs Over Burma (1942) (IA)
(Anna May Wong stars as "Lin Ying")

Lady from Chungking (1942) (IA)
(Anna May Wong stars as "Kwan Mei")

Impact (1949) (IA)
(Anna May Wong appears in this Film Noir as "Su Lin Chung")


Television Appearance Online

"The Lady from South Chicago" - Adventures in Paradise (YT)
(Anna May Wong appears as "Madam Lu Yang" in this 1959 episode of Adventures in Paradise)


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Books

Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend (2012) 
(by Graham Russell Gao Hodges) 
(Google Books link)


Anna May Wong: A Complete Guide to Her Film, Stage, Radio and Television Work (2010)
(by Philip Leibfried and Chei Mi Lane)
(Google Books link)

Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story (2009)
(A Juvenile Nonfiction book written by Paula Yoo)
(Google Books link)


Anna May Wong's Lucky Shoes: 1939 Australia Through The Eyes Of An Art Deco Diva (2008)
(by Derham Groves)
(Amazon link)


The China Mystique: Pearl S. Buck, Anna May Wong, Mayling Soong, and the Transformation of American Orientalism (2005)
(by Karen J. Leong)
(Amazon link)


China Doll: The Imagined Life of an American Actress (2005)
(A playbook by Elizabeth Wong)
(Google Books link)



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I hope you found this post to be very informative! I like to think of myself as a champion of classic stars of color. I'm an admirer of their talents and I'm appreciative of the foundations they laid. Though I have a tendency to lament on their struggles and what they couldn't do, I try my hardest to help shine a light on the things they did do. That's really what People of Color in Classic Film is all about. 

Thank you all for being on this journey with me. Please share this post--as well as other posts/media on the worldwide web that relate to Anna May Wong. Let us forever remember her as the beautiful and super-talented legend and trailblazer that she was. 

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)

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"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.

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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!

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"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.

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"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.

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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. 

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

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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

That's Old News! (#9)

This is a very special edition of That's Old News!. 

Last year, I was first inspired to create "That's Old News!" after reading "Newsflash with Betty Grey", a component of Dominique Revue Productions' A Day in the Life of.... As you know, "That's Old News!" has mostly been a collection of links to articles in the Google News Archive, but that wasn't how I originally envisioned it. I'd actually envisioned it as an homage to vintage newsreels. 

The video I created for this month's installment of "That's Old News!" still isn't quite what I originally envisioned (I'm still trying to understand the ins-and-outs of the video editing software I used to make it), but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless! I wanted to share it with you all first before posting it on YouTube.

Without further ado, here it is! The October 2014 installment of "That's Old News!". 

Please give me your feedback! :)

*Made with Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11*

Article Links

"Hollywood Chatter" - Daytona Beach Morning Journal (Oct. 8, 1936)

"Laughter Show of 1937" - The Age (Oct. 6, 1936)

"Marva Forced Out of New Film by Infected Throat" - The Afro American 

(Sept. 28, 1946)

"Satchmo, Dot Dandridge on TV 'Festival' Oct. 6" - The Afro American 

(Aug. 11, 1956)

"'King' Cole Records Still Sell" - Times Daily (Oct. 29, 1967)

Photo/Video Sources

Shirley Temple photo

Keye Luke photo

Nina Mae McKinney (in Hallelujah!) photo

Tivoli Theater photo

Marva Louis photo

Nat "King" Cole photo (1)

Nat "King" Cole photo (2)

Video of Nina Mae McKinney in Sanders of the River (1935)

Video of Louis Armstrong and Dorothy Dandridge in Pillow to Post (1945)

Music

"Big John's Special" - Erskine Hawkins Orchestra (1936)

"Stompin' at the Savoy" - Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (1945)

"Mona Lisa" - Nat "King" Cole (1950)

That's Old News! (#8)

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1929 was a great year for Black-Americans in Hollywood! You had the Christie Film Company shorts, Hearts in Dixie, Hallelujah!, and more. But just as the doors had open, they were slowly pushed closed again. 

Clarence Brooks, an unsung legend of race movies, talked to a Chicago-based correspondent about the lack of roles for black actors. His words were featured in the Sept. 1, 1934 issue of The Afro-American. Read it here ("On the Air" by Charles I. Bowen).

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Joe Louis the entertainer???

Joe Louis
Photographed by Carl Van Vechten
From Wikimedia Commons

According to the Aug. 24, 1935 issue of The Afro-American, the Brown Bomber was set to join Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in a vaudeville show in September of 1935--either before or after his legendary fight against Max Baer. Get the details here ("Dapper Joe Louis to Make Vaude Tour With Bill").

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
Photographed by James Kriegsmann (New York)
From Wikimedia Commons 

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A big night for Harlem's theater community...

Richard Wright (1943)
Photograph by Gordon Parks
From Wikimedia Commons

Black theatergoers, performers, and playwrights of New York may have had September 6 circled on their 1940 calendars. According to this Aug. 24, 1940 issue of The Afro-American, the Playwrights' Company made plans for a grand debut on that date. 

Paul Robeson (1942)
Photographed by Gordon Parks
From Wikimedia Commons

The purpose of the company was to create a "professional theatre for Harlem"--one that could be compared to (or even surpass) the "Negro unit" of New York's Federal Theatre. Set to make appearances at the event were Richard Wright, Paul Robeson, and Hazel Scott.

Hazel Scott (1956)
Photographed by James Kriegsmann (New York)
From Wikimedia Commons

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Speaking of Joe Louis...

Marva Trotter Louis surrounded by Navy recruits (ca. 1941 - ca. 1945)
National Archives and Records Administration (Photographer Unknown)
(from Wikimedia Commons)

According to the Aug. 31, 1946 issue of The Afro-American, performer, model, and at this time, ex-wife of Joe Louis, Marva Trotter Louis signed on to star in the 1947 film, Boy! What a Girl!. The film was set to go into production on September 16th of that year. However, Ms. Louis didn't appear in the completed film. After the movie's completion, Marva would also fulfill a sixteen-week engagement at the Folies Bergère. Get all of the details here ("Marva Louis Gets Star Role in First Herald Film").

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A September wedding...

Promotional photo of Katy Jurado for San Antone (1953)
Republic Pictures (Photographer Unknown)
From Wikimedia Commons

Actress Katy Jurado and actor Ernest Borgnine set their wedding date for September ("...just as soon as my divorce becomes final," said Borgnine). The couple made plans to wed in Katy's native Mexico. Read more about it here in the May 26, 1959 issue of Ocala Star-Banner ("Ernest Borgnine Prefers Easy Way of Mexican Life").

Katy Jurado and Ernest Borgnine in a promotional photo for The Badlanders (1958)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Photographer Unknown)
From Wikimedia Commons

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I hope you found the eighth installment of That's Old News! informative! See you next month! :)