Welcome to People of Color in Classic Film--a blog dedicated to People of Color who made contributions to (particularly, but not exclusively) American film and television between the Silent Era and 1980.
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).
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
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.
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.
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! :)
Thank you for dropping by to read the first post of People of Color in Classic Film's newest segment, "That's Old News!". Below is a collection of five news stories from past Septembers.
************ "Bill (Bojangles) Robinson Dances in "Brown Buddies" at Ford This Week" (The Baltimore Afro-American--September 27, 1930)
By Carl Van Vechten
With his 30 years of experience, Mr. Bojangles outshines his co-stars in the musical-comedy stage show, Brown Buddies. Read more... ************ "Anna May Wong's Start Wasn't Very Auspicious"
(The Milwaukee Journal--Thursday, September 24, 1931)
Piccadilly star, Anna May Wong recounts her journey to and through Hollywood with The Milwaukee Journal. She also shares a beauty secret of hers! Read more here... ************ "A Talk with Nina Mae McKinney"
(The Age--Saturday, September 25, 1937)
Bright-eyed beauty, Nina Mae McKinney talks stage fright, Hollywood, and the late Jean Harlow in this article from the Australian newspaper, The Age. Click here to read the article. ************
"Story of Clarence Muse: From stage and first talkies to television"
(The Washington Afro-American--Tuesday, September 1, 1953)
Clarence Muse recounts his entertainment career with The Washington Afro-American and also gives some advice to the up-and-coming Black actors. Read about it here... ************ *Warning: The following article is a report on death*
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"Dorothy Dandridge Found Dead in Her Apartment"
(The Palm Beach Post--Thursday, September 9, 1965)
The Palm Beach Post sadly reports the news that actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge passed away in her Sunset Strip home at the age of 41*. Read more about it here.
(*Dorothy Dandridge was 42 when she passed, not 41) ************ Links to these newspaper articles were used for educational purposes only.
Unless stated otherwise, all of the above photos were obtained from Wikipedia. If the rightful owner(s) of any of these images wish to have them removed, please contact me and I will do so immediately.
If you've read the 'About Me' section of this blog, you'll know that I'm born and raised in Virginia--Richmond, Virginia to be more specific--"Cap City", Capital of what used to be known as "The Confederacy". We've got a memorial to Jefferson Davis, statues of Generals Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson, and also a memorial dedicated to the late tennis great, Mr. Arthur Ashe.
Arthur Ashe Memorial
Richmond, Virginia was also home to two legendary pioneers of entertainment: Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Charles Sidney Gilpin.
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
"Bojangles" was born Luther Robinson on May 25, 1878 in Richmond, Virginia. In 1885, both of his parents died--his father from chronic heart disease and his mother from natural causes--leaving Luther and his younger brother, William to be raised by their grandmother, Bedilia, a formerly enslaved woman. Ms. Bedilia was ill and unable to raise the boys (and according to some sources, she wasn't interested in raising them either).
How did Luther Robinson become Bill Robinson?
Luther Robinson actually hated his birth name and legend has it that he bullied his little brother, William, into giving him his name--thus, at a very young age, Luther Robinson became Bill Robinson (and William changed his name to Percy). Bill Robinson began dancing--"hoofing" rather--at local beer gardens and he soon dropped out of school to make a career out of his hobby. By the time he'd reached his mid-late teens, Bill Robinson had become a hard-working vaudevillian.
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Even through serving in two wars (first as a drummer boy in the short Spanish-American War of 1898, later as a rifleman during World War I), Bill Robinson's career gradually blossomed throughout the early half of the 20th century. He'd gone from being a vaudeville favorite to a Broadway favorite--and later would become a beloved on-screen performer.
Watch Mr. Robinson do his famous "Stair Dance" below:
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson died on November 25, 1949 of heart failure. He was 71 years old.
His funeral was arranged and paid for by his friend, Ed Sullivan (Mr. Robinson had fallen on hard times in the later years of his life) and held at the 369th Infantry Regiment Armory near Harlem (the Infantry he served with during WWI). About 32,000 people attended the services and the eulogy--given by Adam Clayton Powell, Sr.--was broadcast over the radio.
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Charles S. Gilpin
Charles Sidney Gilpin was born on November 20, 1878 in Richmond, Virginia. Before finding a career in theatre, young Charles had found work as an apprentice for in the Richmond Planet print shop. At the age of 18, he left Richmond to join pursue a long-lasting stage career. However, like other performers, he had to work odd jobs for financial stability. While establishing a career as an actor, he also worked as a barber, a printer, a boxing trainer, an elevator operator, and a railroad porter. He also sang in a few choruses.
Charles Gilpin began taking on dramatic roles in 1907 when he performed with Robert Mott's Pekin Theater in Chicago. Then, he left Robert Mott's Theater in 1911 to tour the US with the Pan-American Octetts. In 1915, he joined the Anita Bush Players (later known as The Lafayette Players--a stock company that would help to launch the careers of many black actors, including Gilpin). A salary dispute would cause Mr. Gilpin to leave Bush's company, but his reputation with them would garner him roles on Broadway. First (in 1919), he was hired to play the role of Rev. William Curtis in John Drinkwater's play, Abraham Lincoln and soon after, he was cast in his defining role--the lead in Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones.
The 1920 role of Brutus Jones made Charles Gilpin a Broadway star. It also made him the first African-American to be named by the Drama League of New York as one of ten people who'd done the most for American theater that year. In 1921, he was awarded the NAACP's Spingarn Medal and was also honored at the White House by President Warren G. Harding. In 1922, the Dumas Dramatic Club (now known as the Kamaru Players) of Cleveland renamed itself the Gilpin Players.
Unfortunately, when The Emperor Jones closed on Broadway after 204 performances, Charles and Eugene O'Neill began having a dispute over the constant use of the word "ni**er" in the play. Gilpin insisted that O'Neill change the word and O'Neill refused. When The Emperor Jones was revived in 1924, Charles Gilpin was replaced by up-and-coming entertainer Paul Robeson.
The disappointment of losing his landmark role drove Mr. Gilpin to drink. Although he worked in two films in 1926 and 1927, he never worked on the Broadway stage again. His health declined rapidly and he passed away on May 6, 1930 in Eldridge Park, New Jersey. He was 51 years old.
The Scar of Shame (1927) featuring Charles Sidney Gilpin is currently available on Youtube.
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The Richmond Natives Honored:
In 1933, while visiting his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, Bill Robinson spotted two children who were having a hard time crossing the street to retrieve a ball. Witnessing this made Mr. Robinson pay to have a stoplight installed at the intersection. A statue dedicated to Mr. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was sculpted in aluminum by Jack Witt and erected by the Astoria Beneficial Club at this same intersection (on the corner of Leigh and West Adams streets) in 1973. You can ride down this street today and see "Mr. Bojangles" smiling at you.
Gilpin Court, the public housing projects in Richmond's Jackson Ward neighborhood were completed in 1943. My own paternal family is deeply rooted in the great Jackson Ward area, as well as in and near the public housing apartments named after Charles Sidney Gilpin. There's been a lot of talk about redevelopment over the years--as it usually is for areas like this.
I hate to get political all of a sudden, but if you ask me, not only do the people of the once-thriving area deserve better, but the legacy of Charles Gilpin deserves way better as well. That's all I will say.
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All of those interested in American History, Black American History, Entertainment History, Black Entertainment History, etc.--come visit my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Go ride through the Historic Jackson Ward area (you should visit during the annual 2nd Street Festival) to see where legends were born and where legends grew up.
Special thanks to one of my high school teachers, a commentator and follower of this blog who gave me the inspiration and idea for this post! Thanks for following, Mr. Smith!
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I do not own any of the photos in this post. In order to credit the sources in which I obtained the above photos, I added custom watermarks with their URLs. Photos without watermarks were obtained from Wikipedia. If the rightful owner(s) of any of these images wants them removed, please contact me and I will do so as soon as possible.--Adrienne
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