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Part 1: The Silent Era through The 1930s
Description A description of African American stereotypes in the silent era, beginning with an early adaption of Uncle Tom's Cabin. (Source: Small Steps, Big Strides, The Black Experience in Hollywood, Twentieth Century Fox, 1998). Author Donald Bogle describes the various stereotypes. (Source: Small Steps, Big Strides, The Black Experience in Hollywood, Twentieth Century Fox, 1998). The Birth of a Nation (1915) was a blockbuster and full of technical innovation, but it also contained numerous stereotypes. (Source: Small Steps, Big Strides, The Black Experience in Hollywood, Twentieth Century Fox, 1998). The rest of the 1920s. (Source: Small Steps, Big Strides, The Black Experience in Hollywood, Twentieth Century Fox, 1998). The Once Notorious St. Louis Blues (1929), starring the legendary "Empress of the Blues," Bessie Smith Ol' King Cotton (1930), contains a stereotypical plantation setting, but it also features a powerful baritone performance by George Dewey Washington. The most famous black actor in this era was Stepin' Fetchit. His legendary talent brought work for other black actors, but perhaps too brilliantly portrayed the stereotypical coon. (Source: Small Steps, Big Strides, The Black Experience in Hollywood, Twentieth Century Fox, 1998). Sunday Go To Meetin' Time (1936), Warner Brothers. Clean Pastures (1937), Warner Brothers Musical shorts were sometimes inserted just to fill out a film. They were often cut out for southern audiences. Here is the legendary Cab Calloway in Jitterbug Party (1934). Bill "Bojangles" Robinson proved that an older, desexed black man could be buddies with a young white girl, and do some amazing dancing. (Source: Small Steps, Big Strides, The Black Experience in Hollywood, Twentieth Century Fox, 1998). Paul Robeson stole and entire country in The Emperor Jones (1933). (Source: Small Steps, Big Strides, The Black Experience in Hollywood, Twentieth Century Fox, 1998). Women in the 1930s faces particular difficulty in breaking from stereotypical roles, especially the mammy caricature. Hattie McDaniel was the first black actor to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy in Gone With The Wind (1939). Despite the role, she gave a fiesty performance. Mammy may be a slave, but she keeps that difficult girl Scarlet in line with some tough love and logic. (Source: Gone With The Wind, 1939). As Sherman marches on Atlanta, the loyal "Toms" march out to defend slavery against the invading Yankees. (Source: Gone With The Wind, 1939). Scarlet deals ruthlessly with the wishy-washyness of young Prissy. (Source: Gone With The Wind, 1939
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