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Friday, February 26, 1999

Hollywood figures erase acting barriers

FILM: African Americans fight for exposure within movie industry, unstereotypical parts

By Terry Tang

Daily Bruin Contributor

African Americans have always played a huge part in the movie-going population. Yet, it took many decades of determined, African American actors and filmmakers to convince a prejudiced, mainstream Hollywood that on screen, as well as off, black is beautiful.

Although today's studios count on leading African American stars such as Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson to draw in audiences and box office dollars, the pre-civil rights era shows a stark contrast. Stuck in a catch-22, African American actors rarely got exposure in the predominantly white Hollywood films. African Americans, moreover, usually were offered to play characters such as the loyal servant or the butt of the jokes.

But, the treatment of aspiring African American actors in show business was no laughing matter. Many African American entertainers who had the charisma of a Liz Taylor or a Cary Grant and refused to play stereotypes often lost out on ethnic and non-ethnic roles to their white counterparts. Some African American personalities will forever stand out in Tinseltown's black history as pioneers. Whether it was by humanizing their static characters or simply speaking out against racism, several African American actors helped break down racial barriers. Here are just some of the diamonds in the rough.

Hattie McDaniel (1895-1952):

Before stepping in front of the camera, McDaniel was one of the first African Americans to sing on the radio in 1915 as a vocalist in Professor George Morrison's Negro Orchestra in Denver, Co. After her first acting gig as a maid in "The Golden West," McDaniel was frequently typecast as a servant in many of her movies. The actress was still able to bring depth and feistiness to her lady-in-waiting roles and garnered the most attention of any African American showbiz figure from the mainstream and black press.

The actress undoubtedly made history in 1939 by being the first African American actor to be nominated and to win the Academy Award for her supporting role as Mammy in "Gone With the Wind." Amidst the controversy, McDaniel gracefully accepted her Oscar and saw her win as indicative of an age when all African American children could "aim high and work hard."

Paul Robeson (1898-1976):

Born the son of an ex-slave, Robeson was the first in his family to go to college. Also a graduate from Columbia University's law school, Robeson quit his law career after finding the racist atmosphere intolerable.

With his eloquence and natural warmth, Robeson decided to venture on to the stage. As a result, he became the first African American to play Shakespeare's Othello with an all-white cast, winning critical raves in both London and U.S. productions. And as the deckhand Joe in the theatrical and film incarnations of "Show Boat," Robeson turned the tune "Ol' Man River" into his signature song. But, beyond entertaining, the actor became an outspoken, left-wing protester of racial prejudice and publicly embraced communism. Besides refusing to sing in front of segregated audiences, Robeson used his clout to urge Congress to outlaw racial barriers in major league baseball. Although the entertainer spent the last part of his life black-listed for his pro-Communism speeches, he left an admirable legacy as a bold adversary of hate.

Dorothy Dandridge (1923-1965):

Beyond possessing sex appeal that rivaled Marilyn Monroe's, this mixed beauty had genuine talent. But, as an African American actress vying for roles in a time prior to the civil rights movement, Dandridge found it frustrating to encounter prejudice at every turn in order to land any challenging film roles. But in 1954, Dandridge made African Americans and whites sit up and take notice in the cinematic opera "Carmen Jones." Her performance as the title character made her the first bi-racial actor to earn an Academy Award nomination.

More than just a Hollywood starlet, Dandridge also won the limelight as the headline singer in nightclubs in big cities such as New York and Las Vegas. Ironically, the actress was not allowed to stay overnight in the very hotels she performed in.

In spite of dying from a barbiturate overdose at 42, Dandridge is still a legend in her own right. Her life story, starring Halle Berry, will be brought to HBO later this year and has provoked interest from the likes of Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Vanessa Williams.

Lena Horne (1917-present): Before becoming one of the top female jazz artists of all time, the music icon ventured from her native Brooklyn toward Hollywood in the early 1940s to pursue acting. In meetings with MGM studio heads, Horne initiated her own protest by openly refusing to play the stereotypical African American housekeeper, which appeared to be the only type of character available. As a result, many of her film stints were more like brief cameos which made editing them for white audiences easier. Horne still gained cinematic praise for her acting and singing in the movies "Cabin in the Sky," "Stormy Weather," and "Till the Clouds Roll By," and became an instant sex symbol for African Americans and whites.

Horne, united with the NAACP, took advantage of her fame and traveled throughout the South during the civil rights era to preach for equal rights. The songstress applied her principle of color-blindness to her personal life as well. In 1950, the blues diva publicly announced her three-year marriage to Lennie Hayton, a colleague at MGM who was white and was alienated by the Hollywood industry. Despite being outcasts, their marriage endured until Hayton's death in 1971.

Esther Rolle (1920-1998):

Probably best known for defining the African American family matriarch, Rolle commanded the small screen in the 1970s in Norman Lear's "Maude" and its spin-off, "Good Times," which centered on her "Maude" character, hardworking housekeeper Florida Evans.

Although the Emmy-winning actress had a passion for drama that touched back to her youthful start on the New York theatre stage, Rolle constantly paid attention to how African Americans were being portrayed. For example, before "Good Times" began filming, Rolle readily insisted to the show's producers that Florida not be another single, African American mother. The powers- that be listened to Rolle and wrote a devoted husband into the sitcom.

Her authoritative pluck also won parts in an impressive array of films, including "Driving Miss Daisy," "How to Make An American Quilt" and Spike Lee's "Rosewood." And while battling diabetes within the last six months of her life, Rolle managed to watch her last performance in Maya Angelou's "Down in the Delta." The actress, as evidence of her fighting spirit, was still reading scripts up to her death.

Harry Belafonte (1927-present):

To younger generations, he is just the guy who sang that snappy "Banana Boat Song (Day-O)." But, for many people, the name Harry Belafonte is attributed with acting, activism and good will.

Perhaps a sign of his long list of accolades to come, Belafonte won a 1953 Tony Award for his first Broadway performance in the musical "John Murray Anderson's Almanac." Soon after, he made his first film, "Bright Road" along side Dorothy Dandridge, his future co-star in "Carmen Jones." As her friend and fellow thespian, Belafonte sympathized with her plight of being African American and female in Hollywood.

Dandridge wasn't the only person who influenced Belafonte's desire to combat racism. His close friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. deepened the entertainer's dedication to march on Washington for civil rights, regardless of the possible damage to his career. Belafonte's efforts also earned an appointment by President John F. Kennedy as cultural advisor to the Peace Corps.

Meanwhile, the '50s and '60s also saw Belafonte as the first African American television producer and the first African American performer to grab an Emmy Award.

Soon approaching 71, the UNICEF ambassador is still going strong. After returning in 1995 from a 20-year break from film in the little-watched "White Man's Burden" opposite John Travolta, Belafonte is currently doing double-duty, acting and producing. Now, that's power.Black History Month

UCLA Film and Television Archive

Princess Kouka stars as Gara and Paul Robeson stars as Jericho Jackson in the 1973 film "Jercho."

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