Film

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Lena Horne Celebrates 90

Celebrating her 90th birthday, Lena Horne, entertainer extraordinaire, was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 30, 1917.

She was a 16-year-old chorus girl at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club in 1933.  Horne’s legacy includes success with radio, movies, television, records, and Broadway.

Her first big Broadway role was in the 1957 production of “Jamaica” with Ricardo Montalban.  As a singer, she’s won 3 Grammy Awards.

Horne has appeared in 16 Hollywood feature films.

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Posted by Hugh Smith on 07/04 at 12:02 AM
Music • Film • History • Entertainment • (0) Comments • Permalink

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist

In an age of specialization, Paul Robeson was known as a true “Renaissance Man."

He spoke or read over 20 languages, including Russian and Chinese.

Robeson may have been the most internationally famous African American in the 1930’s.  He carved out a lasting legacy as a world class artist, activist, singer, actor, lawyer, and athlete.

A Phi Beta Kappa Rutgers University graduate and a Columbia Law School graduate, Robeson was the first African American “All American."

He shifted his focus from the arts to social causes in the mid 1930’s when he became involved in the labor movement.  A 1934 visit to the Soviet Union was the first of his many international trips.

Paul Robeson was denied a passport by the U.S. Government between 1950 - 1958 because of his growing outspoken sympathetic views towards communism.

Mr. Robeson was an extraordinary talent and humanist.

Robeson’s legendary performances include roles as Shakespeare’s Othello, and Eugene O’Neill’s Emperor Jones.

He also left a lasting impression in the stage version of Porgy and Bess.  In Hollywood, he starred in Showboat, and King Solomon’s Mines.

There’s a new 2007 DVD box set, Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist, featuring highlights of his amazing film career.

The box set also contains an incredible compilation of all things Robeson, including the audio of a 1958 radio interview he granted to Pacifica.

Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist is an outstanding DVD box set appropriate for an intimate introduction to a man who is a unique personality among black history people.

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Posted by Hugh Smith on 04/18 at 07:15 PM
Civil Rights • Film • History • Entertainment • Sports • (0) Comments • Permalink

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

100 Screen Icons of Black History

100 Black Screen Icons is a new website that spotlights 100 of the most significant black personalities in film and television.

You can vote on your favorites in four different categories through June 29, 2007.

The new site is sponsored by the United Kingdom Film Council and the BBC.

Personalities in the poll are not just the usual suspects...

  • Denzel Washington
  • Halle Berry
  • Ousmane Sembene
  • Oscar Michieux
  • (British actors) Ashley Walters, Sophie Okenodo, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Adrian Lester

Amanda Nevill, Director of BFI, a co-sponsor of the site, says: “We believe the 100 Black Screen Icons website will not only promote the cultural and creative importance of black professionals in film and television, but will also inspire young people globally in the future to pursue a career in film and television."

"It is our hope that the website will become a definitive guide to black film, as well as an educational learning resource and entertaining medium which can reach a huge range of audiences all over the world."

The nominations have been compiled with the help of experts including directors, actors, writers and technical innovators.

Nominees come from the U.K., Europe, North America, Africa and the Caribbean.

Put 100 Black Screen Icons to the history test and vote for your favorites.

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Posted by Hugh Smith on 04/11 at 07:00 PM
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Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Spike Lee Directs Cinema Forward at 50

Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 20, 1957.  Spike’s family moved to New York City in 1959 for employment opportunities for his jazz bassist father, Bill Lee.

Spike Lee graduated from Morehouse College in 1979, then studied film at New York University.

Lee’s 1983 student film, We Cut Heads, was screened at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City as part of the New Directors/New Films Festival.

We Cut Heads was also broadcast on public television in 1983-1984.

Spike’s first successful commercial hit, She’s Gotta Have it, premiered at the San Francisco Film Festival in March, 1986.

Lee’s vision is to make realistic movies for and about real African American people that stimulate, provoke, and entertain.

His success in films School Daze, Jungle Fever, and Do the Right Thing, have paved the way for other contemporary African American directors, including: Mario Van Peebles - New Jack City, John Singleton - Boyz N the Hood, Matty Rich - Straight out of Brooklyn, and (Lee cinematographer) Ernest Dickerson - Juice.

When the Levees Broke, Lee’s acclaimed 2006 documentary about Hurricane Katrina, was featured on both HBO and public television.

Spike Lee’s entire filmography is available at imdb.com.

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Posted by Hugh Smith on 03/21 at 09:00 AM
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