Hollywood Black by Donald Bogle

Hollywood Black
The Stars, The Films, The Filmmakers
by Donald Bogle
TCM and Running Press
Hardcover ISBN: 9780762491414
264 pages
May 2019

Amazon — Barnes and Noble —Powell's

“Hollywood Black presents a gallery of important talents, both in front of the camera and behind it – actors, actresses, writers, directors, producers – who struggled against the odds to make unique statements on-screen.” - Donald Bogle

If ever there was a primer on the history of African American cinema, Hollywood Black by Donald Bogle is it. This new book out from TCM and Running Press offers a comprehensive look at the contributions made by black performers and filmmakers from the birth of cinema to the present day. Bogle offers insights, breaks down misconceptions and fills in the gaps of knowledge. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about black film history whether they know little or a lot. It offers a bounty of information without being overwhelming. The hybrid format of a coffee table book meets non-fiction history book makes it as approachable as it is educational.

For me context is key and Hollywood Black offers that it in its chronological approach to telling the history of African American cinema. We learn about the trends, the milestones, the movements, the struggles and how far we've come and how far we still have to go. Each chapter is devoted to a particular decade from the silent era to modern day. We learn about how black representation in film changed and evolved through the Great Depression, WWII, the Civil Rights movement, etc. Within each chapter are themed essays with a focus on one or two particular players.

Subjects discussed include:
Stepin Fetchit
Bill Bojangles Robinson
Hazel Scott
Theresa Harris
Herb Jeffries
Clarence Muse
Hattie McDaniel
Lena Horne
Dorothy Dandridge
Ruby Dee
James Edwards
Ethel Waters
Sidney Poitier
Harry Belafonte
Eartha Kitt
Sammy Davis Jr.
Cicely Tyson
Pamela Grier
Melvin Van Peebles
etc.

Each decade is given equal amount of coverage which becomes a problem when we get to the 1970s and beyond because there are many more movies and filmmakers to discuss. However it's necessary to include every decade to appreciate the depth and breadth of this history.

Hollywood Black features a foreword by the late, great John Singleton which I found to be quite touching. This is book would serve as a fine addition to any home library but could also be great for an introductory course to African American cultural or film studies.

If you want to learn more about how the book is structured, watch my video book review below. And make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel! I'm trying to reach the milestone of 1,000 subscribers and every little bit helps!

You can hear me chat about Hollywood Black and other film books with Carl Sweeney host of The Movie Palace Podcast here.




Thank you to TCM and Running Press for sending me a copy of Hollywood Black to review.

This is my third review for the Summer Reading Challenge.

Cinema Shame: Xanadu (1980)

This post is sponsored by DVD Netflix.

When I was crafting my Cinema Shame list for 2019 Xanadu (1980) was the first film that came to mind. A roller skating disco fantasy? Yes, please! If you're unfamiliar with Cinema Shame make sure you visit the official website for details. Cinema Shame is a way to challenge yourself to watch those movies you've been meaning to but haven't gotten around to yet. My challenge for this year is to watch 10 films from my birth year 1980.

Directed by Robert Greenwald, Xanadu follows the story of Sonny Malone (Michael Beck), a painter/designer who has a chance encounter with the beautiful and elusive Kira (Olivia Newton-John). What he doesn't know is that she's not a real girl. She's one of the nine muses and has appeared in his life to inspire him. Sonny works an unfulfilling job at an artist's studio. One day when his overbearing boss becomes too much for him Sonny heads out to the beach where he meets clarinet player Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly). Danny was a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra and has a passion for big band music. Danny and Sonny become fast friends and we learn that Danny had his own Kira/muse back in his day. As Sonny begins to fall for Kira, she holds back but stays with him long enough to inspire him to collaborate with Danny. Together they combine their love for big band music and rock n roll and transform an abandoned auditorium into a roller skating disco palace.

Xanadu is loose adaptation of Down to Earth (1947). The story takes place in Hollywood and was filmed there as well as in Beverly Hills, Malibu and Venice Beach. The run down auditorium in the movie was the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in Fairfax. The intention was to drum up interest in the building to fund its restoration and give it a new life. Much like what happens in the film. Unfortunately Xanadu tanked at the box office and the Pan-Pacific eventually fell into more disrepair. After a series of small fires, a large one destroyed it for good in 1989. Xanadu is essentially the last hurrah for this gorgeous Art Deco building.

Xanadu is total confection. The film explores themes of old versus new and the timelessness of imagination and creativity. It's 100% ridiculous. Very little of it makes sense and the only reasons you should be watching it are for Gene Kelly, Olivia Newton-John, music by the Electric Light Orchestra, a couple of the musical numbers and to take a time travel trip back to 1980's SoCal.

I hate to single out a particular person for the downfall of a movie but Xanadu would have been 10 times better without Michael Beck. Singer Andy Gibb was slated to play Sonny Malone but had to drop out. Gibb's known drug abuse problems might have been a factor. So they found an Andy Gibb look-a-like instead. Gibb could sing, dance and had charisma, all of which Beck lacked. Olivia Newton-John is left to her own devices in several song and dance numbers. Gene Kelly comes to the rescue for a couple of them but Beck is pretty much useless. It's not his fault really. He wasn't the right fit for this role. They really should have nixed the idea of finding a Gibb look-a-like and went with a song-and-dance man instead.

"Just pretend it's 1945." - Kira

"I don't have to pretend. It is 1945 all over again." - Danny

As someone who loves 1940s culture, I was surprised to see how much that decade played in this otherwise very 1980s movie. Kelly and Newton-John have a love tap dance/big band number with Newton-John dressed in a WWII service uniform. Danny lives in a silent film star's old mansion and his passion for big band is juxtaposed with modern day rock n roll. Also I'm one of those weirdos who lives for the 1980s interpretation of the 1940s. That decade's style made a comeback in the '80s and in the big band/rock n roll song and dance number the '40s costumes are vintage with a modern twist. So fun!

Have you seen Xanadu? What did you think about it?

Disclaimer: As a DVD Nation director, I earn rewards from DVD Netflix. Xanadu (1980) is available to rent on DVD Netflix.

GIVEAWAY: Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen

A couple of months ago I attended Book Expo in New York City and I was on the look out for some good classic film books. Author Robert Mazen was there to promote his new biography on Audrey Hepburn. As a treat for my readers, I grabbed a sign copy to give to YOU!

About the Book:

Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II 
by Robert Matzen
400 pages
GoodKnight Books
April 2019

From the publisher: Twenty-five years after her passing, Audrey Hepburn remains the most beloved of all Hollywood stars, known as much for her role as UNICEF ambassador as for films like Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Several biographies have chronicled her stardom, but none has covered her intense experiences through five years of Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. 

According to her son, Luca Dotti, “The war made my mother who she was.” Audrey Hepburn’s war included participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor’s assistant during the “Bridge Too Far” battle of Arnhem, the brutal execution of her uncle, and the ordeal of the Hunger Winter of 1944. She also had to contend with the fact that her father was a Nazi agent and her mother was pro-Nazi for the first two years of the occupation. But the war years also brought triumphs as Audrey became Arnhem’s most famous young ballerina. Audrey’s own reminiscences, new interviews with people who knew her in the war, wartime diaries, and research in classified Dutch archives shed light on the riveting, untold story of Audrey Hepburn under fire in World War II. 

Also included is a section of color and black-and-white photos. Many of these images are from Audrey’s personal collection and are published here for the first time.

*****GIVEAWAY*****

RULES AND REGULATIONS

• Must be 18+
• Open Internationally
• Maximum 3 entries (one required and two optional) per person
• Must provide e-mail address in comment.
• False or incomplete entries will not be accepted.
• Contest ends Wednesday July 31st at midnight EST.
• 1 winner will be selected and contacted via e-mail. I will also announce the winner in this post.
• Prize is one autographed copy of the book.

HOW TO ENTER

• REQUIRED: Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite Audrey Hepburn movie is AND why you love it. Make sure you leave your e-mail address too so I can contact you if you win.
• OPTIONAL: For one additional entry, follow my movie themed Instagram @QuelleMovies and in your comment leave your Instagram user name.
• OPTIONAL: For one additional entry, subscribe to my YouTube channel Out of the Past and in your comment leave your YouTube user name.

You can leave one comment with 1-3 entry options. Doesn't have to be a separate comment for each entry. I will edit out e-mail addresses and user names after the contest is over.

 Good luck!

***CONTEST IS OVER***

The winner is Amanda O.! 

Thank you to everyone who entered. Disqus wouldn't allow me to edit out the information so I copy and pasted the valid entries below and deleted the comments.

Amanda O. - Honestly for me it’s a toss up between “Roman Holiday” and “Charade” for my favorite Audrey film. Roman Holiday was the film that really got me into classics. I rented it when I was probably 13 or 14 and just fell in love with it and Audrey. And it led to me watching other classic films and falling in love with other classic actors and actresses. So it will always be special to me. My other favorite, “Charade”, is a comfort movie for me. No matter what mood I’m in or how bad a day I’m having that scene when Cary Grant showers with his clothes on always cracks me up and makes me happy and my day better. I love it so much! Thank you for having such a fun and interesting blog! I always look forward to your posts! 

Gillian K. -  I LOVE all of Audrey's films but if I had to pick one, I'd say Sabrina as it has an interesting plot twist, her character is so adorable and what a wardrobe she obtains in Paris! 

Helena G. - Audrey Hepburn is my all-time favorite actress. I absolutely cannot pick just 1 favorite film, but for this contest, I will explain how much I love her first starring role: Roman Holiday. She played an enchanting princess who wanted to experience normal life and was able to do so briefly before returning to her duties. The final scene where she stops being diplomatic to tell the press that Rome has her heart (and to let her love interest in the film know her true feelings) is legendary. She held her own alongside Gregory Peck and won an Oscar for her portrayal of strength alongside vulnerability, which I feel is the hallmark of her acting career and explains her passionate advocacy for UNICEF, since she had to be strong while a most vulnerable child during WW2. 

debra512 - My favorite Audrey Hepburn movie (even though I love so many), is Two For the Road. I loved her chemistry with Finney, I loved how mature and different it was for the time and for her. I also loved the theme song. She was so natural and funny and lovely.. I wish I could enter the other two but I don't like giving out social media names on other forms of social media for contest purposes- so sorry! But I would love the book as I think that time in her life shaped her so much and want to know more.