Chapter One and Two Review

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Chapter One and Two Review

• Shayla Solomon,
• Courtney Tokarzyk,
• Korina Cecchetti,
• David Ganser

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Chapter One

• Black Beginnings

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Key Movies
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Uncle Toms Cabin

• (1903 Edwin S. Porter) This movie presented
  Americas first (none) black character.
• Blackface was introduced to film along with
  several images of black characters. There were
  several remakes of this film Universal Pictures
  filmed it in 1927.

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The Birth of a Nation

• (1915 D.W. Griffith) This controversial movie was
  condemned as the most slanderous anti-Negro movie
  ever released. It was longer than any film that
  came before it. The author shared several
  comments about the effect of this film. Some
  included the belief that this movie altered the
  entire course and concept of American
  moviemaking

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Other Movies Mentioned

• Ten Pickanninnies-1904
• The Masher-1905
• The Debt-1912
• Coon Town Suffragettes- 1914

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 Most Significant Media People
Edwin S. Porter
Sam Lucas
D.W. Griffith
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Edwin S. Porter

• Mechanic turned movie director, who was
  responsible for the original twelve minute Uncle
  Toms Cabin. He introduced the Tom character to
  the motion picture industry.

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William Robert Daly Sam Lucas

• Directed the fourth version of Uncle Toms Cabin
  in 1914. He is responsible for casting the first
  black actor in a title role.

• First black actor to star in a leading role in
  the film Uncle Toms Cabin in 1914.

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Harry Pollard

• Directed the 1927 remake of Uncle Toms Cabin
  which was filmed by Universal Pictures. Twelve
  years prior he filmed a similar version with a
  Caucasian character in blackface.

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James B. Lowe

• He was signed by Universal Pictures for the 1927
  leading role in Uncle Toms Cabin. Press releases
  were sent out in his favor to praise him for his
  outstanding job in the film.
• He was also sent to England to promote the film.
  He is also credited as the first black actor to
  be publicized by his studio.

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D.W. Griffith

• His controversial Civil War Drama, The Birth of
  a Nation changed the movie industry and history.
  
• First feature film to deal with a black theme and
  longest running film of its time.
• His film depicted images of the Klu Klux Klan and
  a variety of offensive anti-Negro characters.

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Most Significant Words or Terms
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• The Tom- This term was used to originally
  describe the leading character in Uncle Toms
  Cabin. The Tom was categorized as a Good Negro
  Character. Toms later appeared in a long line of
  stereotypical films. They were depicted as being
  generous, submissive, selfless, kind, stoic, and
  never turning against their master.

• The Coon- Depicted as an amusement object and
  black buffoon in film, there were two variants of
  the Coon.

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• The Pickaninny- Falling under the category of a
  Coon the pickanniny was the first of the two to
  make its screen debut. Characteristics of the
  picknniny included being harmless and full of
  antics. The pickanniny was portrayed by the Negro
  child.

• Uncle Remus- Characterized as being harmless and
  congenial, Remus is the cousin to Uncle Tom.
  Remus however is quaint, naïve, and comic
  philosophizing. Appeared abundantly in the 1930s
  and 1940s.

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• The Mammy- Closely related to the Coons,
  distinguished by her sex, independence, features,
  and leadership personality. Mammy is typically
  portrayed as fat, black, and cantankerous. Also
  seen as a caretaker of the white mans home and
  her own. Mammy debuted around 1914 in blackface
  in the film Coon Town Suffragettes. Her offspring
  is the Aunt Jemima image.

• The Tragic Mulatto- Often considered the movie
  makers darling, the tragic mulatto is a realistic
  view of the Old South. The offspring of a white
  slave owner and a black mistress. One of the
  mulattos earliest appearances was in the movie
  The Debt in 1912.
•  

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• The Brutal Buck- Closely categorized and related
  to the Black Brute. These characters were
  depicted in The Birth of a Nation as barbaric,
  physically violent, sexually repressed, subhuman,
  feral, and full of black rage.

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Most Significant Concepts/ Historical Events

• Blackface characters in film
• Stereotypical depictions of blacks
• Civil War/ Birth of a Nation
• Controversial anti- Negro Themes

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Chapter Two

• Into the 1920s The Jesters

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Key Movies
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The Greatest Thing in Life Free and
Equal

• Opened in 1915 it is about intermarriage and
  portrayed the black man as the villain

• Opened in 1918 depicting a heroic black soldier

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Our Gang 1922

• (little rascals) short films about black school
  children crew with cornball names of Farina
  Stymie and Buckwheat. Sunshine Sammy was known of
  the widening of his eyes and costarred Harold
  Lloyd who was the highest paid juveniles in the
  industry.

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Hearts in Dixie

• 1929 black musical and Hallelujah. 1929 brought
  the 1920s era to a close.
• Hallelujah was banned from the south because the
  southern folk were not ready for the leading
  roles to be an all African American cast.
• All the movies showed a huge impact on the
  contributions the black actor could add to the
  Sound era. All these films opened the door of
  opportunity that started out with a crash but was
  headed for a bang.

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Most Significant People In Media
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Stepin Fetchit

• started the jester idea and production of the
  jester era in the 1930s

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Director King Vidor

• He wanted to depict black in their true culture
  he produced Hallelujah which was on of the first
  movies of sound, and Hearts of Dixie.

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Nina McKinney

• First acknowledged black actress on the big
  screen.
• She was one of the light Skinned black leading
  ladies. Considered beautiful but America forgot
  about her after her film and she turned to the
  European Audiences for support.
• Farina wore pig tails character in Our Gang

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Hal Roach

• Produced Little Rascals and Farina one of his top
  child actors paved the way for other young black
  actors.
• No one knew if Farina was a boy or girl and that
  is how the director wanted it.

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Most Significant Words or Terms
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• pick ninnies
• mammy
• talkie era
• black face fixation

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Most Significant Concepts/ Historical Events

• The black face tradition had worn out its welcome
  in the industry. However the actors still needed
  to fit that profile to a degree. Some actors
  would even add more color to their face as a
  performer.
• The Birth of a Nation by Griffith was protested
  because there was an all white cast and the NAACP
  was defiantly there to protest this demeaning
  film.
• By the 1920s to think that a white person could
  be in black face and portray a black person was
  absurd and the demand for black actors for black
  roles started to become the obvious choice for
  Hollywood. The film that had this break through
  for black actors was The Jazz Singer, ironically
  it was the film that started black face.

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• 1927-1940 more parts became available for black
  actors talkies
• The talkie era proved to be the major breaks
  through for the black culture from 1927-1940 the
  number of black parts increased.
• Hollywood knew that movies would need music,
  rhythm dancing and singing. MGM a
• and Fox were two production companies that jumped
  on this opportunity.