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Black Network
''The Black Network'' is an American short musical film released in 1936 that was directed by Roy Mack and released through Vitaphone. It is extant. Synopsis Nina Mae McKinney plays the star performer of a radio show who must contend with the wife of a sponsor who wants to take over her spot. The wife, Mezzanine, is more than willing to use her husband's shoe polish company to blackmail the show to do as she wishes. Ultimately Mezzanine's singing is so terrible that listeners complain and she is taken off the show, the status quo restored. Cast * Nina Mae McKinney * The Nicholas Brothers * The Washboard Serenaders * Babe Wallace * Amanda Randolph as Mezzanine Johnson Production ''The Black Network'' went into production at the Brooklyn Vitaphone studios during December 1935, starting on December 7. Nina Mae McKinney and The Nicholas Brothers were announced as the film's stars; they had previously worked together in the 1932 Roy Mack film ''Pie Pie Blackbird''. The film, whic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roy Mack (director)
Roy Mack (December 14, 1889, New Brunswick, New Jersey - January 16, 1962, Los Angeles, California), born Leroy McClure, was an American director of film shorts, mostly comedy films, with 205 titles to his credit. Born and raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey, he attended New Brunswick High School.Baltin, Will"Roy Mack - Another New Brunswick Boy Who Has Made Good" ''The Central Jersey Home News'', May 23, 1937. Accessed August 10, 2020. "Folks don't know him as Leroy McClure in the entertainment world, but rather as Roy Mack.... But few know that Roy is a New Brunswick boy who has really accomplished much in the world of make-believe.... He attended Bayard School and then entered the old high school on Livingston avenue where the present Roosevelt Junior High stands." Selected filmography *'' Bubbles'' (1930) with Judy Garland * ''The Silent Partner'' (1931) *''Pie, Pie Blackbird'' (1932) with the Nicholas Brothers and Eubie Blake *''Rufus Jones for President'' (1933) with Ethel W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nina Mae McKinney
Nina Mae McKinney (June 12, 1912 – May 3, 1967) was an American actress who worked internationally during the 1930s and in the postwar period in theatre, film and television, after beginning her career on Broadway and in Hollywood. Dubbed "The Black Garbo" in Europe because of her striking beauty,Bourne, Stephen. ''Nina Mae McKinney: the Black Garbo''. BearManor Media, 2011. McKinney was both one of the first African-American film stars in the United States and one of the first African-Americans to appear on British television. Biography Early life McKinney was born June 12, 1912, in Lancaster, South Carolina, to Georgia Crawford and Hal Napoleon McKinney. Shortly after McKinney's birth, her mother often hid from her abusive husband in the house of Colonel Leroy Springs (of Springs Industries), for whom she worked as a domestic. By 1920, Crawford relocated to Savannah, Georgia, to work as a cook for Cynthia Withers, her daughter Irene, and other white lodgers. McKinney s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Nicholas Brothers
The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their unique interpretation of a highly acrobatic technique known as " flash dancing", they were also considered by many to be the greatest tap dancers of their day, if not all time. Their virtuoso performance in the musical number "Jumpin' Jive" (with Cab Calloway and his orchestra) featured in the 1943 movie '' Stormy Weather'' has been praised as one of the greatest dance routines ever captured on film. Growing up surrounded by vaudeville acts as children, they became stars of the jazz circuit during the Harlem Renaissance and performed on stage, film, and television well into the 1990s. Diminutive in size, they were appreciated for their artistry, innovation, and soaring leaps. Early lives Fayard Antonio Nicholas was born October 20, 1914, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
