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Jimmy Wright (actor)
Jimmy Wright was an American stage and film actor. A member of the all-black cast of the Voodoo ''Macbeth'' production directed by Orson Welles in 1936, Wright went on to star as 'Dollar Bill' Burton in ''Souls of Sin'', a 1949 feature directed by Powell Lindsay and produced by William D. Alexander that has been described as the last race film from a black producer. In 1980, credited as "Jim Wright," he played Father Brown in ''Personal Problems'', a "meta soap opera" directed by Bill Gunn and written by Ishmael Reed Ishmael Scott Reed (born February 22, 1938) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, composer, playwright, editor and publisher known for his satirical works challenging American political culture. Perhaps his best-known work is '' M ..., but died between production of the first and second episodes. References External links * ''Listing for "Souls of Sin"'' * ''Listing for "Personal Problems"'' American male film actors American male stage actors ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Voodoo Macbeth
The Voodoo ''Macbeth'' is a common nickname for the Federal Theatre Project's 1936 New York production of William Shakespeare's ''Macbeth''. Orson Welles adapted and directed the production, moved the play's setting from Scotland to a fictional Caribbean island, recruited an entirely Black cast, and earned the nickname for his production from the Haitian ''vodou'' that fulfilled the role of Scottish witchcraft. A box office sensation, the production is regarded as a landmark theatrical event for several reasons: its innovative interpretation of the play, its success in promoting African-American theatre, and its role in securing the reputation of its 20-year-old director. Background The Works Project Administration provided economic stimulus during the Great Depression, and under its aegis was Federal Project Number One, responsible for generating jobs in the arts for which the Federal Theatre Project was created. The Negro Theatre Unit was split into two halves, the "Contempo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. While in his 20s, Welles directed high-profile stage productions for the Federal Theatre Project, including an adaptation of ''Macbeth'' with an entirely African-American cast and the political musical '' The Cradle Will Rock''. In 1937, he and John Houseman founded the Mercury Theatre, an independent repertory theatre company that presented a series of productions on Broadway through 1941, including ''Caesar'' (1937), an adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar''. In 1938, his radio anthology series ''The Mercury Theatre on the Air'' gave Welles the platform to find international fame as the director and narrator of a radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel ''The War of the Worlds'', which caused s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Souls Of Sin
''Souls of Sin'' is a 1949 American race film written and directed by Powell Lindsay, and produced by William D. Alexander. One of the last of its kind, ''Souls of Sin'' has been described as a landmark film of the genre. Generally regarded as the last all-black film with a black producer, it was producer Alexander's final feature before his move to London, where he began making documentaries (he produced one further film with ''The Klansman'' in the 1970s). Plot Cast * Savannah Churchill as Regina * Powell Lindsay as Bad Boy George * William Greaves as Isaiah "Alabama" Lee * Jimmy Wright as Dollar Bill * Emery Richardson as Roberts * Billie Allen as Etta * Louise Jackson as Mrs. Sands * Charley Macrae as Mac Music Songs featured in the film include: * "The Things You Do to Me" – Savannah Churchill and Henry Glover * "Disappointment Blues” – William Greaves * “Lonesome Blues” – William Greaves Release ''Souls of Sin'' screened at the 1989 Galveston Film Fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Powell Lindsay
Powell Lindsay (19051987) was an actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on stage and film as well as a director and writer of theatrical productions in the United States. He's been described as the "muse of black social realism on film." He was friends with Langston Hughes and produced works highlighting the work of Hughes. He was married to June Lindsey (1920-2013) He died of cancer at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan on September 22, 1987. Theater Actor * ''Tobacco Road'' (1950 revival) Director * ''Big White Fog'' (1940 rendition of Theodore Ward's play) * '' Flight from Fear'' (1954) staged at Detroit's Masonic Temple * '' This is Our America'' (1956) Filmography * ''That Man of Mine'' (1946) * '' Jivin’ in Be-Bop'' (1946) * ''Love in Syncopation'' (1946) * ''Souls of Sin ''Souls of Sin'' is a 1949 American race film written and directed by Powell Lindsay, and produced by William D. Alexander. One of the last of its kind, ''Souls of Sin'' has been described as a landm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William D
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is sometimes abbreviated "Wm." Shortened familiar versions in English include Will, Wills, Willy, Willie, Bill, and Billy. A common Irish form is Liam. Scottish diminutives include Wull, Willie or Wullie (as in Oor Wullie or the play ''Douglas''). Female forms are Willa, Willemina, Wilma and Wilhelmina. Etymology William is related to the given name ''Wilhelm'' (cf. Proto-Germanic ᚹᛁᛚᛃᚨᚺᛖᛚᛗᚨᛉ, ''*Wiljahelmaz'' > German ''Wilhelm'' and Old Norse ᚢᛁᛚᛋᛅᚼᛅᛚᛘᛅᛋ, ''Vilhjálmr''). By regular sound changes, the native, inherited English form of the name should b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Race Film
The race film or race movie was a genre of film produced in the United States between about 1915 and the early 1950s, consisting of films produced for black audiences, and featuring black casts. Approximately five hundred race films were produced. Of these, fewer than one hundred remain. Because race films were produced outside the Hollywood studio system, they were largely forgotten by mainstream film historians until they resurfaced in the 1980s on the BET cable network. In their day, race films were very popular among African-American theatergoers. Their influence continues to be felt in cinema and television marketed to African Americans. The term "race film" is sometimes used to describe films of the period aimed at other minority audiences. For instance, the 1926 film ''Silk Bouquet'' (also known as ''The Dragon Horse'') starred the Asian-American actress Anna May Wong and was marketed to Chinese-American audiences. Financing and production African Americans produced ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Personal Problems
''Personal Problems'' is a 1980 film described as a "meta soap opera" directed by Bill Gunn and written by Ishmael Reed that depicts the life and personal relationships of an African American nurse (played by Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor) living in Harlem. The film was originally intended to be broadcast on television, but the public television network PBS and others did not pick up the soap opera. It was shown across the United States at smaller screenings throughout the 1980s until it found renewed popularity after a screening in the late 2000s at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The film was restored in 2018 by Kino Lorber and re-released at the Metrograph theater in New York City. The original soundtrack by composer Carman Moore was released for the first time in 2020 by Reading Group. Cast * Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor as Johnnie Mae Brown * Walter Cotton as Charles Brown * Sam Waymon as Raymon * Jim Wright as Father Brown Production Some of the characters in ''Person ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Gunn (writer)
William Harrison Gunn (July 15, 1934 – April 5, 1989) was an American playwright, novelist, actor and film director. His 1973 cult classic horror film ''Ganja and Hess'' was chosen as one of ten best American films of the decade at the Cannes Film Festival, 1973.Gunn, Bill (May 13, 1973), "To be a Black Artist'." ''The New York Times'', p. 121. In ''The New Yorker'', film critic Richard Brody described him as being "a visionary filmmaker left on the sidelines of the most ostensibly liberated period of American filmmaking."Brody, Richard (August 16, 2016)"The Front Row: Ganja & Hess" ''New Yorker''. Condé Nast. Filmmaker Spike Lee had said that Gunn is "one of the most under-appreciated filmmakers of his time." Gunn's drama ''Johnnas'' won an Emmy Award in 1972. Career A native of Philadelphia, Gunn wrote more than 29 plays during his lifetime. He also authored two novels and wrote several produced screenplays. In 1950, Gunn studied acting with Mira Rostova in New York's East Vi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Scott Reed (born February 22, 1938) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, composer, playwright, editor and publisher known for his satirical works challenging American political culture. Perhaps his best-known work is '' Mumbo Jumbo'' (1972), a sprawling and unorthodox novel set in 1920s New York. Reed's work has often sought to represent neglected African and African-American perspectives; his energy and advocacy have centered more broadly on neglected peoples and perspectives, irrespective of their cultural origins. Life and career Reed was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His family moved to Buffalo, New York, when he was a child, during the Great Migration. After attending local schools, Reed attended the University at Buffalo. Reed withdrew from college in his junior year, partly for financial reasons, but mainly because he felt he needed a new atmosphere to support his writing and music. He said of this decision: This was the best thing that could h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Male Film Actors
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports teams Soccer * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Male Stage Actors
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports teams Soccer * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
