Breakout Black Actors and Actresses in Classic Movies
There was a time when segregation affected all aspects of society, reaching even into the movies we watch. A handful of performances by extraordinary artists challenged our social conventions and our perception of one another. These breakout performances from black actors and actresses broke down social barriers, challenged our social conventions, and introduced us to a talented group of actors who made history while practicing their art. So many performers struggled to work in a system rife with bigotry, and to present a positive image of African Americans to mainstream audiences. Sadly, today there still exists a dearth of complex roles for black performers, although the work of these and other performers has helped change this.
Hattie McDaniel: Controversial Trailblazer
Hattie McDaniel will probably always be best remembered as Mammy in the classic film Gone With the Wind. For this role, she was the first African American to win an Academy Award. She won the Best Supporting Actress in 1939, and it was not until 1989, with Denzel Washington's win for Glory, that another black actor was able to achieve this. McDaniel's accomplishments were not without their fair share of controversy. Many African Americans protested Gone With the Wind upon its release, pointing to McDaniel's performance as a perpetuation of a harmful stereotype. Because a large part of her acting career consisted of roles as a domestic, she too was criticizing for perpetuating hurtful and damaging stereotypes.
McDaniel was always hurt by the criticism she received during her lifetime. With the passing of time, McDaniel began to receive the credit she deserves for blazing a trail for those who have come after her. She sought to change the system from within, and strove to imbue all her roles with the humanity and dignity they deserved. And for this, she will always be remembered.
Dorothy Dandridge: Multitalented Pioneer
Dorothy Dandridge began her film career in 1941 in Lady From Louisiana, after many years as a successful vaudeville performer. Beautiful and talented, Dorothy Dandrige was one of the first African American stars of the theatre and cinema. Her film success culminated in Carmen Jones, for which she became the first African American to be nominated in a Best Actor category. But Dandridge soon became disillusioned with the film roles that she was offered. She tended to be offered roles of the exotic woman, the doomed mulatto. These one-dimensional roles caused her to seek work abroad, where she acted in many films, returning to America occasionally to act in film roles.
Ethel Waters: Bringing Blues to the Mainstream
Ethel Waters was born and reared in poverty, but perseverance and a love for performance and music brought her to widespread acclaim and popularity. She started performing as a child in church programs, and then became a star on the black vaudeville circuit. She became a popular performing in Harlem, where her unique vocal style caught the eye of Irving Berlin, who wrote the popular standard "Stormy Weather" specifically for her. Many people credit her for introducing urban blues to a mainstream audience.
In 1929 she made her cinematic debut in On With the Show! She went on to star in a number of popular "black" musicals. In 1949 she become only the second African American performer to be nominated for an Academy Award for Elia Kazan's Pinky (1949). Many people credit her for transforming the stereotypical "mammy" role into something more complex and three-dimensional.
Sidney Poitier: Talent and Dignity Incarnate
Sidney Poitier was born in Miami, Florida in 1927, but spent most of his childhood on Cat Island in the Bahamas. Sidney Poitier starred in a string of roles that were the complete antithesis to the minstrel roles that continued to be perpetuated on screen and on the stage. The 1950s were a breakthrough decade for black performers, and Poitier deserves much of the credit. His film roles include No Way Out (1950), Cry, The Beloved Country (1952), Red Ball Express (1952), Go, Man, Go (1953), The Blackboard Jungle (1955), Edge of the Night (1957), and The Defiant Ones (1958). All these films posed important social questions and challenged racism head-on. Poitier's intensity and poise as a performer helped pave the way for more realistic and complex portrayals of African Americans in film.
