AudioMo Day 22 Mantan Moreland

In movies, there wasn't just blackface. There was yellowface too. The Charlie Chan movies always had the character Charlie Chan performed by a white man. 

There various sons and daughters were portrayed by Asian actors.  At some point, someone at Monogram Studios decided it was a good idea for Mr. Chan to have a driver called Birmingham Brown.

Before Charlie, we have to talk about Mantan Moreland.

AudioMo is an international participation of folks that want to share what they can do with the audio format. This is a captioned audio for those folks that are deaf, hearing impaired or English is not their native language.

For more information:

Today I Found Out - Mantan Moreland

Yellow Face - History of Yellow Face in American movies

Same Passage page on the actor

AudioMo Day 21 - Amos and Andy Radio Show

The history of the Amos and Andy radio show is all about uncomfortable history. But uncomfortable history doesn't exempt you from knowing about it. 

This team pioneered a form of storytelling and method of syndication. On the other hand, they brought every trope that was in minstrel and vaudeville performances to a national audience. 

 

AudioMo is an international participation of folks that want to share what they can do with the audio format. This is a captioned audio for those folks that are deaf, hearing impaired or English is not their native language.

For more information:

This Old Radio Show page on the radio and television show.

Underground History for a different point of view.

The Jim Crow Museum page on the program.

AudioMo Day 20 Arthur Wilson AKA Dooley Wilson

You might know Dooley Wilson from the movie Casablanca. But there is a lot more to learn about this performer.

He started and worked with the first professional black theater group. That he traveled across the county and to Europe as a singer and had his own band.

Wilson was under contract with Paramount Pictures. Who the proceeded to cast him as the porter, the driver and characters with one word names that spoke no more than two or more lines.

But in 1942 that changed with the movie, Casablanca.

For more information:

IMDB page on Dooley Wilson

New York Amsterdam News Article on Dooley Wilson with info about his early days and career journey.

AudioMo Day 19 Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry

You might not know the name of Lincoln Perry but you might recognize the name of Stepin Fetchit. Mr. Perry's career is the living proof of being between and rock and a hard place.

This is a brief look at his career and some of the challenges he faced. If you would like to know more:

Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, “Stepin Fetchit,” The Rise And Fall Of The First Black Super Star, 1902 – 1985

The “Stepin Fetchit” via the Actors Under the Stars website.

Turner Classic Movies did a review about the movie Judge Priest that had both Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel as featured players.

AudioMo is an international participation of folks that want to share what they can do with the audio format. This is a captioned audio for those folks that are deaf, hearing impaired or English is not their native language.

AudioMo Day 18 Start of Black Cinema

With the Hayes code and Jim Crow in effect, the ancestors decided to make their own movies. They started out with short films but soon were making full length films. 

 

AudioMo is an international participation of folks that want to share what they can do with the audio format. 

This is a captioned audio for those folks that are deaf, hearing impaired or English is not their native language.

AudioMo Day 17 The Hays Code

1930 was the creation of the Hays code, which dictated what you could and could not do in movies. 

One of those things was a reduction in the amount of love and sexuality that could appear in a Hollywood movie. TLDL, not much. 

AudioMo is an international participation of folks that want to share what they can do with the audio format. This is a captioned audio for those folks that are deaf, hearing impaired or English is not their native language. #AudioMo #History

AudioMo Day 16 The Decline of TOBA

There are forces that are causing the downfall of TOBA and black vaudeville. There is that pesky technology, the great depression and an audience that is exercising their right of choice.

AudioMo is an international participation of folks that want to share what they can do with the audio format. This is a captioned audio for those folks that are deaf, hearing impaired or English is not their native language.

AudioMo Day 15 Al Jolson and the Journey

Al Jolson is a time marker between the past and the future. He had extensive experience in vaudeville as well as traditional theater. He did that using his blackface persona on stage. In 1929 he appeared in the first sound movie, The Jazz Singer.

 

AudioMo is an international participation of folks that want to share what they can do with the audio format. This is a captioned audio for those folks that are deaf, hearing impaired or English is not their native language.