Race Films

In the early days of the film industry, for most American silent films, minorities were generally played by white actors in make-up. When actual minorities were cast, roles were generally limited. Latinos in silent films usually played greasers and bandits; Asian-Americans played waiters, tongs and laundrymen; and blacks usually played bellboys, stable hands, maids or simple … [Read more...] about Saturday Open Threads: The History of Race Films

It's nearly impossible to see some of the earliest movies by African-American filmmakers. Many have been lost or destroyed. Those that have survived are often held by private collectors or stored away in old film archives. More than a dozen of those movies, though, are part of a film restoration project — Pioneers of African-American Cinema — by independent film distributor … [Read more...] about Thursday Open Thread: The History of Race Films