BLACK in WHITE films. 🖤

 The first time I knew of Cleo Sylvestre was when I saw her obituary in The Guardian newspaper. I was amazed at her career and achievements. She was the first black actress* to star at The National Theatre, the first female singer to record with the Rolling Stones and was made an MBE in 2023.  In 1964 she had a hit with the record " To know him is to love him " which I happen to have on a compilation vinyl album in my collection. However Cleo decided to pursue an acting career. She went to school in Camden, North London and attended The Italia Conti Acting school which used to be in Stockwell, South London. Looking back I saw her in many TV shows but did not know her name.  Ms Sylvestre I apologise for not learning about you until 2024. RIP. (I don't use actor for females).

  I have never really taken to musicals, I like a couple of them but people bursting into songs can sometimes be annoying. Its due to this fact that I have never seen Lena Horne in a film. I like her voice and have two of her records on vinyl. I was particularly proud to read she was the first African American to serve on the Screen Actors Guild. Hats off to the Lady in Red.

 I have only seen Mr Oscar Polk in two films;  Gone with the Wind (1939) and Reap the Wild Wind (1942). He played a slave in Gone with the Wind and a slave sailor in Reap the Wild Wind. Both roles had nick names synonymous with enslaved black men. Pork and Salt Meat.  I admire the way Polk played both parts as quiet obedient men with dignity. Previously he had appeared in several stage productions. It is a shame he was killed in a road traffic accident in 1949 as he could have given us so much more in his promising career.

Many years ago during a television documentary the British Director Alex Cox said when he and his then girlfriend settled in to watch a old film they would have a friendly bet on how long into the film before the black guy was killed or falsely accused of a terrible crime.  Of all the thousands of old films I have watched only twice has the plot involved a false accusation of rape and in both films the accused men were black. The most famous of all is of course  To kill a Mockingbird  (1962).  Strode had a small part as a chariot carrier in  The Ten Commandments( 1956) then appears as the best friend in  Spartacus  (1960).  In the film  Sergeant Rutledge  (1960) Strode played the lead role. The plot again centres around a false accusation of rape. Unusually in this film for a accused black man his innocence is proved when another man confesses. He was the dignified man servant Pompey in The Man   Who Shot Liberty...

  Mr  Edmund Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. When I first read about Edmund Lincoln Anderson I was delighted to learn he was the first African American to be in a radio show as a regular member of the cast. The Jack Benny Show was aired on television from 1950 to the 1965. “Rochester” was the name of his character in the show. There is a story that despite his face begin recognised across American he was still asked to leave a hotel because he was black. He checked out as asked and so did the entire cast in a show of solidarity. I don’t remember him in Gone with the Wind but during his career he appeared in over sixty films. Usually as you would expect, playing a porter or chauffeur except the film The Green Pastures in which he played Noah! Anderson invested his earnings well and became quite wealthy. At one time he was America’s highest paid African American actor and was on the 100 wealthiest African American list in 1962. He liked racing and owned horses.

One Saturday afternoon some years ago I watched a film called ' All The Fine Young Cannibals '. By the closing credits I was gob smacked, why had I never seen this film before? I looked online to purchase on DVD or video but no luck. To my knowledge it has not been shown on TV since.  Like too many black artists Ms Bailey is hardly known; a real shame she was a great talent and won awards for her stage performances including Hello Dolly!  Come on Queen Latifa where is your a biography of Ms Bailey, you could play her with relish.