This article was originally written about programming for the TCM Now Playing newsletter in September 2024.
In 2019, prolific author, historian, professor and TCM friend Donald Bogle released Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers, an overview of Black contribution in films from the silent era through Black Panther (2018). The book has recently been turned into a four-part television documentary directed and produced by Justin Simien, the writer and director of the 2014 film Dear White People and its accompanying television series. As the subject of the documentary, Bogle’s book and historical knowledge frame candid conversations with writers, actors, historians and filmmakers about Black images onscreen throughout cinema’s history. In celebration of Bogle’s legacy and wealth of knowledge, Bogle joins Ben Mankiewicz on September 5 to present a night of diverse stories starring Black actors.
An instructor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the University of Pennsylvania, Bogle specializes in books concerning African Americans in film and television. His other books include the groundbreaking Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films; Brown Sugar: Eighty Years of America's Black Female Superstars (updated in 2007 to include over 100 Years); and Heat Wave: The Life and Career of Ethel Waters. Bogle has enjoyed a close association with TCM and was honored with the Robert Osborne Award at the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival for his achievements in keeping the cultural heritage of classic film alive. Bogle was also one of the commentators for the seven-part documentary series on the history of Hollywood titled Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood (2010). Below are the films he’ll discuss in connection with our night celebrating Hollywood Black.
Carmen Jones (1954) stars Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll and Brock Peters, and is directed by Otto Preminger. Based on the opera Carmen, Dandridge plays a sultry vixen whose romance with a young soldier has dangerous consequences. Dandridge received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, making her the first Black woman ever nominated in that category.
Sidewalk Stories (1989) is an independent drama written, directed and starring Charles Lane. The film is an homage to Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid (1921) and tells the story of a young street artist in New York who takes in a toddler after her father is murdered. The film screened at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received an ending applause break lasting 12 minutes.
Lost Boundaries (1949) concerns itself with the subject of “passing.” Based on a true story, it follows a Black family who moves to New Hampshire and builds a life while passing as white. Produced independently by Louis De Rochemont, the screenplay received honors at the Cannes Film Festival. Featured in the cast are Canada Lee, Mel Ferrer and Beatrice Pearson.
The Emperor Jones (1933) stars Paul Robeson as an opportunistic former Pullman porter who is arrested for killing a man. He soon escapes to a small Caribbean island where he establishes himself as emperor and eventually a tyrant. Distributed by United Artists, the film proved controversial for the Hays Code and is still considered controversial today.
The Mighty Quinn (1989) is a mystery/thriller/buddy comedy starring Denzel Washington and Robert Townsend. Washington plays a cop in the Caribbean attempting to clear the name of his childhood friend, played by Townsend, who has become a suspect in the murder of a millionaire. Named after a Bob Dylan song, Washington received high critical praise for the role including from Dylan himself.
