A movie about a light skinned black actress, passing for white during the thirties threw fifties, might be a good idea. The character would live in fear her secret would somehow get out. There would be the danger of like "Hollywood Confidential" and "Hush Hush"or other such tabloid magazines finding out about her background. If she was seen often socializing with other blacks it might draw suspension about what she really is. There would be the chance a relative or a friend, from the old neighborhood, might show up and inadvertently betray her identity. Even if she is light skinned subtle things like hair texture might give her away. She would have to carefully straighten it herself, when her hair "started going home" or find a stylist who would keep her mouth shut. Above all if she tries to help another black person get a brake in showbusiness she might become the subject of gossip about what she really is. While there was never any real evidence Dinah Shore was black and the stories the she was were started by racist who didn't like the fact she often featured black entertainers on her TV show during the fifties.
In any case if she were found out her career would be ended or at least minimized. There was the motion picture code rule against real mixed couples that remained in effect until 1956. Also the roles usually given to blacks were stereotypical. What roles could a seemingly white black actress play; a maid, African native? Lena Horne, Fredi Washington and Nina Mae McKinney never achieved the success they would have had they been willing to pass.
Beyond the scandal resulting from her secret becoming public knowledge if she was married and her husband wasn't also a light skinned African American they might also have been legal trouble before 1947. It was in that year that the California Supreme Court ruled the states law against interracial marriage unconstitutional. Before that many mixed couples went north to the state of Washington or another state, in order to get married, but the legality was always ambiguous. Well know thirties Asian actress, Anna May Wong lived with a man for years because she couldn't marry him legally in California.
The only movie I can think of, about passing for white in Hollywood, was an independent film entitled "Illusions", in which Lonette McKee (who produced the movie) played a producer, during the early forties, who feared it would get out that she was black. In real life Ms. McKee never considered passing though she played many characters who did. During a New York Times interview about the role of Julia, in "Show Boat", she said if she had been born a generation earlier passing for white might have been one of the few options opened to someone like her.
People really did pass in Hollywood. Carol Channing kept the fact her father was part black secret until she was in her eighties. Merle Oberon not only covered up the fact she was part East Indian, but had her mother, who was obviously East Indian, pose as her maid. There's always been speculation about Ava Gardner although she was probably part Native American; not black. Of course there is all that weird Viperman 007/Mermaid77 stuff, spamming these boards, about Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and, my personal favorite, Brit Ekland really being black, but little of it should be taken seriously. Still there may have been some who gave up an important part of themselves in order to realize their dreams.
As for the character's background she would have two light skinned parents like Colman Silks in Philip Roth's "The Human Stain". One white and one light skinned (biracial) black parent could work to, but mixed couples were not that common during the thirties and forties. She would have a darker skinned sister who would disapprove of her dissuasion to pass. She would start out as a "white" blues singer in the mid west before winding up in Hollywood.
Who would play the main character. If this was twenty years ago I would say Lonette McKee. Back then she looked like Fredi Washington and brought the dark realities of her own background to the mixed characters she played in "The Cotton Club" and on stage in "Show Boat". She could still play the characters light skinned mother. As for the central character herself I would cast Jolene Blolock. She acknowledges coming from a a biracial background and yet is often perceived as white which would make her perfect for the role. Paula Patton would be perfect in the role of the disapproving sister.
A good title would be "The Sunny side of the Street" since the song is from the thirties and many think its about passing.
People are just getting dumber, but more opinionated-Ernestine (Silks) in "The Human Stain"
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stareyes24
16 years ago
I actually think that's a great idea, but I just found out about a film called Angelitos Negros from 1948 and starring a very famous Mexican actor, Pedro Infante, about a white woman who has a strong hatred for colored people and when her own daughter comes out black, she is disgusted and treats the child with remorse. It's only until the very end that she finds out that she's mixed, when she learns that her Nana, an older black lady who works as a housekeeper and nanny, really is her mother and when Nana dies in her arms, she learns to accept who she really is. It's a very sad story and I just discovered it tonight. If that would be remade now, I would like to see someone like either Emmy Rossum or Scarlett Johansen play the role. BTW, you can even find the movie "Angelitos Negros" here on imdb.
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andrewwjohnson
16 years ago
According to Wikipedia screen writer Joselito Rodriques based the script of "Angelios Negros" on Fannie Hurst's "Imitation of Life". Like Peola/Sarah Jane in the two American versions the woman in the story comes to except her racial identity after her mothers death (In the novel Peola leaves for South America with her white husband and doesn't return; even for her mother funeral.)however since American concepts like "tragic mulattoes", legalized racism (Jim Crow) and the one drop rule didn't exist in Mexico where a large part of the population has some Indian and or African ancestry the story is more about class then race. The women, in the movie, doesn't know she is none white and looks down on dark skinned people as lower class. When she gives birth to a baby with black features she blames her husband for it and rejects the child. When the family's black housekeeper tells her that she is her mother, before dying in her arms, the main character came to except her background and that of her daughter. This was much different from Sarah Jane, in the last version, who always knew she was black and told her mother she never wanted to see her again the last time they were together.
While this movie could be remade in Mexico and in many other South American countries as well I doubt if it could be done in the United States. Racism, past and present, is just too different here.
People are just getting dumber, but more opinionated-Ernestine (Silks) in "The Human Stain"
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Sweet_T0209
11 years ago
Awesome idea and well written! Brilliant idea. I hope a film maker read your comment and give you credit. I would watch that movie.
Are you talking about a remake in general or a remake for today? I do think if a remake was made based on our current society they would have to make it relevant. America currently has a biracial black president in addition to famous biracial actors/actresses; therefore creating a plot in which the main character is trying to pass would be over the top. The only way it would not if the movie had a setting dating back to the 30's-70's. Otherwise the content of the plot would have to be relevant to today.
One idea that came to me is the issue of being biracial versus black alone. This topic is controversial because many still view biracials as being solely black even the ones who are biracial themselves such as Obama. An interesting plot could be about a young girl who is the product of a white woman and a black man. Her parents are in an interracial relationship and they receive a whole lot racism from both sides. This young girl tries to fit in with both parts of her heritage while growing up. She tries to fit in with her black side but she is not considered black enough. And then she tries to fit in with her white side but she is still considered black or just not white enough. One day her talent is discovered and she makes it big. During the process there have been many attempts to persuade her to immolate one part of her culture and denying the other part. At the end she embraces the fact that she is biracial, that she is neither white or black, and she finds her place. When she finds herself she is criticized by blacks saying she is denying who she is. She receives a lot of hate from both black and white actresses. She overcomes the criticism by being who she really is. Like the movie "Queen" by Alex Haley, this actress will go on a serious odyssey such as being in a tumultuous relationships with black and white men. She loses friends. She goes through all these struggles until she gets to the top.
A TWIST: ANOTHER plot could be an actress who is a product of a biracial black woman and a white man who try to pass as being exclusively white but falls on her face when she is reminded by people in her life and Hollywood that she has been "tainted". Similar to the journey of Sarah Jane except this actor will be exposed to the underground of racism in Hollywood.
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