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A History of Black Film: Introduction Throughout the motion picture industry's more than one-hundred year history, there have been many aspects that have been added to the mtion picture. One of the aspects that deemed most memorable and most rewarding was that of the black character. Trhoughout the years, the black character has been portrayed as a servant, not knowing his place in society. The next decades brought about glamorous and lively entertainers whose familiarity gave way for the first black stars to emerge. Then came the black militants of the 60's and the black movie boom of the 70's. Today black roles have evolved into diverse, dignified roles which show the whole spectrum of the black person as a whole. The blacks on film have truly come a long way. |
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The Early Days In 1903, Edwin S. Porter made a motion picture unlike any other ever made. Without even knowing it, he added a new dimension to the American cinema. The movie, UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, introduced the first black character ever seen on film. However, Tom was not portrayed by a black man. Rather, a white man in blackface played his character, a common practice of the day. This marked the beginnings of the black character in the motion pictures, a character that would continue to rise and become more distinguished as the years continued. |
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The picture shows James B. Lowe, the star of Uncle Tom's cabin. (see end for credits) |
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