![]() First edition cover | |
Author | James Baldwin |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Play |
Publisher | Dial Press |
Publication date | 1964 |
Media type | Theatre Script |
Pages | 158 |
Blues for Mister Charlie is James Baldwin's second play, a social commentary drama in three acts. It was first produced and published in 1964. [1] The play is dedicated to the memory of Medgar Evers, his widow and children, and to the memory of the dead children of Birmingham." [2] It is loosely based on the Emmett Till murder that occurred in Money, Mississippi, before the Civil Rights Movement began. [3]
Act I opens up with the Reverend Meridian Henry coaching negro students through their lines. They are interrupted by Parnell James, who brings them the news that Lyle Britten will be arrested for the murder of Richard Henry. When he leaves to inform Britten about his future arrest, the students talk amongst themselves about the struggles they face as black people.
The scene shifts to Lyle and his wife, Jo Britten, in their store. His wife brings up the death of Richard, fearful that her husband may go to jail because of a past transgression he had with another black man who died as a result of the confrontation. Lyle defends himself by claiming self-defense. When Parnell James arrives, Lyle assures both of them that they need not worry.
The scene shifts into a flashback with Richard and his grandmother, Mother Henry. He confronts her about the death of his mother whom he believes was pushed down the stairs, though Mother Henry claims she fell down by accident. Richard swears that he will protect himself from the white man at all costs, showing her a gun. Before she leaves, his grandmother pleads with him to get rid of the gun, but he takes it with him.
Soon after, Pete and Juanita, arrive to take Richard out to Papa D.’s bar. Richard brags to Pete, Juanita, and Papa D. about his exploits with white women showing them nude photos of the white women he supposedly slept with. They tell him to hide the photos so as not to cause trouble. Richard puts them away. Later, he confides in Juanita about his time up north and how he became a drug addict, hit rock bottom, and then became clean. Lyle arrives and asks Papa D. to make some change. He watches Juanita and Richard dancing, and on his way out he "jostles" Juanita. Richard and Lyle exchange words before Lyle leaves. Later that night, Richard returns home to talk with his father, the reverend, about taking the nonviolent route and hands over his gun.
The flashback ends, and the scene opens with Parnell returning to the church to reassure Reverend Meridian Henry that Lyle will be taken to court. But he also makes a point of saying that Lyle will not be convicted. Parnell tells the reverend to let the matter go. The scene ends as he departs.
Act II opens with Jo Britten and the white townspeople in her home. They discuss how frightened they have become of the black townspeople lately. Soon Parnell James arrives and gets into a debate with the white men over his paper and his place in the black community. Lyle arrives some time later, and the others continue to tease Parnell as he proposes to put black people in the jury at Lyle’s trial. The white townspeople soon leave, with only the Brittens and Parnell in the house. Lyle leaves to take a shower.
When Jo and Parnell are alone, she confronts him about her husband, Lyle, sleeping with Willa Mae who was the wife of Old Bill, the black man that Lyle had killed some years before. Parnell refuses to discuss it. Jo asks Parnell if he had ever loved a black woman. When he says yes, Jo says that it is possible that Lyle had loved Willa Mae and that he had killed Old Bill out of spite. She continues, saying that if it is possible that Lyle killed Old Bill, it is also possible that he killed Richard. Lyle returns with his son and passes him to Jo.
The scene changes to Lyle and Parnell in the store talking about Lyle’s relationship with Willa Mae. They also discuss the first time Lyle met Richard. Again, Lyle denies killing Richard. Jo arrives with their son, ending the discussion.
Another flashback occurs, showing Richard entering Brittens’ store despite Lorenzo telling him not to. Richard goes to buy two cokes for 20 cents, but only has a $20 bill. He has an awkward exchange with Jo Britten, she feels threatened, and Lyle, who had been in the backroom, enters and tells Richard to leave. Lorenzo, who did not enter the store, shouts for Richard to leave. Richard and Lyle continue to argue, and Richard knocks Lyle to the ground during the ensuing altercation, thereby humiliating Lyle in front of his wife. Richard leaves the store with Lorenzo, while Lyle issues a warning. The flashback ends, returning to Parnell and Lyle talking in the store.
Lyle slips up and describes how Richard’s body was left face down in high weeds. When Parnell asks how he knew that, Lyle claims to have read it in the newspaper. Parnell leaves soon after to go to Richard’s funeral, ending the second act.
Act III opens with Lyle’s trial; it has been two months since Richard’s death. Several people are called to take the stand as witnesses.
Jo lies about the events at the store and claims Richard attempted to sexually assault her. Papa D, the owner of the bar, explained that he witnessed Richard and Lyle leaving together one night when he was closing the bar. Lorenzo tells a simplified version of the events that transpired in the store and defends Richard's character saying he had "kicked" his drug habit. Lorenzo says Richard did not have nude photos of white women (because he did not know Richard had them). Juanita defends Richard saying he no longer does drugs and that she was trying to convince him to move North again and take her with him. Mother Henry and Reverend Meridian Henry both lie about Richard owning a gun. Parnell James defends Richard through his close friendship with Reverend Henry, but he refused to say Jo's version of the story was a lie, leaving the all white jury to believe it was true.
The court finds Lyle not guilty. Then, another flashback shows Lyle killing an unarmed, nonviolent Richard for refusing to apologize for the altercation in the store and then disposing of his body in the high weeds.
Back in the courtroom, Lyle tells Reverend Henry that he will never apologize for Richard's death. The play ends with the black characters leaving to go on a protest March, and a downtrodden Parnell joining them.
"Mister Charlie" is a phrase used by African Americans that refers to the white man. [2]
James Baldwin uses this play as a vehicle to address his issues with Christianity, a religion historically used to justify the enslavement of Africans. He argues that Christianity is a type of plague that “has the power to destroy every human relationship." [4] Through his character Lorenzo, he denounces it for its ability to be used to preach passivity while endorsing violence. [4] Lorenzo articulates the lack of empathy that Christianity has for the Black community, calling it “the white God” who ignores others’ suffering at the hands of the irrational. He accuses the reverend of praying to a god that only cares for those who are white and asserts that it is this god who is responsible for the destruction of Black lives. [5]
Baldwin challenges the common beliefs of morality between white people and Black people. With whites as the targeted audience, he associates his black characters with traits historically mainly given to white characters, such as “godliness, courage and braggadocio." [6] His white characters possess the weaknesses stereotypically attributed to Black people, such as “lust, lack of moral strength, and violence." [6] By situating his characters to reflect the opposite of what is expected by his audience, Baldwin places the viewers in a position to acknowledge the complexities of human nature. His restricting the white community to one dimension of human nature, as the white community does to the Black, compels the white audience to come face-to-face with how humanity may be stripped by the act of shrinking one’s complexities. [7]
In 1964 the Actors Studio staged the play's first production which ran from Apr 23, 1964 - Aug 29, at the ANTA Playhouse. It was directed by Burgess Meredith starring Al Freeman Jr., Rip Torn, Pat Hingle, Ann Wedgeworth and Ralph Waite among others in the cast, and received critical praise from The New York Times. [8] Later in 1965, the same production was remounted in London without Rip Torn in the key role of Lyle and drew a hostile reaction from London's critics [9]
The Royal Exchange, Manchester staged a revival in 1992 directed by Greg Hersov with Paterson Joseph, David Schofield, Nicholas Le Prevost and Wyllie Longmore. The performances ran from 22 October-14 November. [10]
In 2004, Talawa Theatre Company co-produced the play under Paulette Randall's direction with New Wolsey Theatre in partnership with (then known as) the Tricycle Theatre. The play was well received. [11] [12]
"Baldwin's Blues for Mister Charlie," by Tom F. Driver, Christianity and Crisis 24.11 (June 22, 1964) pp. 123-26. Printed also in The Village Voice, (June, 1964); and in Negro Digest 13.11 (Sep. 1964) pp. 34-42. Available online at https://books.google.com/books?id=77IDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Tom+F.+Driver%22+Blues&q=Driver#v=snippet&q=Driver&f=false. This thrice-printed favorable review of the play was initially written for The Reporter Magazine, which turned it down because Baldwin had fallen out of favor with the magazine's publisher, Max Ascoli.
Native Son (1940) is a novel written by the American author Richard Wright. It tells the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, a black youth living in utter poverty in a poor area on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s.
James Arthur Baldwin was an American writer. He garnered acclaim for his work across several forms, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, was published in 1953; decades later, Time magazine included the novel on its list of the 100 best English-language novels released from 1923 to 2005. His first essay collection, Notes of a Native Son, was published in 1955.
Papa Charlie Jackson was an early American bluesman and songster who accompanied himself with a banjo guitar, a guitar, or a ukulele. His recording career began in 1924. Much of his life remains a mystery, but his draft card lists his birthplace as New Orleans, Louisiana, and his death certificate states that he died in Chicago, Illinois, on May 7, 1938.
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English actor and director. He is best remembered for his roles in British films and television programmes of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, particularly his lead role as a trendy fashion photographer in the hugely successful avant-garde mystery film Blowup (1966), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Early in his career, Hemmings was a boy soprano appearing in operatic roles. In 1967, he co-founded the Hemdale Film Corporation. From the mid-1970s on, he worked mainly as a character actor and occasionally as director.
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn Jr. was an American actor whose career spanned more than 60 years. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Marsh Turner in Cross Creek (1983). Torn's portrayal of Artie the producer on The Larry Sanders Show received six Emmy Award nominations, winning in 1996. He also won an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Male in a Series, and two CableACE Awards for his work on the show. Torn is also known for his roles as Zed in the Men in Black franchise (1997–2002) and Patches O'Houlihan in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004).
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean is a 1982 comedy-drama film and an adaptation of Ed Graczyk's 1976 play. The Broadway and screen versions were directed by Robert Altman, and stars Sandy Dennis, Cher, Mark Patton, Karen Black, Sudie Bond, and Kathy Bates.
Go Tell It on the Mountain is a 1953 semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin. It tells the story of John Grimes, an intelligent teenager in 1930s Harlem, and his relationship with his family and his church. The novel also reveals the back stories of John's mother, his biological father, and his violent, fanatically religious stepfather, Gabriel Grimes. The novel focuses on the role of the Pentecostal Church in the lives of African Americans, both as a negative source of repression and moral hypocrisy and a positive source of inspiration and community. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Go Tell It on the Mountain 39th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Time magazine included the novel on its list of the 100 best English-language novels released from 1923 to 2005.
Another Country is a 1962 novel by James Baldwin. The novel is primarily set in Greenwich Village, Harlem, and France in the late 1950s. It portrayed many themes that were taboo at the time of its release, including bisexuality, interracial couples and extramarital affairs.
Ralph Waite was an American actor, best known for his lead role as John Walton Sr. on The Waltons (1972–1981), which he occasionally directed. He later had recurring roles as two other heroic fathers; in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs, the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and in Bones, as Seeley Booth's grandfather. Waite had supporting roles in movies such as Cool Hand Luke (1967), Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Grissom Gang (1971), The Bodyguard (1992), and Cliffhanger (1993).
Ensign Pulver is a 1964 American Technicolor film in Panavision and a sequel to the 1955 film Mister Roberts. The film stars Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Walter Matthau and Tommy Sands and features Millie Perkins, Larry Hagman, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Jack Nicholson, Richard Gautier, George Lindsey, James Farentino and James Coco.
Jonathan David Samuel Jones was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes known as Papa Jo Jones to distinguish him from younger drummer Philly Joe Jones.
Percy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was of Afro-Portuguese heritage and was born in the Saint-Henri neighbourhood of Montreal. Born with the surname "Rodrigues," he adopted the spelling "Rodriguez" after it was misspelled in a Broadway program early in his career. Rodriguez was also known for his extensive voiceover work as the narrator of film trailers, television spots and documentaries.
Mister Buddwing is a 1966 American film drama starring James Garner, Jean Simmons, Suzanne Pleshette, Katharine Ross, and Angela Lansbury. Directed by Delbert Mann, the film depicts a well-dressed man who wakes up on a bench in Central Park with no idea who he is. He proceeds to wander around Manhattan desperately trying to figure out his own identity. He meets various women, played by Lansbury, Ross, Pleshette, and Simmons, and each woman triggers fragments of his deeply-buried memories.
"Sonny's Blues" is a 1957 short story written by James Baldwin, originally published in Partisan Review. The story contains the recollections of a black algebra teacher in 1950s Harlem as he reacts to his brother Sonny's drug addiction, arrest, and recovery. Baldwin republished the work in the 1965 short story collection Going to Meet the Man.
David Schofield is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Ian Mercer in the films Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007). He also appeared in the films An American Werewolf in London (1981), Gladiator (2000), From Hell (2001), Valkyrie (2008), The Wolfman (2010) and Darkest Hour (2017).
Diana Patricia Sands was an American actress, perhaps most known for her portrayal of Beneatha Younger, the sister of Sidney Poitier's character, Walter, in the original stage and film versions of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun (1959).
Major "Mule" Holley Jr. was an American jazz upright bassist.
Mama Loves Papa is a 1945 American black-and-white comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer, and written by Monte Brice, with a story by Keene Thompson and a screenplay by Charles E. Roberts, as a loose remake of the 1933 film Mama Loves Papa, written by Douglas MacLean. The film was produced by RKO Radio Pictures and stars Leon Errol and Elizabeth Risdon.
Mister Charlie is a pejorative expression formerly used within the African-American community to refer to an imperious white man. Occasionally, it refers to a black man who is arrogant and perceived as "acting white".
"Episode 6550" of the British television soap opera EastEnders was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 5 September 2022. The episode was directed by Toby Frow and written by Simon Ashdown. It takes the form of a flashback episode, set in both the present and in January 1979, and explores the reason for DCI Samantha Keeble's vendetta against the Mitchell family.