Janee Michelle

Last updated

Janee Michelle
Janee Michelle portrait.JPG
Michelle in 2015.
Born
Geneva Leona Mercadel

1946 (age 77–78) [1] [2] [a]
New Orleans, Louisiana [4]
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Actress
  • former model
  • business owner
Years active1964–present
Spouses
Albert Hubbard
​
​
(m. 1966;div. 1968)​
​
​
(m. 1969;div. 1978)​
Robert H. Tucker, Jr.
​
​
(m. 1979;div. 1998)​
ChildrenRobert Diago DoQui (born 1971)
Iam Christian Tucker (born 1983)
Website janeemichelle.com
Signature
Janee Michelle.JPG

Janee Michelle (born Geneva Leona Mercadel; 1946), also known as Gee Tucker, is an American actress, former model, dancer, and businessperson, best known for her role in the 1974 horror film The House on Skull Mountain . Her acting and modeling career has included appearances in a variety of media, including films, television programs and advertisements, theatrical productions, and print advertisements. Mercadel made her first film appearance in the 1964 short film The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes .

Contents

She adopted the stage name Janee Michelle because her talent agent and the film studio both believed her birth name would be poorly received. Michelle's acting in the television series The Outcasts in 1968 was critically acclaimed, which led to several offers of film roles. Both in a 1969 episode of The Governor & J.J. and in the 1970 film Soul Soldier , she acted alongside her then-husband Robert DoQui.

In 1977, she was the queen in the New Orleans Mardi Gras Zulu parade. She was the first Zulu queen to wear two different gowns, both of which were designed by Bob Mackie, who had designed outfits for Cher. She divorced DoQui in 1978 and married New Orleans politician Robert H. Tucker, Jr. the following year; she changed her name to Gee Tucker and became a businessperson.

In 1980, the couple founded Tucker and Associates, a management consulting company that, in 1990, received a US$26 million contract with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, representing the largest contract that had ever been received by a minority-owned company in Louisiana. While working on this contract, Michelle and Tucker started a second company called Integrated Logistical Support.

The couple divorced and Michelle retained ownership of Tucker and Associates while Tucker retained ownership of Integrated Logistical Support. When Tucker retired in 2008, the couple's daughter Iam Tucker replaced him as president of Integrated Logistical Support. After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Michelle purchased Sophie's Gelato, an ice cream parlor on Magazine Street where she makes gelato in-house.

Early life

Janee Michelle was born Geneva Leona Mercadel [5] in New Orleans, Louisiana. [6] Her paternal great-grandfather was a shoemaker who immigrated to New York from Champagne, France before moving to New Orleans in pursuit of a warmer climate. [7]

Her extended family was large and had lived in the 7th Ward of New Orleans for many years. Michelle is related to Sidney Barthelemy, former mayor of New Orleans. [8]

Traditionally, the Mercadels had worked in construction, and some of Michelle's cousins continued this tradition. Michelle's mother's surname was Mathieu and her family background included people from Africa, France, Germany, and Italy, as well as Choctaw people. [7] She grew up in a religious home in which her father, Walter F. Mercadel, was a barber and her mother was a beautician. [6] She had three siblings: an older brother named Walbert and two younger sisters named Zernell and Zona. [7]

At age 13, Michelle created, produced, designed, and directed a dance show at the YWCA in New Orleans. She was named Miss New Orleans in 1960. [6] She attended Rivers Frederick Junior High School where her principal, Leah McKenna, encouraged her to pursue a career in entertainment. [7] While in high school, Michelle won fifteen certificates and medals for language proficiency. [9] She started high school in New Orleans and then transferred to Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, California, [6] when her family moved there as a result of her mother's illness, which was aggravated by the high humidity of New Orleans. [7]

Her father was unemployed at the time and her brother's wife was pregnant, so she started working as a cook to support the family. [10] She graduated from Manual Arts ranked 25th scholastically in her 500-student class, [7] and then attended Los Angeles City College and Woodbury College, receiving her best grades in English studies. She took drama courses from Actors Studio West and the Columbia Film Workshop. [6]

Career

Entertainment

Janee Michelle appeared in an episode of Love, American Style alongside Greg Morris (pictured), known for his role in the Mission: Impossible television series. Greg Morris.JPG
Janee Michelle appeared in an episode of Love, American Style alongside Greg Morris (pictured), known for his role in the Mission: Impossible television series.

Michelle's acting, modeling, and dancing career has included appearances in a variety of media, including films, television programs and advertisements, theatrical productions, and print advertisements. [11] She commuted to a job as a dancer in Las Vegas while she was still in high school. [7] She has learned to perform both ballet and Cuban dance styles [10] and has danced at the Hollywood Palladium and Tropicana Las Vegas. [6] As a stage actor, she appeared in productions of MacBird! , The Death of Daddy Hugs and Kisses, Ride a Wild Horse, [12] The Vagina Monologues , In the Blink of an Eye, and other plays. [11]

One of her early television advertisement appearances was for Ultra Sheen hair products. [6] In 1964, Michelle—still known by her birth name Geneva Mercadel—received her first film role [4] in the short film The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes , [11] which was nominated for an Academy Award. Her contract did not allow her to receive residuals when the film later aired on television. [6] Her talent agent and the film studio both believed her birth name would be received poorly, so she adopted the stage name Janee Michelle.

She chose the name Janee (pronounced Ja-Nay, [4] and sometimes spelled Janée) [13] to keep the first two syllables of her birth name. She chose the surname Michelle because she "thought it would be unique to have a name with two first names". [4] When she found people had difficulty pronouncing the name Janee, she considered changing it again, but decided against it because she believed this pronunciation difficulty caused people to remember her. [4]

In 1967, an article in The Chicago Defender predicted that Michelle's career in American cinema would be successful. [4] Also that year, she appeared on the cover of an issue of the magazine Jet alongside Ronnie Eckstine in recognition of their appearance together in Eckstine's debut film The Love-Ins ; [14] it was Michelle's most prominent film role until that point. [4] A Variety reviewer wrote that Michelle was cast well in the role. [15] Michelle's acting in the television series The Outcasts was critically acclaimed, [2] leading to several offers of film roles. The Outcasts reviews also led to her appearance in an episode of Love, American Style alongside Greg Morris, known for his role in the Mission: Impossible television series. [16]

Michelle was included in the magazine Ebony 's list of Fifty Eligible Girls for 1969. [1] Also in 1969, Michelle again appeared on the cover of Jet, which called her "one of Hollywood's most attractive actresses". [2] The article declares Michelle to be one of several up-and-coming African-American actresses, along with Gloria Foster, Gail Fisher, and Denise Nicholas. [17] In the corresponding interview with Jet, Michelle said although racial inequality in the United States may have been a career obstacle for African-American women in the past, "that's not it today—and that's for sure". [16] Michelle argued that her success as an actor proved the falsehood of the idea that African-American women need to have sexual intercourse with certain people to become successful in the cinema of the United States. [16]

Michelle is best known for acting in the 1974 horror film The House on Skull Mountain alongside Victor French (pictured). Victor French.JPG
Michelle is best known for acting in the 1974 horror film The House on Skull Mountain alongside Victor French (pictured).

Michelle starred alongside her husband Robert DoQui [12] in a 1969 episode of The Governor & J.J. [19] The couple acted together again the following year in Soul Soldier , [20] a film in which Michelle is the leading lady; she appears with DoQui in nude sex scenes. [12] Michelle's and DoQui's characters form a love triangle with Lincoln Kilpatrick's character. In a New York Times review of the film, Howard Thompson called all three actors' performances "plain painful". [21]

In 1973, [22] Michelle collaborated with actors Judy Pace and Lillian Lehman to found Kwanza, [23] a Hollywood, California-based nonprofit organization named after the African diaspora celebration Kwanzaa. Run entirely by African American actresses on a volunteer basis, Kwanza initially provided food to people in need at Christmas. [22] Michelle and the other two co-founders each enlisted five other African American actresses to volunteer with the organization and, together, they raised enough funds to provide food to 75 families that first Christmas. [23] By 1976, the organization had fed more than 2000 individuals and had expanded to function year-round. [22]

Michelle is best known for her role in the 1974 horror film The House on Skull Mountain , which was once an obscure film but became better known when it was released on DVD. [3] She portrays Lorena Christophe, who is summoned to the house of a recently-dead distant relative who was a voodoo queen. [24] Christophe is the love interest of the main character, who is portrayed by Victor French. [18] In the Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television, Bob McCann writes that Michelle "is quite pretty and gives a charming performance in her undemanding role". [3] A Variety reviewer provided a similar appraisal of Michelle's appearance, calling her attractive and her role chic. [25] In 2014, she appeared in a health insurance television advertisement for AARP. [11]

New Orleans Mardi Gras

For her time as Zulu queen in the New Orleans Mardi Gras Zulu parade, Michelle borrowed a feather boa and headdress from Cher (pictured). Cher with feather boa.JPG
For her time as Zulu queen in the New Orleans Mardi Gras Zulu parade, Michelle borrowed a feather boa and headdress from Cher (pictured).

In 1977, Michelle's cousin, Anthony "Chuck" Mercadel, was chosen to be that year's king of the Zulu parade, part of New Orleans Mardi Gras. He and Michelle had not seen each other since before her film and television career when she was living in New Orleans. Michelle was volunteering with Kwanza in Shreveport, Louisiana with 25 other actresses, including Isabel Sanford, when Chuck and New Orleans politician Robert H. Tucker, Jr. visited Michelle at her hotel. Chuck said he was looking for Sanford so he could ask her to be his queen. Michelle asked him, "Why don't you ask me to be your queen?", and he did so. Michelle refused the offer because she did not wish to be his second choice. Sanford was unable to appear in the parade due to a prior engagement and Chuck asked Michelle again. This time, she accepted, despite having to rearrange her schedule. [27]

Until the time of the parade, Michelle was working in Hollywood. She flew to New Orleans to be ceremoniously greeted at the airport by a band and some Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club members. [27] Michelle was the first Zulu queen to wear two different gowns: one for the parade and the other for the ball. Bob Mackie designed both of these gowns. Mackie had designed outfits for Cher, from whom Michelle borrowed a beige turkey feather boa and headdress for the parade. Michelle's parade gown was sleeveless, had a turtleneck, and was composed of a gold-and-cinnamon brocade decorated with topaz gemstones. The ball gown was a white, form-fitting garment with a see-through front, and was decorated with crystals and white bugle beads. [26] She rejected the traditional tiara and instead wore a headpiece covered in pearls. [7] Of her promenade around the ballroom, during which she swayed her shoulders and hips, Michelle later said "high-school girls were imitating it for a year after that: the 'Zulu queen' walk". [26]

Business

After divorcing DoQui in 1978, [28] Michelle married Robert H. Tucker, Jr. the following year, [7] changed her name to Gee Tucker, moved back to New Orleans, and became a businessperson. [29] After Tucker had repeatedly been unsuccessful in being elected to public office, he convinced Michelle to go into business with him and stop working for Copeland. [7] In 1980, Tucker and Michelle founded Tucker and Associates, [30] a management consulting company. [29]

The company did not generate much revenue at first, [30] and Michelle worked elsewhere in management and marketing. [29] For the first few years, Michelle and Tucker did not apply for assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) Business Development Program, which offers support to businesses run by members of minority groups. Michelle said they made this decision because "we had seen other businesses start out strongly, graduate from the SBA 8-A program and fail [and] we wanted to be able to know that we could compete without it". [30] Michelle had no formal business education, which made her feel inadequate as an entrepreneur. Of these early years in business, she later said, "I learned the hard way, on the job, things I could never have learned in school. But I think the formal training in school would have made it easier." [31]

In 2003, Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, ended contracts with eleven companies that had ties to the previous mayor, including both of the companies that Michelle co-founded. Ray Nagin.jpg
In 2003, Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, ended contracts with eleven companies that had ties to the previous mayor, including both of the companies that Michelle co-founded.

Eventually, Tucker and Associates began receiving contracts requiring a variety of services, including personnel, data processing, finance, and marketing. By 1990, the company employed 225 people and had a revenue of approximately $11 million. That year, the company received a $26 million contract with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, representing the largest contract that had ever been received by a minority-owned company in Louisiana. [30] This contract was awarded through the SBA 8(a) program and lasted seven years. While working on this contract, Michelle and Tucker started a second company called Integrated Logistical Support, [33] of which Michelle became the vice president. [34] The couple divorced before the Strategic Petroleum Reserve contract ended, [33] and Michelle went back to using her maiden name. [35] Michelle retained ownership of Tucker and Associates, [32] remaining its president and chief executive officer, [33] while Tucker retained ownership of Integrated Logistical Support. [32]

Michelle was a director of Hibernia National Bank while it was a Forbes 500 company, and as of 2002, she is the chief operating officer of Tucker and Associates. [36] In 2003, Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, ended contracts with eleven companies that had ties to the previous mayor, Marc Morial; both Tucker and Associates and Integrated Logistical Support were among these companies. [32] Michelle has sat on the board of the Louisiana Children's Museum and has volunteered with the Drugs Off the Street program. [37]

Michelle purchased Sophie's Gelato in New Orleans, which she operates. [7] [35] [38]

Awards

In 1991, Michelle was recognized as a YWCA Role Model. The National Council of Negro Women named her one of five community leaders of the year in 1995. [37] Michelle has been named New Orleans Woman Business Owner of the Year and has received the Best of Black Business Award. The Business and Professional Women's Foundation has named her Employer of the Year. [34] The American Council for Career Women has granted her their Achiever's Award. [37]

Personal life

On July 22, 1966, at the age of twenty, Michelle married 33-year-old Albert S. Hubbard in Marin County, California. [39] They divorced in January 1968. [40]

On April 25 of the following year, she married 35-year-old Robert DoQui in San Francisco. [41] DoQui, whose term of endearment for Michelle was "crazy Creole chick", [6] already had four children from a previous marriage to a woman who had died, [9] and Michelle developed a relationship with these children, [6] who were aged five, six, eight, and eleven. [7] In a 1969 interview with the magazine Tan, Michelle indicated that DoQui's fashion preferences were an important factor in her clothing purchase decisions, saying, "I think a girl should dress for her husband". [6] She also expressed her support for the breadwinner model in which men are expected to make the most income for their families and women are expected to be housewives, although Michelle argued that women should work outside the home if they want to. She went on to say that women no longer worked hard enough to retain the respect and love of their husbands, and the interviewer describes Michelle as following her own advice: "She dotes so much on her man, invests so much of herself in him, his well-being". [6] Michelle gave birth to a son, Robert Diago DoQui, in 1971, and he later became an actor and writer. [7] Michelle and DoQui divorced in June 1978. [28]

Having met Robert Tucker when her cousin Chuck asked her to appear in the 1977 Zulu parade, Michelle eventually started dating Tucker and they married in 1979. [7] Their daughter, Iam Christian Tucker, [29] was born in 1983. [42] Michelle and Tucker divorced after nineteen years of marriage. [29]

Filmography

Film

TitleYearRoleNotesRef(s)
The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes 1964Club PatronMichelle had a non-speaking role in this Golden Globe Award-winning short film. [11] [14] [43]
Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion 1965Girl in Pit [3] [44]
The Love-Ins 1967Lamelle [45]
Soul Soldier 1970Julie BrownMichelle is the leading lady in this film and shares nude sex scenes with Robert DoQui. [3] [12]
The Mephisto Waltz 1970Agency Chief's Girlfriend [46]
Scream Blacula Scream 1973GloriaThis film is the sequel to Blacula . [47] [48]
The House on Skull Mountain 1974Lorena ChristopheThis role is the one for which Michelle is best known. [3] [24]

Television

TitleEpisodeYearRoleNotesRef(s)
Mr. Novak [11]
The Outcasts "My Name is Jemal"1968MichelleThe reception of Michelle's acting in this episode led to several film role offers. [16]
Julia "The Champ is No Chump"1968Marva Le Bouse [12]
Ironside "Due Process of the Law"1968Helen Tobin [3]
The Governor & J.J. "Rhyme with Reason"1969Michelle starred in this episode with Robert DoQui. [19]
Love, American Style "Love and the Uncoupled Couple"1970Dessie SmithMichelle starred in this episode with Greg Morris. [3]
The F.B.I. "The Architect"1970Mary BordenMichelle starred in this episode with Billy Dee Williams. [3] [13]
Bewitched "Sisters at Heart"1970Dorothy Wilson [3]
Sanford and Son "Tower Power"1974Sandra [3]
In the Heat of the Night "A Necessary Evil"1988Arlene Jeffson [3]
Star-Crossed "An Old Accustom'd Feast"2014Vendor [11]

Notes

  1. ↑ The exact date of Michelle's birth is unknown, [3] but she was born between April and June of 1946. [1] [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eve Arden</span> American actress (1908–1990)

Eve Arden was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Garland</span> American actress and singer (1922–1969)

Judy Garland was an American actress, singer, and vaudevillian. She attained international stardom and critical acclaim as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Renowned for her versatility, she received a Golden Globe Award, a Special Tony Award and was one of twelve people in history to receive an Academy Juvenile Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Pfeiffer</span> American actress (born 1958)

Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. One of the most bankable stars in Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s, her performances have earned her numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Yeoh</span> Malaysian actress (born 1962)

Yeoh Choo Kheng, known professionally as Michelle Yeoh, is a Malaysian actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Credited as Michelle Khan in her early films, she rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s after starring in Hong Kong action and martial arts films where she performed her own stunts. These roles included Yes, Madam (1985), Magnificent Warriors (1987), Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992), The Heroic Trio, Tai Chi Master, and Wing Chun (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gale Storm</span> American actress, singer (1922–2009)

Josephine Owaissa Cottle, known professionally as Gale Storm, was an American actress and singer. After a film career from 1940 to 1952, she starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show. Six of her songs were top ten hits. Storm's greatest recording success was a cover version of "I Hear You Knockin'," which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June Havoc</span> American actress, vaudeville performer, and memoirist (1912–2010)

June Havoc was a Canadian-born American actress, dancer, stage director and memoirist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Baxter</span> American actress (1923–1985)

Anne Baxter was an American actress, star of Hollywood films, Broadway productions, and television series. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Emmy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Dandridge</span> American actress and singer (1922–1965)

Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and singer. She was the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Carmen Jones (1954). Dandridge had also performed as a vocalist in venues such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. During her early career, she performed as a part of the Wonder Children, later the Dandridge Sisters, and appeared in a succession of films, usually in uncredited roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyan Cannon</span> American actress and filmmaker (born 1937)

Dyan Cannon is an American actress, filmmaker and editor. Her accolades include a Saturn Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Academy Award nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was named Female Star of the Year by the National Association of Theatre Owners in 1973 and the Hollywood Women's Press Club in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ida Lupino</span> British actress and filmmaker (1918–1995)

Ida Lupino was a British actress, director, writer, and producer. Throughout her 48-year career, she appeared in 59 films and directed eight, working primarily in the United States, where she became a citizen in 1948. She is widely regarded as the most prominent female filmmaker working in the 1950s during the Hollywood studio system. With her independent production company, she co-wrote and co-produced several social-message films and became the first woman to direct a film noir, The Hitch-Hiker, in 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mardi Gras in New Orleans</span> Annual carnival celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana

The holiday of Mardi Gras is celebrated in southern Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans. Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, the season is known as Carnival and begins on 12th Night, January 6th, and extends until midnight before Ash Wednesday. Club, or Krewe, balls start soon after, though most are extremely private, with their Kings and Queens coming from wealthy old families and their courts consisting of the season's debutantes. Most of the high society Krewes do not stage parades. As Fat Tuesday gets nearer, the parades start in earnest. Usually there is one major parade each day ; many days have several large parades. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last five days of the Mardi Gras season. In the final week, many events occur throughout New Orleans and surrounding communities, including parades and balls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlene Dahl</span> American actress (1925–2021)

Arlene Carol Dahl was an American actress active in films from the late 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Windsor</span> American actress (1919–2000)

Marie Windsor was an American actress known for her femme fatale characters in the classic film noir features Force of Evil, The Narrow Margin and The Killing. Windsor's height created problems for her in scenes with all but the tallest actors. She was the female lead in so many B movies that she became dubbed the "Queen" of the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Byington</span> American actress (1886–1971)

Spring Dell Byington was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of December Bride. She was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1960s. Byington received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Penelope Sycamore in You Can't Take It with You (1938).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marguerite Clark</span> American actress (1883–1940)

Helen Marguerite Clark was an American stage and silent film actress. As a movie actress, at one time Clark was second only to Mary Pickford in popularity. With a few exceptions and some fragments, most of Clark's films are considered lost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club</span> Fraternal organization in New Orleans

The Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club is a fraternal organization in New Orleans, Louisiana which puts on the Zulu parade each year on Mardi Gras Day. Zulu is New Orleans' largest predominantly African American carnival organization known for its krewe members wearing grass skirts and its unique throw of hand-painted coconuts. The club is a regular feature of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madame Sul-Te-Wan</span> American actress (1873–1959)

Madame Sul-Te-Wan was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer. She was an American stage, film and television actress for over 50 years. The daughter of former slaves, she began her career in entertainment touring the East Coast with various theatrical companies and moved to California to become a member of the fledgling film community. She became known as a character actress, appeared in high-profile films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), and easily navigated the transition to the sound films.

<i>Mardi Gras</i> (1958 film) 1958 film by Edmund Goulding

Mardi Gras is a 1958 American musical comedy film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Pat Boone and Christine Carère.

<i>Soul Soldier</i> 1970 film by John Cardos

Soul Soldier is a 1970 American blaxploitation Western film. The film was initially produced by Hirschman-Northern Productions under the working title Men of the Tenth. After it was filmed on 16 mm film and released under the title The Red, White, and Black, producer Stuart Hirschman asked John Cardos to salvage the film, and Cardos, after looking at the existing footage, insisted that the entire film needed to be reshot in 35mm film. Cardos directed the reshoot, which was entirely shot on an Arriflex 35 IIC. Richard Dix's son Robert Dix appears in the film as a Native American warrior. Isabel Sanford portrays the character Isabel Taylor. Janee Michelle and Robert DoQui share nude sex scenes in the film. Rafer Johnson, who had won medals as a decathlete at the Olympic Games, starred in the film and intended to use all the money he earned from acting in the film to start his own film company. The financial success of the film led to the production of several other films in the genre. When the film was released on home video, it was renamed Buffalo Soldier.

Verita Bouvaire-Thompson was an American actress turned hairdresser who reputedly had a 14-year affair with actor Humphrey Bogart.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Fifty Eligible Girls for 1969: This Year's Bachelorettes Prefer Guys who are 'Black and Proud'". Ebony . April 1969. p. 152.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Newest Film Faces in Hollywood: If You Can Act You're In". Jet . June 5, 1969. p. 58.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 McCann (2009), p. 229.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "New Negro Film Starlet in Far Out Movie Role". The Chicago Defender . Jul 15, 1967. p. 16.
  5. ↑ "Actor and Educator of Film and Arts". Janee Michelle. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Janee Michelle Talks About Love, Marriage, Career". Tan. Vol. 20, no. 12. October 1969. p. 25.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Stanton, Janet (September 2006). "Reinventing Gee: A Resilient Star Bounces Back from Life's Disappointments and Katrina". The New Orleans Tribune . p. 18.
  8. ↑ Stanton, Janet (September 2006). "Reinventing Gee: A Resilient Star Bounces Back from Life's Disappointments and Katrina". The New Orleans Tribune . p. 16.
  9. 1 2 "Janee Michelle Talks About Love, Marriage, Career". Tan. Vol. 20, no. 12. October 1969. p. 24.
  10. 1 2 "Janee Michelle Talks About Love, Marriage, Career". Tan. Vol. 20, no. 12. October 1969. p. 26.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Meet the Actors". NOVAC. 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Janee Michelle Makes Debut in Film 'Soul Soldier'". The Chicago Defender . 1972. p. 10.
  13. 1 2 "St. Jacques Portrays Black Militant on Dan August". Jet . October 8, 1970. p. 66.
  14. 1 2 Robinson, Louie (June 29, 1967). "Billy Eckstine's Son Makes Film Debut". Jet . p. 59.
  15. ↑ "The Love-Ins". Variety . Vol. 247, no. 11. August 2, 1967. p. 6. ProQuest   964066189.(subscription required)
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Newest Film Faces in Hollywood: If You Can Act You're In". Jet . June 5, 1969. p. 59.
  17. ↑ "Newest Film Faces in Hollywood: If You Can Act You're In". Jet . June 5, 1969. p. 60.
  18. 1 2 "The House on Skull Mountain". BoxOffice . Vol. 106, no. 3. October 28, 1974. p. A7. ProQuest   1476113580.(subscription required)
  19. 1 2 "Diana Ross, Supremes, Temptations Get Together". Jet . November 13, 1969. p. 80.
  20. ↑ Walker et al. (2009), p. 220.
  21. ↑ "'Soul Soldier' Opens". The New York Times . April 29, 1972. p. 19.
  22. 1 2 3 "Black Actresses Found Year-Round Charity on Coast". Variety . Vol. 5, no. 285. December 8, 1976. p. 2. ProQuest   1401300368.(subscription required)
  23. 1 2 "Black Actresses Found Year-Round Charity on Coast". Variety . Vol. 5, no. 285. December 8, 1976. p. 77. ProQuest   1401300368.(subscription required)
  24. 1 2 Miller (2010), p. 43.
  25. ↑ "The House on Skull Mountain". Variety . Vol. 10, no. 276. October 16, 1974. p. 16. ProQuest   1285998032.(subscription required)
  26. 1 2 3 Scott, Liz (February 2000). "Queen Gee: She Brought a Touch of Hollywood to the Zulu Throne". New Orleans Magazine. 34 (5): 15.
  27. 1 2 Scott, Liz (February 2000). "Queen Gee: She Brought a Touch of Hollywood to the Zulu Throne". New Orleans Magazine. 34 (5): 14.
  28. 1 2 "Bobby J Doqui and Geneve L, 20 Jun 1978". FamilySearch . Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 Scott, Liz (February 2000). "Queen Gee: She Brought a Touch of Hollywood to the Zulu Throne". New Orleans Magazine. 34 (5): 16.
  30. 1 2 3 4 Engelberg, Adrian (September 24, 1990). "Bob & Gee Tucker: Community Service Important for Married Consulting Team". New Orleans CityBusiness . 11 (6): 23C.
  31. ↑ Moore & Buttner (1997), p. 57.
  32. 1 2 3 4 "Dispute Between Transit Authority Chairman, Mayor's Exec. Assistant Much Exaggerated". New Orleans CityBusiness . January 20, 2003.
  33. 1 2 3 Bechen, Lauren L. "Let the Good Times Roll: New Orleans' Business Community is Experiencing a Renaissance of Opportunities and Inclusion". Minority Business Entrepreneur. 14 (5): 49.
  34. 1 2 Moore & Buttner (1997), p. 226.
  35. 1 2 "People to Watch 2006". myNewOrleans.com. September 2006. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Careful, Cautious, Conservative is Boydstun's Pledge for Hibernia: Paul Candies Elected to Board". Business Wire . April 17, 2002.
  37. 1 2 3 Carpenter, Siona (May 14, 1995). "Setting an Example: Some of the Best Mothers are Those Whose Children See Them Grow as They Grow". The Times-Picayune . p. D1.
  38. ↑ "Miss Sophie's Delight". BigEasy Magazine. September 2006. p. 24.
  39. ↑ "Albert S Hubbard and Geneva L Mercadel, July 22, 1966". FamilySearch . Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Geneva L Mercadeg and Albert S Hubbard, Jan 1968". FamilySearch . Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Bobby J Doqui and Janee Mercadel, 25 Apr 1969". FamilySearch . Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Iam Christian Tucker, Residence, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States". FamilySearch . Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  43. ↑ Winter et al. (2007), p. 100.
  44. ↑ "Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2015. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  45. ↑ Cowie (1977), p. 592.
  46. ↑ Muir (2002), p. 128.
  47. ↑ Muir (2002), p. 292.
  48. ↑ Berry & Berry (2009), p. 295.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.