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Octavus Roy Cohen (1891–1959) was an early 20th-century American writer specializing in ethnic comedies. His dialect comedy stories about African Americans gained popularity after being published in the Saturday Evening Post and were adapted into a series of short films by Al Christie featuring actors Charles Olden, Spencer Williams Jr., Evelyn Preer, and Edward Thompson.
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Music Hath Charms is a 1935 British musical comedy film directed by Thomas Bentley, Walter Summers, Arthur B. Woods and Alexander Esway. It stars Henry Hall with the BBC Dance Orchestra, Carol Goodner and Arthur Margetson. It was given a trade show in October 1935 and went on full release in March the following year.
Cecil Louis Burke, who performed as Ceelle Burke, was a musician and performer. He was born in Los Angeles. After working with the Norman Thomas Quintette, he joined Curtis Mosby's Blue Blowers. He collaborated with Leon Rene on the song Lovely Hannah. He recorded From Twilight 'Til Dawn with his orchestra on Capitol Records in 1943. Alan Warner and Billy Vera produced. Leon Rene wrote the song. He also played with Jackie Kelso.
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The Melancholy Dame is a short American comedy film made with an African American cast and released in 1929. It was an Al Christie film based on the Octavus Roy Cohen comedy series called "Darktown Birmingham" published in the Saturday Evening Post. Arvid Gillstrom directed and Florian Slappey was portrayed by Charles Olden. The film was produced and released by Paramount Pictures, and includes racial caricatures. It has been described as the first African American talkie. It featured a vision of high society and comic dialogue set in a Birmingham restaurant with a piano and dance show. The Los Angeles Times summarized the plot as, "A cabaret owner’s wife demands that her husband fire the sexy star attraction. Little does she know that the singer and the club owner were once married." It is a 2-reel film. The film is extant and posted on YouTube along with other films from the series.
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Oft in the Silly Night is an American short comedy film released in 1929. It was produced by Al Christie from a story by Octavus Roy Cohen, part of a series published in the Saturday Evening Post and adapted to film in Christie productions. Among the early "talkie" films featuring an African American cast, the film survives and is available online.
Nathan Curry was an American actor. He was a supporting actor in several films featuring African American casts. Curry had prominent parts in silent films but was not given screen credit. He was one of the featured players of Black Hollywood.
Charles Olden was an actor on stage and screen in the United States. He had a leading role in a pair of films made with African American casts. He was also in theatrical performances with other prominent African American actors of stage and screen including Evelyn Preer.
Scandal of 1933, also known as Gig and Saddle and Scandal, is an American film featuring musical performances. The 60-minute feature film includes performances of songs written by Irving Mills, Duke Ellington, Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, Harry Akst, Roger Graham, Dave Peyton, Spencer Williams, Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger, Mort Dixon, Harry Warren, Lucky Millinder and his Orchestra, and Putney Dandridge. Jack Goldberg produced it and featured an all-African American cast. A poster for the film advertises it as a musical jamboree.
References
- ↑ "Film Archive Music Hath Harms". 20's Jazz.
- ↑ McCann, Bob (December 21, 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. ISBN 9780786458042 – via Google Books.
- ↑ Bradley, Edwin M. (June 14, 2015). The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931. McFarland. ISBN 9781476606842 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 3 Tribune, Donald Liebenson Special to the. "FOLK ART OR RACIAL STEREOTYPES?". chicagotribune.com.
- ↑ Bogle, Donald (2009). Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307514936 . Retrieved 26 October 2020.