Black Hollywood the Way It Was. Fading Out – Part 4

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Description

This program takes a look at the early 1940s for Blacks in film. Many black roles took on a more dignified humanitarian trend, spearheaded by the NAACP. The War Department during this pre-war period funneled thousands of dollars into the production of films that displayed the dedication and character of the black soldier. Unfortunately, for the black independent film industry, the pre-war rationing of film to the larger companies, coupled with the dwindling number of black-owned theatres, made it difficult for black-cast films to compete with the new integrated Hollywood trend. Many of the black film companies went out of business toward the end of the 1940s as did many of the black actors who were their stars.