The Black Valentino and Mae West

Description

The roaring 20s gave birth to the Charleston, bob haircuts, speakeasies and the movie career of Lorenzo Tucker, The Black Valentino of race movies. But unlike Valentino, he was one of the few silent film stars black or white to survive the transition from silent to sound film. Tall, dark, and handsome, he was a popular romantic leading man of all-Black cast movies and playing opposite some of the industry’s most beautiful women, including Hollywood legend Mae West. This program from Tony Brown's Journal examines Tucker's successes and difficulties in navigating a white-dominated industry.

Runtime

27 min 27 sec

Subjects

Geography

Database

Films on Demand

Direct Link