A man leaves his quiet life in the country to become a comic entertainer in the Big City. His journey is a Surreal celebration of the descent into a Hell of narcissistic self-destruction. In a string of events ranging from antisocial transgression to racist provocation to fantastic flights of absurdity, our protagonist loses grasp of his humanity and bit by bit slips into complete animal degradation. A comedy.
The film consists of Bert Swor in black-face pretending to be a black preacher.
Alkali Ike and the Wildman
Amusing cake walk of three men and two women (colored) in costume, showing the usual antics that occur in affairs of this kind.
Unlike anything else you will see in this year or any other, 'The Decline of the West' is a groundbreaking social allegory that challenges its audience to explore the effects of contemporary conditioning; of the stereotypes, and counter-stereotypes surrounding race and ethnicity. By employing a unique blend of absurdist humor and dry, dark comedy, both the insularity and the inertia of progressive society are put on trial and hanged in this bold film that goes places few have ever gone. The film maintains its extended, detailed allegory, in which the physical layout of Manhattan comes to life as its symbols of Progress slowly turn it into a comic liberal dystopia. Anything that "isn't allowed" is used to confront the audience with hypocrisy. Make-up plays a crucial role throughout the film, as a hinge that simultaneously showcases characters and the existential reality of the players behind them.
A ladybird is being chased by a black-faced spider.
This documentary presents clips from black films from 1929 through 1957.
A small town man takes a mail-order detective course. When a Black friend is murdered, he goes undercover in black-face to investigate at a notorious, knife-wielding bootlegger's roadhouse. Originally a 5-reel feature (50min), now only 2 reel edit exists.
In this interview, filmed by the Criterion Collection in 2019, film scholar Mia Mask discusses blackface and the 'Bojangles of Harlem' number in George Stevens's 'Swing Time' (1936).
Our Colonial Hangover analyzes the debate surrounding the racist component of the Dutch Black Pete character. Although the debate always heats up around the time of the Saint Nicholas celebrations every December, it reached an unprecedented level of ferocity in 2013.
Blackie is implicated in a murder when he accidently sells a phony Charles Dickens first edition at an auction.
Shot in three days, this surreal, erotic silent short shows a native white girl teaching a futuristic African airman the Charleston dance.
The Gang stages their own revisionist version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in Mickey's barn. But Joe's mother thinks the back yard needs cleaning, and there are several interruptions when they lose a leading character. Mickey plays Simon Legree; Mary as Eva; Joe as Uncle Tom; and Farina essays the role of Topsy.
A stop-motion film from Émile Cohl with tin soldiers, children's drawings and cannibals.
Continuing where His Trust (1911) leaves off, George takes care of his deceased master's daughter after her mother's death. He sacrifices his own meager savings to give the girl a good life, until the money runs out and he tries to steal money from the girl's rich cousin.
The Keystone gang all in blackface for this one-reeler!
Bradshaw, an Englishman, is arrested for the New York killing of booze racketeer Buck Cooly. Interrogated by police chief Galvin, Bradshaw claims self-defence, but refuses to name the woman he was with at the speakeasy where Cooly was shot, and who could provide the alibi that would exonerate him from a murder charge. Galvin's continued pursuit of the woman's identity eventually leads to an unwelcome surprise.
A simple filmed performance featuring Cantor, done up in his stage minstrel makeup, allegedly at the Ziegfeld Theatre Roof Garden, but actually filmed on a soundstage at the Paramount Astoria studio.
Documentary about WWII propaganda cartoons.
The story of the defense of the mission-turned-fortress by 185 Texans against an overwhelming Mexican army in 1836.