The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-19
Hollywood Letter ::
Role of the Negro
in American Films
By L. E. H.

ing tHS SAplOIIdIlOH, discrimination
and misery of the Negro in America.
Concurring with other forms of cap
ltalist endeavor, the Hollywood pro-
Queer does his share to intensity the
nationalist spirit Of Negro discrim-
nation and prejudices.
No other racial minority suffers
so at the hands of these purveyors of
bedroom art" If he is not a buff
foon and clown pictured in constant
fear of lions, ghosts, etc., he is rep
resented as being of the lowest men
tally completely gripped by the
voodooism Of camp-meetings. A
story dealing with the Negro as a
normal human being would be as
taboo in Hollywood as one having a
Marxist viewpoint.
Boycott Stopped Caricatures
The craftsmen of Hollywood need
some scapegoat to draw upon when
all else fails. Their was a time when
Mexlcans, Japanese, Chinese and
others, we're the victims of this form
of easy" writing. Mexicans were
Williams, japanese were spies and
Chinese with long pig-tails were
kicked around by cowboys. But dur
ing the final epoch of imperialist
expansion, Hollywood gained a
stranglehold on the worlds film
trade, and respective governments
threatened American films with how
colts If these libels of their people
continued. This method succeeded,
Tor today the Negro alone, denied
the right of government protection,
remains the goat"
Once in "Arrowsmith," a Negro
was presented intelligently and sym-
pathetically. When the picture was
first screened here, mutterings were
heard in the film colony from the
luxurious Jack-Asses. Why. they
argued, show Negro out of his
element" More to their liking was
King Vidor's depletion of Southern
Negro IN the picture "Halleluiab. .
Here ne was in his proper Element"
they said, shown chained to the
tradltlon of camp-meetings and en-
shaved by abnormal sex desires. To
consider that the Negro is capable of
recognizing the forces that keen him
submerged, or of particularly ex-
pressing himself, would be showing
him out of his element" and there
fore unsuitable for Hollywood pro-
duction.
Used for Comic Relief
But IN the main Negro actors are
synonymous with 'comic-relief. 4"
They must speak in exaggerated &C
cents, planned minstrel dialogue. In
Ghe latest W. Rogers film called "Dr
BULL a reverse attack is planned so
that the opposite of minstrel dia-
4ogue and thick accents, will have
the desired effect. Answering Rogers.
who speaks with an Oklahoman ac-
cent, two Negro actors are made to
affect a ridiculous Oxford accent and
speak many-sylabled words. This
scene received the heartiest laughs
OF the picture, and having succeeded
here, more such sequences will be
created, for success merits much du-
plication in the Hollywood factories.
Hollywood will more and more de-
base the Negro, in answer to the de-
mands of our race-hating elements,
and as we move into period of inten-
slfled Fascism. 1t remains for the
Workers Film and Photo League,
and other workers film groups to
combat this form of attack against
Negroes, by presenting their own
films which will show the Negro in
his proper status, and up from the
frowsy and vicious caricatures spon-
sored by the mongrel productions of
Hollywood
WHILE the screen portrayals of the
" Negro tend to foster diserimina-
ton IN Hollywood studios discrimina-
ton is a reality. There is no such
thing rs a Negro working among
white - stages or in any of the
many dep@- t-aents required to pro-
duce pictures. when one sees a Ne
gro in studies, we maybe sure he is
an actor, extra-man or the "shine-
boy" OF TIE Let.
AS ext1~5, Negroes are treated
stability. They are paid a great deal
less than the white extras and if
they do finally get a one-day Job. it
might be after having been called
for many successive days. Since
most Negroes live many miles from
the studios, the carfare expended
will absorb the amount of the days
salary they receive.
Put off for 10 Days
In one picture $50 Negroes were
called. For period Of ten days they
were told to report on the following
day for work and each day the call
was cancelled. When they finally
were put to work, they worked two
days at $3.50 per day.
In matters of discrimination the
A. F. of L. Musicians Union is the
worst offender. The prevailing rate
for playing music, used as back
grounds or what is termed synchron-
izing is $40 per hour Now many
times orchestras are pictured as play
ing: in reality however, they are Just
acting, and the music synchronized
to their movements after the picture
has been completed. For. this type
of work the rate is $3.50 per day.
Negro orchestras are often engaged
for the acting, but though thew NAV
in many cases be superior to the To-
cal white orchestras, the SO per hor
jobs that will follow. are given t.
white orchestras by the Musicians
Union.