The Lincoln Motion Picture Company In most American silent films, minorities were generally played by white actors in make-up. When actual minorities were cast, roles were generally limited. Latinos in silent films usually played greasers and bandits; Asian-Americans played waiters, tongs and laundrymen; and blacks usually played bellboys, stable hands, maids or simple buffoons. Early … Continue reading A History of Black Cinema: 1915-1969
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Longwood Highlands – a Neighborhood of Pride
This installment of the Los Angeles neighborhood blog is about Longwood Highlands. To vote for another Southern California, let me know which in the comments. The romantically named Longwood Highlands is a neighborhood in Los Angeles's Midtown area. The borders of Midtown neighborhoods are often hazily defined but Longwood Highlands seems to be hemmed in … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Longwood Highlands – a Neighborhood of Pride
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Kay Nielsen – Artists in Film
Kay Nielsen was a Danish illustrator and key figure of the golden age of illustration. His art evinces the influence of ukiyo-e heavy Utagawa Hiroshige as well as Art Nouveau master Aubrey Beardsley. However, his synthesis was his own-- an instantly recognizable, highly ornate, fantastical world of pastels and light. Nielsen was born 12 March … Continue reading Kay Nielsen – Artists in Film
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Other Christmas Movies – off-beat, under-seen, non-traditional, obscure, forgotten and alternative Christmas movies
Come September of every year and kid-friendly Christmas movies began to dominate the airwaves. Movies with muppets and toys and Frosty and Santa and Rudolph. Movies like Babes in Toyland (1961), A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Carol, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978), A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, Elf, Ernest Saves Christmas (1988), A Flintstone Christmas (1977), Frosty the Snowman (1969), Frosty's … Continue reading Other Christmas Movies – off-beat, under-seen, non-traditional, obscure, forgotten and alternative Christmas movies
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Silent night – Christmas movies of the silent era
Happy St. Nicholas Day! For your enjoyment, a little somethin' to break the monotony of all that hardcore Christmas that has gotten to be a little bit out of control... Santa Claus (1898) was directed by George Albert Smith (Weary Willie, Making Sausages), a former portrait photographer and member of the UK's Brighton Set. … Continue reading Silent night – Christmas movies of the silent era
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Canterbury Knolls
Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's Official Map of Canterbury Knolls, available on art prints and a wide variety of merchandise Canterbury Knolls is a South Los Angeles neighborhood bordered by Manchester Square, Morningside Circle, and Vermont Knolls to the south; Hyde Park to the west; Chesterfield Square to the north; Vermont Square to the northeast; and Vermont-Slauson … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Canterbury Knolls
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California Fool’s Gold – Exploring Wilshire Park
This installment of California Fool's Gold concerns Wilshire Park. Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's official ink map of Wilshire Park, available on art prints in several sizes and reproduced on a wide variety of merchandise Wilshire Park is a small, Midtown neighborhood whose borders are formed by Olympic Boulevard on the south, Crenshaw Boulevard on the … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold – Exploring Wilshire Park
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On the margins’ margins – Asian Latinos – Latasian 101
A common misconception about Latinos they are a racially homogeneous people. In Los Angeles and elsewhere, the word "Mexican" is used to refer to pretty much anyone who looks like they may have roots south of the Rio Grande, regardless of country of origin. I assume the same goes for Puerto Ricans and Cubans in areas where … Continue reading On the margins’ margins – Asian Latinos – Latasian 101
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The Roots of Jazz: Ragtime
Although for most people the strains of "The Entertainer" and other rags now primarily evoke quaint, scratchy images of silent films projected at the wrong speed, when ragtime first appeared around the 1870s, it was the soundtrack of Missouri's whorehouses, parlors and gambling clubs. St. Louis in the 1870s Ragtime was also one of the first … Continue reading The Roots of Jazz: Ragtime
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The Roots of Jazz: Cakewalk
A performative, competitive dance known as the chalk line walk first appeared around the 1850s on the plantations along the Gulf Coast. Its origins lay in the African-derived dance known as the bamboula -- also the name of a drum -- and it was performed in New Orleans, where on Sundays slaves were allowed to … Continue reading The Roots of Jazz: Cakewalk
