The Westmoreland's film series celebrates African American movie pioneers - TribLIVE

kojongpana.blogspot.com

25 minutes ago

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg is screening a series of films online celebrating unsung pioneers of African American cinema.

As part of “Pioneers of African American Cinema,” the 1946 film, “Dirty Gertie From Harlem U.S.A.,” will be streamed at 7 p.m. Nov. 18.

Francine Everett stars in the title role as a New York nightclub performer headlining a revue at a Caribbean island hotel. Everett’s character has earned her nickname by the casual way she treats male admirers — leading to her death.

Based on “Rain,” a 1921 short story by British writer Somerset Maugham, “Dirty Gertie” was directed by Spencer Williams, who also portrayed Andy in early television’s “The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show.”

The movie will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Joe Lewis, executive director of the Jazz Bridge Project and founder/curator of the Black Bottom Film Festival presented by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center; and Kenneth Nicholson, visual artist and adjunct instructor at Seton Hill University, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and Westmoreland County Community College.

[embedded content]

The film series was developed in conjunction with “African American Art in the 20th Century,” a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, showing at The Westmoreland through Jan. 17.

“When we were discussing programming for (the exhibition), we knew we wanted to add a film element to the programming agenda,” said Mona Wiley, The Westmoreland’s public programs manager. “Lots of films and documentaries were considered. We chose this series because it focuses on the pioneers of early African American cinema, which we felt paralleled the theme of the exhibition.

“‘Pioneers of African American Cinema’ is a collection of the works of America’s legendary first African American filmmakers. The films cover many subjects, including race issues that went unaddressed by Hollywood for decades,” Wiley said.

Other screenings include:

• “The Blood of Jesus,” 7 p.m. Dec. 16. Williams also wrote, directed and starred in this 1941 film, about an African American woman in a rural village who finds herself transported to the crossroads between heaven and hell after being accidentally shot by her husband — and faced with a decision on which way to go.

• Collection of Shorts, 7 p.m. Jan. 20. The program will include “Two Knights of Vaudeville,” 1915, 11 minutes; “Mercy, The Mummy Mumbled,” 1918, 12 minutes; and “Hot Biskits,” 1931, 10 minutes.

Discussions by Lewis and Nicholson also are planned for these dates.

”Their conversations about the films have been incredibly enlightening in understanding these films and their groundbreaking influences to the industry,” Wiley said.

Programs in the film series are free; advance registration is required at 888-718-4253 or thewestmoreland.org.

Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: AandE | Movies/TV | Art & Museums | Westmoreland

Search

The Westmoreland's film series celebrates African American movie pioneers - TribLIVE

0 Response to "The Westmoreland's film series celebrates African American movie pioneers - TribLIVE"

Post a Comment