Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an African American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a film, 1929’s Hearts in Dixie. He acted for 50 years and appeared in more than 150 films. He was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973. Jungle Queen 1945 [Hollywood]: Universal Pictures, 1944. Vintage original 8 x 10″ (20 x 25 cm.) black-and-white print still photo, FINE. The above photograph is a rare portrait of Clarence Muse for a Universal serial rel ..read more

Stepin Fetchit, an American vaudevillian and comedian is considered to be the first black actor to have a successful film career that made him a millionaire. Vintage original 10 x 8” (25 x 20 cm.) photo, USA. , VERY GOOD+ The above portrait is of Stepin Fetchit (1936) The Bowery Princess Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry (May 30, 1902 – November 19, 1985) adopted Septin Fetchit when he won money betting on a racehorse named “Step and Fetch It”, and his vaudeville partner and he decided to adopt the names “Step” and “Fetchit” for their act. When Perry became a solo act, he com ..read more

COMEDIC BACKGROUND Black comedian/comedic actors today rank as some of the most successful and respected stars of the film, stage and television comedy firmament: Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Leslie Jones, Kevin Hart, Redd Fox, Whoopi Goldberg, Dick Gregory, Wanda Sykes, Nipsey Russell and the list goes on and on.  But this was not always the case. For the first half to two thirds of the 20th century there were very few African American comedians or comedic actors that achieved anything approaching the recognition their fellow thespians have in show business ..read more

In 1963 Sidney Poitier became the first African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role creating the character of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field. His 40+ year career as an Oscar-winning star and film director broke down barriers for actors of color, becoming a Hollywood leading man at a time before black Americans were even granted full civil rights. He also opened doors for black directors after stepping behind the camera to direct  nine features. In addition, he served as the non-resident Bahamian Ambassador to Japan and UNESCO an ..read more