Upon the Cotton Blossom were white and black people living side by side. ... We see in most of the scenes how the blacks would work in the background and the whites would play and socialize in the front. ... We see this when Julie, the leading actress, is not allowed to perform on the showboat because it is discovered she has " Nigger blood" in her. ... Queenie displayed a great deal of untapped talent when she showed Captain Andy how to sell tickets to the blacks. ... When Joe sings "ole Man River", he tells how hard labor is what blacks of that time were expected to do. ...

• Word Count: 779
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

"The paradox was that in actuality Tom wasn't Black at all. ... Although Black films did emerge, it was for the most part produced by white production companies for a black audiences. ... This marked a radical change in Black cinema. ... He, and other Black directors of the time, took the Black Buck, Coon, and Mammy stereotypes of the era before and modernized them. Mammy' lost weight and grew an Afro, becoming the ultra-stylish diva, which was personified best by actress Pam Grier. ...

• Word Count: 1420
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Lora, a beautiful and smart woman, devotes herself to her career and becomes a famous actress. ... Annie, a homeless black widow, finally becomes the maid of Lora's. ... Annie is a black woman with black skin. ... Her friends look down upon her because her black mother. ... People all like her and respect her even though she is a black....

• Word Count: 1149
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School