Black in Period Films

In wonderful biopic and casting news Tyler Perry is set to play Oscar Micheaux.   A film about Oscar Micheaux is dearly need. Micheaux is the pioneer of black film. As the the first African-American to produce a feature-length film (The Homesteader (1919) and a sound feature-length film The Exile (1931) his name should be a household name. However, many people do not know his name or the names of any of his 44 films. I hope this biopic brings attention to the man and his accomplishments. As far as the casting goes, I think Tyler Perry looks enough like Micheaux for it to be convincing (it is a more convincing casting than another recent casting anyway). I also think that it is rather poetic to have the founder/owner of the first black owned major film studio to play the first black producer of a feature length film. I can't wait to see Perry in costume. Charles Murray, executive producer and writer of Netflix/Marvel’s “Luke Cage” series and many others, is attached to s

A musical ... set in the Wild Wild West ... with a Black woman as the lead!! This looks amazing and adorably entertaining! Summary: All aboard for a Western musical adventure the likes of which you’ve never experienced. As a wanted woman of mythic proportions looks to begin life anew out west, Bella ( Ashley D. Kelley)  takes us on the trip of a lifetime to escape her scandalous past and bounce into the arms of her awaiting Buffalo Soldier. Rowdy, wild, and hilarious, Kirsten Childs (Bubbly Black Girl…) infuses this tall tale with soulful tunes and madcap antics aplenty. Giddy-up to our get-down!  The opening number, titled “Big Booty Tupelo Gal” Info: Bella: An American Tall Tale Book, Music, and Lyrics by Kirsten Childs Directed by Robert O'Hara  Choreographed by Camille A. Brown Running in Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater May 19, 2017 – July 02, 2017 More on info: https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/s...

This story was retweeted over on Twitter , but not posted on the blog. It's from April but still awesomely exciting for me. Don Cheadle is developing a movie about Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street's First Black Millionaire. Before reading about this news, I knew absolutely nothing about Jeremiah G. Hamilton. I really enjoyed the article about him over at  Shadow and Act . It's a great read, that I highly suggest. I am interested to see how the various aspects of his life will be shown. He was very ambitious and apparently was not always nice. I personally, don't have a problem with period stories about Blacks characters that are not exactly "good" or bad". I believe there is more than enough room for a film that shows Hamilton as a antihero. The ways in which he earned his money were also less than stellar. Apparently, after the 1835 Great New York fire he received about $5 million (in 2013 dollars) by "taking pitiless advantage of several

I knew that there was going to be another adaption of Murder in the Orient Express. But, I had no idea Leslie Odom Jr. of Hamilton fame would have a role!! Leslie Odom Jr. is playing Dr. Arbuthnot. Odom looks great in the role and straight out of the period. Image courtesy of  EW /Frank Ockenfels 3/FOX Leslie Odom Jr. , Tom Bateman , and Daisy Ridley in Murder on the Orient Express (2017) I love the trailer (except for the closing song). What do you think of the trailer? Will you be watching Murder on the Orient Express? Release date : November 10, 2017