European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 6, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Here find by Bob Thomas associated press the smash hit of the current movie season is Beverly Hills starring Black comedian Eddie another Black Bill stars in the highest rated new television the Cosby a soldiers a drama of Black soldiers during world War has won Box office grossing and three Academy awards including one for Best does this Point to a Renaissance for Blacks in the film and television world some Black leaders in the Industry arc cautiously others Are i think 1984 must be considered a plus year for comments Sidney the first Black actor to become a Box office at the beginning of the year there was less consciousness of the Black at the end there was i can Point to a soldiers the prominence of Eddie Murphy and Richard my own film fast which he Harry Belafonte beat in More optimistic than Ever Black director writer Topper Carew remarks i think there is definitely a move in the direction of More representation for and the audience demographics demand we know that Blacks As a group watch More television and make a contribution to the economic viability of theatrical i sense a change coming so that those of us who have wanted to be in the business will probably get More Chance in the next two or three americans Gener ally Are interested in subjects that project Black Blacks Are energetic they inject a cultural viability into the american scene that is Young and that what entertainment is All Brock who has acted in films since car men Jones in takes a More cautious View there seems to be a Good Deal of activity for but i have been Here a Long and i have seen this Cycle happen ill wait awhile and see if this flurry of activity leads to anything in both films and Blacks have been More visible during the past they play prominent roles in Cotton places in the the brother from another planet and other films As Well As Beverly Hills cop and a soldiers Pryor has been considered the Only Black film Star whose films assure a though Murphy May now have entered that exclusive on Blacks can be seen not Only in the Cosby the Long running the Benson and other but As regulars in dramas like Hill Street blues and Diahann Carroll and Billy Dee Williams were added to the High rated and More commercials Are using Black actors than Ever Black How complain that Blacks Are still not Well enough rep resented either in front of or behind the the directors Guild of America has filed suit against two studios alleging discrimination against minorities and of the members of the screen actors Only 7 percent Are Black while Blacks comprise 12 percent of the United states and the Guild has also charged that minorities Are discriminated against in wac slam who directed the feature Lacula and such to series As mod squad and Starsky and is another Black who views the current trend with Bill Cosby is a comedic Genius who would be successful whether he was Black or Crain but it was directed by a White Norman Brewster Richard Pryor new was directed by a White Walter if we dont do those what films do we do who last year directed two Matt Houston Tele vision episodes after a five year pointed to Pryor much heralded contract with Columbia pictures As evidence of lost Pryor had announced plans to make Low budget films with Black but after two years and two executive nothing has been we Are working with Richards and we expect to make films about says Guy president of Columbia i would like to make one at least every 18 our experience with a soldiers Story has been very Blacks have faced a struggle from the very beginnings of motion Early films derided who were usually portrayed by White actors in the 1914 Griffith epic the birth of a nation prompted the publication Chicago defender to declare the film viciously plays our race up to the Public As being one of rapists and All through the silent Blacks were generally portrayed As buffoons or the first words spoken on the screen in Al talking picture were by an actor in blackface Al Jolson in the 1927 the jazz Fox hearts in Dixie and King visors hallelujah featured Allback casts in but Blacks were rare in 1930s the most prominent were Stepin the epitome of the drawl ing comedy and Bill the tap faithful gone with the wind in 1939 brought a supporting actress Oscar for Hattie Mcdaniel As the slave but also reinforced another stereotype with Butterfly Mcqueen As the comically dimwitted servant world War ii brought two Black Cabin in the sky and Stormy but most entertainers like Lena Home and the Nicholas Brothers were employed As Spe Fialty Home of the Pinky and lost boundaries were postwar films that dealt with the Black no Way out proved a introducing Sidney Poitier to the screen As a Black surgeon accused of malpractice by a psychopath Richard with the defiant Raisin in the and lilies of the Poitier proved that a Black could attract audiences to movie a lot of responsibility was placed on my shoulders because i was the first one Poitier it was a lonely his Success helped pave the Way for others such As Sammy Godfrey Jim Diahann Dorothy Lou gos sett and James Earl years blah Poi tation films like superfly became the but blew Poitier himself has not acted for seven pre Ferring to direct films but he is considering a and he believes opportunities Are better than Ever for All Black in Large part because of the Murphy i find it very encouraging that Murphy is nothing Short of the 1 Box office draw Poitier he is no Fluke Murphy is dynamite on that most Carefree and talented Young performer to come along in a Long opportunities for Blacks have gone in but i believe the Industry has matured to a place where it will not return to Black artists will hopefully find a wider Range of expression and have a broader Diahann Carroll has made it to Eddie Murphy is hot at the Box Ioto a soldiers Story can bring improvement for the consistency of 14 the stars and stripes Bill Cosby and Kelsha Knight on the Bui Cosby april 1986 Sidney Poitier has been a Power in entertainment for a commitment to socially useful film by Bob Thomas associated press seven years Academy award win Ning actor Sidney Poitier starred in and directed a piece of the he Hast been in a movie a thoughtful Man who is not Given to snap has several reasons for his film i had been acting for 35 years and had done a variety of he said in an i had been More fortunate than most actors in the opportunities that had been available to i had been As careful As possible in the kind of films i striving for ones that would be useful most of the films i made had a touch More to them than just i go to the Point where it was More and More difficult to find new material for me As an 1 didst want to fall prey to working in lesser material that would not be complementary to past the alternative was to develop other skills As a though he would have made More Money As an actor than As a he did not allow Money to guide his artistic i was Soi dumb in my Early Days that i held onto my values and starved because of said but i stayed with and they have served me that is not to say that i Haven done things that i later there Are two in particular that i wish i haunt it would have been fascinating to learn what they but with a Flash of the famous Poitier he declined to name on the Day of a recent luncheon the actor director producer was planning to meet with a new Yor based writer about a script that would return him to meanwhile he was calling attention to fast his latest film As a though it is the Story of Young Poitier said it not a How could i direct a musical i am tone deaf and have two left he in his Academy award winning lilies of the Poitier Sang gospel songs to the missionary but it was not his he lip synched to the voice of Jester a noted gospel fast Forward is the Story of Young people and their desire and need to leave their Mark on the director they dont think in artistic terms beyond the feeling that m want to be that a Universal feeling in a world where anonymity is Tanta mount to they want witness to their existence on this Poitier has Learned of these Youthful yearn Ings through his periodic visits to High schools in less advantaged he talks about self motivation and the relationship Between Success and then answers a visit to an East los Angeles High school prompted him to launch a film about Young americans who Are not into crime and the overwhelming Pursuit of he conducted auditions in new Chicago and los Angeles to choose eight Young Black and who could act As Well As that another Poitier mis Sion helping Young Talent find a place in the Sidney Poitier did it the hard carving a career when Black actors were relegated to the Back of the show business after films of racial tensions such As no Way out and blackboard he established himself As a Money making Star in to sir with guess who coming to dinner and in the heat of the he directed himself in a warm Uptown saturday night and lets do it then he directed Only with stir crazy Gene Richard Pryor and Hanky Panky Wilder and Gilda at Poitier remains in his he touches no gave up smoking 25 years exercises regularly and eats a special his breakfast that Day consisted of beet liver and the juice of carrots and while working in the lost Poitier met his future actress Joanna they now have two Chil Page 15