Nitrateville Correction Department: Showboat

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Richard M Roberts
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Nitrateville Correction Department: Showboat

Postby Richard M Roberts » Sun May 12, 2013 5:49 pm

Okay, couldn't resist this one, the Guy with the pretentious French moniker just opened his mouth a bit wider than his brain on the Showboat thread again:

"didi-5 wrote:
I think the failure - understandable at the time - not to cast a black or mixed race actress as Julie did make that part of the storyline muddled.

No, it did not, if the premise was that Julie had been "passing for white." What is so difficult (for some) to grasp about the meaning of "passing for white"? Are "black or [obviously] mixed race" persons capable of "passing for white"? Only in PC-Land would such a thing be possible."


Umm, am I mistaken, or aren't black and/or or "mixed race" folk the only ones who would attempt to "pass for white"? I have never known any white people who ever tried to "pass for white"(except for Jeanne Crain in PINKY and Olive Borden in CHLOE, but we're talkin' real life here, not the movies, they were supposed to be black or"mixed race" in those movies). I think ol "Between two wars" is trying to "pass for intelligent."

Considering MGM wanted to publicize Lena Horne as a "latin", and I think she is indeed lighter skinned than Ava Gardner in "darkface", and MGM had already had Lena play Julie in the SHOWBOAT section of TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY (as long as she didn't kiss a white man), I don't think anyone, certainly at MGM, had any doubts as to whether she could play the part.


RICHARD M ROBERTS (Ahhhh, feels good, come and snip this Gebert)

Louie Despres
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Re: Nitrateville Correction Department: Showboat

Postby Louie Despres » Sun May 12, 2013 6:13 pm

Can you tell me why the guy who posts television commercials on there from the 80's is allowed to keep doing it?

Richard M Roberts
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Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 6:30 pm

Re: Nitrateville Correction Department: Showboat

Postby Richard M Roberts » Mon May 13, 2013 4:49 pm

So Rob Ray chimes in today:

"Lena Horne might be able to "pass for white" with the proper makeup and lighting, but the role of Julie should never be cast with anyone who is generally known to be black or "mixed race." It would completely eliminate the surprise when the audience discovers that Julie's been passing. ("Of course Julie's been passing -- that's Lena Horne!") The audience has to assume that Julie is white for the big reveal to work."


Yeah, it's such a big surprise that the reveal happens in the first scene Julie's introduced in.


RICHARD M ROBERTS


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