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BLACK DIRECTORS IN HOLLYWOOD
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K Copyright©2003bytheUniversityofTexasPress
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7 ofTexasPress,Box7819,Austin,TX78713-7819.
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(cid:1)Thepaperusedinthisbookmeetstheminimum
requirementsofANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992(R1997)
(PermanenceofPaper).
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Donalson,MelvinBurke,1952–
BlackdirectorsinHollywood/MelvinDonalson.
p. cm.
ISBN0-292-70178-0(cloth:alk.paper)—
ISBN0-292-70179-9(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.AfricanAmericansinmotionpictures. 2.African
Americanmotionpictureproducersanddirectors—
UnitedStates—Biography. I.Title.
PN1995.9.N4D66 2003
791.43'0233'092273—dc21 2003006770
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Withlovetomywife,Beverly,whoappreciatestheaestheticsofcinema,
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W butwhounderstandsthepowerfulmessagesinthemedium
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Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1
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9 CHAPTER 1 ThePathmakers
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n GordonParks,MelvinVanPeebles
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3 OssieDavis,SidneyPoitier
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45 CHAPTER 3 BlackUrbanActionFilmsandMainstreamImages
GordonParksJr.,IvanDixon,FredWilliamson,HughA.Robertson,
RonO’Neal,GilbertMoses,RaymondSt.Jacques
66 CHAPTER 4 BlackSensibilitiesandMainstreamImages
BerryGordyJr.,StanLathan,JamaaFanaka
78 CHAPTER 5 MichaelSchultz:TheCrossoverKing
95 CHAPTER 6 SpikeLee:TheIndependentAuteur
124 CHAPTER 7 KeepingItReal(Reel):BlackDramaticVisions
CharlesBurnett,JohnSingleton,MattyRich,MarioVanPeebles,
ErnestDickerson,AlbertandAllenHughes,DougMcHenry,
DavidClarkJohnson,PrestonA.WhitmoreII,TimReid,
RobertPatton-Spruill,DarinScott,HypeWilliams
174 CHAPTER 8 AndStillTheyRise:BlackWomenDirectors
EuzhanPalcy,JulieDash,LeslieHarris,DarnellMartin,
KasiLemmons,MillicentShelton,TroyBeyer,CherylDunye,
MayaAngelou
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204 CHAPTER 9 NotwithoutLaughter:Directorsof
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IN ReginaldHudlin,MartinLawrence,TheodoreWitcher,
RS GeorgeTillman,KevinRodneySullivan,ChristopherScottCherot
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withaHip-HopFlavor
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A ReginaldHudlin,JamesBondIII,GeorgeJackson/DougMcHenry,
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3 KevinHooks,BillDuke,CarlFranklin,ThomasCarter,
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8 ForestWhitaker,F.GaryGray,AntoineFuqua
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Filmography 323
Notes 327 Glossary 341 Bibliography 345 Index 355
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Ibeganresearchingthisbookinthespringof1997,butfromsummer1998
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A towinter1999Isetasidetheprojecttowrite,coproduce,anddirectashort
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film,entitledARoomwithoutDoors.Givenmydesiretobeafilmmaker,
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on wasabletocompletemyfirstfilm.Thefilmwentontobescreenedatnine
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3 filmfestivalsduringthefollowingyear,anditwasselectedforinclusionin
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8 ShowtimeNetwork’sBlackFilmmakersShowcaseinFebruary1999.
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Amongthemanyvaluablelessonslearnedwhilemakingthefilm,Iwas
forced to deal with the realities of filmmaking that often go unnoticed or
without assessment by most film critics and scholars. My hope is that in
shapingthisbook,Ihavebeenabletobringsomeofthatexperiencetobear
onmyevaluationsofthedirectingprocess,thusavoidingamockingorar-
rogantposture.
Asaprofessorwhoteachesfilmstudiesandpopularculture,Iknowtoo
wellhowscholarsrushtofindahavenintheoryandacademicjargonthat
sometimesbecomeendsinthemselvesratherthemeanstoilluminatinga
film. My concern was to avoid that entrapment with this book because I
wantedtoreachthatsamewideaudiencethatthedirectorsthemselveshave
been seeking to reach.Therefore, I have not adopted a critical framework
oracentralthesisbywhichtoanalyzethedirectors,norhaveIutilizedan
academiclexicontorenderthetext.
IntheintroductiontohisbookAmIBlackEnoughforYou:PopularCul-
turefromthe’HoodandBeyond(1997),scholarToddBoydwritesaboutthe
emergenceofblackculturalcritics,suchasCornelWest,bellhooks,Henry
LouisGatesJr.andMichaelEricDyson,whohaverevealedcomplexareasof
AfricanAmericanculturetoaudiencesthatarebothacademicandpopular;
theseintellectualshaveworkedtomoveawayfromanelitist,disconnected
scholarshiptowardanaccessibleconnectionwithblackcultureandamain-
stream audience. Although I am not placing myself by any means within
that circle of distinctive black intellectuals, I am embracing the spirit of
theirscholarshipthatacknowledgesthatallblackculturalexpressionswar-
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