| re: Gene Nelson -- No "White Privilege" Benefit? | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 05:38 pm EST 03/08/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Gene Nelson -- No "White Privilege" Benefit? - whereismikeyfl 09:31 am EST 03/08/21 | |
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| No. Of course, I have always acknowledged that white actors in the 30's through the 50's got most of the lead and key supporting roles in films, often playing Asian and Hispanic characters. To play leads, an actor had to be a movie star or considered to be a box office draw. There were actually a number of Hispanic actors who became stars, like Dolores Del Rio, Cesar Romero, Rita Hayworth, Anthony Quinn, probably others. Not many Asian actors became movie stars. Anna May Wong had established herself in silent films, played a key supporting role in Shanghai Express, and became a leading actress. However, the films she starred in were sort of B movies with lower budgets and short running times. She sought the lead in the big budget The Good Earth, was turned down, but offered the key supporting role of Lotus. She refused the smaller role, a decision which probably hurt her future in films. Other Asian actors like Merle Oberon, Sabu Dastagir, and Turhan Bey did achieve stardom during the 30's. Asian actors like Keye Luke, Akim Tamiroff, Victor Sen Yung, Philip Ahn, and others had long careers playing featured roles. I've read a lot of books about the film industry during this period. I'm not convinced that "white privilege" is an accurate description of why white actors had greater success than actors of color. I think it's more complicated than that. The guys who made the movies were all white and/or Jewish. They looked at things through a white lens. Their goal, of course, was to make money and make films audiences wanted to see. Their perception was that actors had to have a certain look, couldn't be too ethnic, or (better yet) had to look exotic in order to play lead Asian characters. This gave actors like Oberon, Bey, and Sabu the advantage over most southeast Asian actors. Of course, this wasn't fair or just. But was it racist or white privilege? I honestly don't know. I'm sure tens of thousands (maybe more) actors were part of the movie making business in the 30's through the 50's. Only a handful became movie stars, most of whom were white. The vast majority of all actors, regardless of race, played extras, uncredited small parts, and other small roles. 99.9% never made it big. Just being white didn't guarantee anyone success or even employment. |
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