Mickey Rooney's turn in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" is jaw-droppingly racist, but does Olivier's "Othello" really bolster your point? Presumably, Shakespeare never intended for a man of African descent to play the part. Where would he have found a "Moor?"

Here's something crazy: Patrick Stewart (Capt. Picard on Star Trek:TNG) and his director reworked the play to present "Othello as the only white character in a society otherwise comprised completely of blacks."

http://www.shakespearetheatre......amp;id=130

Genius!

Acting!

Thank you!

Sophia Loren? Isn't that about as black-face as Dorothy Dandridge?

They have done blackface and other racist mockings in Bollywood movies, too, and as a South Asian with roots from northern India, I feel deeply embarrassed and ashamed.

(in many Bollywood movies, there have been characters doing racist blackface/mocking of darker-skinned Indians, lower-caste Hindus, of Africans, of poor villagers, and anything "un-Aryan")

I lOVE Breakfast At Tiffany’s, but I was disgusted at Mickey Rooney's role. I later read that Mickey Rooney actully regrets doing it.

TCM is currently doing their annual race & hollywood series. This year it's on Asian images in film amd they discuss many of the issues Lauren talks about.

Did they forget the tanner on Ava Gardner?

Sophia Loren looks better in black face.

B@T would be the perfect movie without that landlord character

Off Topic:

Sophia Loren is a bad chic. Look at her cheekbones in that pic.

Protagonist- There has been a black presence in England since the 1500's. The Moors have had a presence in Europe, most notably Southern Europe since 711 or 911AD.

Sophia does look hot in blackface. As fucked up as it is, at least they didn't make Aida a "white ethiopian".

I love a lot about Indian culture, but those Bollywood films are incredibly racist and backwards.

Chic Noir, maybe I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there were no black actors treading the boards in Elizabethan theater.

If I had a time machine, I'd send Paul Robeson to 1604 A.D. so he could play the title role in the original production. That would be interesting.

But Moor does not equal Black. Moors were North Africans and Arab, ie…caucasian, as opposed to Negroid….. Much like Egyptians, while technically African, are not usually considered Black…so it is quite possible the Moors were around as they were some bad mutha- SHUT YO MOUTH!

But I'm just talkin' bout Moors!

OK, I'll say it this way: I'm pretty sure there were no actors of color working in the Elizabethan era, despite the presence of people of color in Europe during that time period.

BTW, can someone explain Mena Suvari with cornrows? Please? For the love of Richard Roundree?

If we walk it all the way back to Elizabethan norms, I'd be free to shout encouragement or abuse to the actors from my seat!

I know this was 12 comments ago, but I was originally referring to your use of Olivier's "Othello" headshot, that's all.

The other examples seemed spot-on, but since "Othello" wasn't intended by its author to be played by an actor of color, and because Shakespeare is so woven into the DNA of European culture, it struck me as the weakest choice for inclusion here.

For example, the early silent Charlie Chan movies starred Asian actors, but once the franchise got popular, Chan was portrayed by white guys. Number One Son was always played by an Asian actor, but he was essentially a clown.

The Moors (which is considered a derogatory term now) were a mixture of black and arab, just like all north africans.

They were badass…..for a while at least.

Alessandro de' Medici (of THE Medicis') was by some historical counts the illegitimate offspring of a liason (rape?) with a black female servant. I love that ALL of his children married into the most of the great royal families of europe.

Thanks for clearing that up solitaire.