Black Masculinity on Film

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Daniel O’Brien

   Pages 1-22

3. The Natives Are Still Restless: Black Representation in Whitened Africa from Tarzan to Mandela

   • Daniel O’Brien

   Pages 23-53

4. A King Among Bit Players: Noble Johnson and the Art of Racial Ambiguity

   • Daniel O’Brien

   Pages 55-70

5. Also Known as Rochester: Eddie Anderson, Black Stardom and World War II

   • Daniel O’Brien

   Pages 71-85

6. Tall and Black in the Saddle: How African-American Cowboys Rode Out of the Shadows and into the Sunset

   • Daniel O’Brien

   Pages 87-121

7. Due Afro-Americani a Roma: John Kitzmiller, Woody Strode and Remoulding Stereotypes in Italian Popular Cinema

   • Daniel O’Brien

   Pages 123-150

8. Bond and Blackness: Challenging Racial Schism in the 007 Universe

   • Daniel O’Brien

   Pages 151-163

9. Leaving the Overlook: Black heroism and white nightmare in The Shining

   • Daniel O’Brien

   Pages 165-176

10. Saving the World for White Folks? Will Smith Racialises Science Fiction as Black Man and Man in Black

    • Daniel O’Brien

    Pages 177-196

11. Back Matter

    Pages 197-221

    PDF

This book provides wide-ranging commentary on depictions of the black male in mainstream cinema. O’Brien explores the extent to which counter-representations of black masculinity have been achieved within a predominately white industry, with an emphasis on agency, the negotiation and malleability of racial status, and the inherent instability of imposed racial categories. Focusing on American and European cinema, the chapters  highlight actors (Woody Strode, Noble Johnson, Eddie Anderson, Will Smith), genres (jungle pictures, westerns, science fiction) and franchises (Tarzan, James Bond) underrepresented in previous critical and scholarly commentary in the field. The author argues that although the characters and performances generated in these areas invoke popular genre types, they display complexity, diversity and ambiguity, exhibiting aspects that are positive, progressive and subversive. This book will appeal to both the academic and the general reader interested in film, race, gender and colonial issues.

• cinematic black masculinity
• colonialism
• gender
• race
• African cinema
• European cinema
• African-American representations
• representing masculinity
• representation of men
• male sterotypes
• racial stereotyping
• western movies
• Hollywood
• colonial issues
• counter-representations of black masculinity
• black men on screen

“Black Masculinity on Film is a very strong volume. O’Brien is thoroughly familiar with all of the major literature out there on black masculinity…He is also completely aware of the major (and minor) films which address black masculinity in both the United States and in Europe. Rather than attempt a strictly chronological progression, O’Brien chooses to organize by genre or screen personality, a wise move…adding much to this discipline by his chapters on Noble Johnson, Eddie Anderson, Woody Strode, John Kitzmiller and the 007 universe.” (Gerald Butters, Professor of History at Aurora University, USA)

• Southampton, United Kingdom

  Daniel O'Brien

Daniel O'Brien is Film Tutor in Medical Humanities at the University of Southampton, UK. He is a writer and historian in film studies and a film tutor in Medical Humanities. His recent publications include Classical Masculinity and the Spectacular Body on Film: The Mighty Sons of Hercules (Palgrave Macmillan 2014).

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