|
Sophisticated Ladies (1982)
Character: Performer
The classic songs of legendary jazz composer Duke Ellington come alive on stage in this performance video. Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies documents a performance of the popular Broadway revue, built around more than two dozen great tunes from Ellington's songbook. Hinton Battle, Paula Kelly and Phyllis Hyman headline the cast for this production; songs include "Take The A Train," "Caravan," "Satin Doll," "In a Sentimental Mood," "Mood Indigo," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," and many more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story (1996)
Character: Mrs. Devers
The true story of Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers (Charlayne Woodard) and her fight to combat Graves disease while becoming the fastest female sprinter in the world. From a setback in Seoul that nearly costs her the use of her feet to her excruciating battle with the crippling illness to victories in Barcelona and Atlanta, Gail proves she's got the heart of a champion in this inspirational original biography. Louis Gossett Jr., Jeffrey Sams, Tina Lifford, Robert Guillaume and Paula Kelly costar.
|
|
|
Zora is My Name! (1990)
Character: N/A
A celebration of the life of Zora Neale Hurston, who was born at the turn of the 20th Century and grew to be an important voice with her written portrayals of Black American life in the rural south of the 1930's and 40's, and the stories, songs and folklore that were her heritage and inspiration.
|
|
|
Drop Squad (1994)
Character: Aunt Tilly
Controversial film about an underground organization that kidnaps and 'deprograms' African Americans who sell out or deny their cultural heritage. Spike Lee is the Executive Producer.
|
|
|
Top of the Heap (1972)
Character: Black Chick
A Black cop is pushed over the edge when he is passed over for a promotion, leading him on a violent personal crusade against criminals punctuated by feverish psychedelic dream visions.
|
|
|
|
|
Sweet Charity (1969)
Character: Helene
Taxi dancer Charity continues to have faith in the human race despite apparently endless disappointments at its hands, and hope that she will finally meet the nice young man to romance her away from her sleazy life. Maybe, just maybe, handsome Oscar will be the one to do it.
|
|
|
Trouble Man (1972)
Character: Cleo
It seems that masked men are knocking over the floating crap games of Chalky and Pete. Chalky and Pete hire the cool, loose, elegant Mr. T to fix things. Then, the masked manipulators set up the death of a collector for a rival gang lord. It looks like it's up to T to hold a gang war from breaking out, keep the police off his back, and earn his fee from Chalky and Pete.
|
|
|
Three Tough Guys (1974)
Character: Fay
Isaac Hayes plays as Lee in his feature film debut, as Father Charlie and himself solve a bank robbery mystery that stretches across the city. After Lee is removed from the force due to $1,000,000 being stolen from the bank Father Charlie helps him to gain revenge for the loss of one of his friends.
|
|
|
Bank Robber (1993)
Character: Mother
After robbing a bank, the robber hides out from the police in a seedy hotel where he is forced to bribe various tennants for protection as well as their silence which becomes more difficult as greed takes over and the people demand more exuberant bribes from the bank robber to shelter and hide him.
|
|
|
The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973)
Character: Dahomey Queen
A black man plays Uncle Tom in order to gain access to CIA training, then uses that knowledge to plot a new American Revolution.
|
|
|
That's Dancing! (1985)
Character: From 'Sweet Charity' (archive footage)
A documentary film about dancing on the screen, from its origins after the invention of the movie camera, over the movie musical from the late 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, up to the break dance and music videos from the 80s.
|
|
|
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Character: Karen Anson
When virtually all of the residents of Piedmont, New Mexico are found dead after the return to Earth of a space satellite, the head of the US Air Force's Project Scoop declares an emergency. A group of eminent scientists led by Dr. Jeremy Stone scrambles to a secure laboratory and tries first to isolate the life form while determining why two people from Piedmont - an old alcoholic and a six-month-old baby - survived. The scientists methodically study the alien life form, unaware that it has already mutated and presents a far greater danger in the lab, which is equipped with a nuclear self-destruct device designed to prevent the escape of dangerous biological agents.
|
|
|
Lost in the Stars (1974)
Character: Rose
A black South African minister searches the unfamiliar back alleys and shantytowns of Johannesburg for his son.
|
|
|
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do (2015)
Character: Self (archive footage)
A retrospective of Chita Rivera's film, television and stage career, including interviews with Dick Van Dyke, Ben Vereen, Carol Lawrence and others. Originally aired as Episode 2 of Season 43 of the PBS series Great Performances.
|
|
|
Peter Pan (1976)
Character: Tiger Lily
Peter Pan is a 1976 musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, produced for television as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame, starring Mia Farrow as Peter Pan and Danny Kaye as Captain Hook, and with Sir John Gielgud narrating. Julie Andrews sang one of the songs, "Once Upon a Bedtime", off-camera over the opening credits. It aired on NBC at 7:30pm on Sunday, December 12, 1976, capping off the program's 25th year on the air. The program did not use the score written for the highly successful Mary Martin version which had previously been televised many times on NBC. Instead, it featured 14 new and now forgotten songs, written for the production by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Soylent Green (1973)
Character: Martha Phillips
In the year 2022, overcrowding, pollution, and resource depletion have reduced society’s leaders to finding food for the teeming masses. The answer is Soylent Green.
|
|
|
Cool Breeze (1972)
Character: Martha Harris
A paroled crook masterminds a $3 million jewelry theft to fund a bank for businessmen.
|
|
|
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
Character: Satin Doll
Although Jo Jo Dancer has achieved success as a stand-up comedian, he hasn't found happiness. After receiving severe burns in a narcotics-related incident, Jo Jo remains in a coma, and, while in this state, he looks back on his life. Drifting off into memories of his troubled childhood, Jo Jo revisits his youth, recalling his eventual rise to fame and the decadence that followed. As he considers his existence, he must decide if he wants to go on living or not.
|
|
|
Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
Character: Leggy Peggy
Two blue-collar buddies search the underworld for a winning lottery ticket lost in a nightclub holdup.
|
|
|
Drum (1976)
Character: Rachel
A mid-19th century mulatto slave is torn between his success as a pit-fighter and the injustices of white society.
|
|
