Richard Roundtree, the ultracool actor who helped open the door to a generation of Black filmmakers and performers with his portrayal of private eye John Shaft, “the cat that won’t cop out when there’s danger all about,” died Tuesday. He was 81.
Roundtree died at his home in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer, his manager, Patrick McMinn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and had a double mastectomy. “Breast cancer is not gender specific,” he said four years later. “And men have this cavalier attitude about health issues. I got such positive feedback because I spoke out about it, and it’s been quite a number of years now. I’m a survivor.”
Roundtree also portrayed the title character opposite Peter O’Toole as Robinson Crusoe in Man Friday, was featured as an army sergeant opposite Laurence Olivier as Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Korean...
Roundtree died at his home in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer, his manager, Patrick McMinn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and had a double mastectomy. “Breast cancer is not gender specific,” he said four years later. “And men have this cavalier attitude about health issues. I got such positive feedback because I spoke out about it, and it’s been quite a number of years now. I’m a survivor.”
Roundtree also portrayed the title character opposite Peter O’Toole as Robinson Crusoe in Man Friday, was featured as an army sergeant opposite Laurence Olivier as Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Korean...
- 10/25/2023
- by Chris Koseluk
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
She doubled for Pam Grier on Foxy Brown, dodged moving cars in The Blues Brothers and once spent an entire year in a body cast. All while fighting for the rights of other stunt performers
Jadie David’s entry into the movie business sounds like a scene from a film. It was 1971; she was 22 years old, living in Burbank, Los Angeles. She would regularly ride her horse in nearby Griffith Park. She knew most of the other riders out there, including an African American man named Bob Minor. “Bob used to ride up next to me and go: ‘Hi, how you doing?’” says David. “But I was like, ‘This guy’s flirting with me.’ I really didn’t pay much attention to him.” Minor told her he was in the movie industry and that he liked her look, and asked for her phone number. “So, I’m like, ‘This is Hollywood.
Jadie David’s entry into the movie business sounds like a scene from a film. It was 1971; she was 22 years old, living in Burbank, Los Angeles. She would regularly ride her horse in nearby Griffith Park. She knew most of the other riders out there, including an African American man named Bob Minor. “Bob used to ride up next to me and go: ‘Hi, how you doing?’” says David. “But I was like, ‘This guy’s flirting with me.’ I really didn’t pay much attention to him.” Minor told her he was in the movie industry and that he liked her look, and asked for her phone number. “So, I’m like, ‘This is Hollywood.
- 8/9/2023
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Michael Constantine, who played Gus, the father of Nia Vardalos’ Toula Portokalos in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” by far the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, died on Aug. 31. He was 94.
Constantine’s agent confirmed the news of his death to Variety. He died of natural causes.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scored a domestic gross of $241 million in 2002; No. 2 on the list is “What Women Want” with $183 million. The film drew a SAG Awards nomination for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture.
As Roger Ebert recounted, Constantine’s Gus “specializes in finding the Greek root for any word (even ‘kimono’), and delivers a toast in which he explains that ‘Miller’ goes back to the Greek word for apple, and ‘Portokalos’ is based on the Greek word for oranges, and so, he concludes triumphantly, ‘In the end, we’re all fruits.’ ”
Variety said: “Constantine fares...
Constantine’s agent confirmed the news of his death to Variety. He died of natural causes.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scored a domestic gross of $241 million in 2002; No. 2 on the list is “What Women Want” with $183 million. The film drew a SAG Awards nomination for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture.
As Roger Ebert recounted, Constantine’s Gus “specializes in finding the Greek root for any word (even ‘kimono’), and delivers a toast in which he explains that ‘Miller’ goes back to the Greek word for apple, and ‘Portokalos’ is based on the Greek word for oranges, and so, he concludes triumphantly, ‘In the end, we’re all fruits.’ ”
Variety said: “Constantine fares...
- 9/9/2021
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
“Blacula” is leaving the coffin.
MGM, Bron and Hidden Empire Film Group’s Deon and Roxanne Avent Taylor are teaming up for a reboot of the blaxploitation horror classic.
The new film is a modern reimagining of the 1972 movie, directed by William Crain and starring William Marshall as Blacula. The reboot picks up where the original saga left off, after the 1973 sequel “Scream Blacula Scream,” and will be set in a metropolitan city post-coronavirus pandemic.
A description of “Blacula” teases how the movie will update the classic story, as it follows the vampire as he “thirsts for vengeance”:
Blacula is an ancient African prince who is cursed by Dracula after he fails to agree to end the slave trade. Blacula is entombed and awakens 200 years later ready to avenge the death of his ancestors and of those responsible for robbing his people of their work, culture and heritage as they appropriated it for profit.
MGM, Bron and Hidden Empire Film Group’s Deon and Roxanne Avent Taylor are teaming up for a reboot of the blaxploitation horror classic.
The new film is a modern reimagining of the 1972 movie, directed by William Crain and starring William Marshall as Blacula. The reboot picks up where the original saga left off, after the 1973 sequel “Scream Blacula Scream,” and will be set in a metropolitan city post-coronavirus pandemic.
A description of “Blacula” teases how the movie will update the classic story, as it follows the vampire as he “thirsts for vengeance”:
Blacula is an ancient African prince who is cursed by Dracula after he fails to agree to end the slave trade. Blacula is entombed and awakens 200 years later ready to avenge the death of his ancestors and of those responsible for robbing his people of their work, culture and heritage as they appropriated it for profit.
- 6/17/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Douglas Turner Ward, the director, actor and playwright who co-founded the landmark, influential Off Broadway Black theater group the Negro Ensemble Company, died Saturday, Feb. 20, at his home in New York City. He was 90.
His death was announced by his wife Diana Ward.
Ward had already begun a solid New York stage acting career in the 1950s and ’60s – including Off Broadway roles in The Iceman Cometh and on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun – when, according to The New York Times, he wrote a 1966 editorial for that newspaper headlined “American Theater: For Whites Only?” The article called for the establishment of a Black repertory theater company. Turner wrote, “Not in the future…but now!”
A year later the Ford Foundation awarded a $434,000 grant to create the Negro Ensemble Company with Ward as artistic director, along with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone in other leadership roles.
The Company...
His death was announced by his wife Diana Ward.
Ward had already begun a solid New York stage acting career in the 1950s and ’60s – including Off Broadway roles in The Iceman Cometh and on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun – when, according to The New York Times, he wrote a 1966 editorial for that newspaper headlined “American Theater: For Whites Only?” The article called for the establishment of a Black repertory theater company. Turner wrote, “Not in the future…but now!”
A year later the Ford Foundation awarded a $434,000 grant to create the Negro Ensemble Company with Ward as artistic director, along with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone in other leadership roles.
The Company...
- 2/23/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Bill Withers was my first true idol. His debut album, Just As I Am, came out in May 1971, four months after I was born. When I first heard his songs, either on the radio or on my dad’s records, I knew that I was hearing something different. His music and his vocals were as down-to-earth as the earth itself. Too often, black artists get classified as otherworldly talents (Michael Jackson, Prince) or gritty, up-from-the-streets hustlers who are barely overcoming animal instincts (too many to name). Withers was something else: a black everyman,...
- 4/9/2020
- by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson
- Rollingstone.com
Soulful singer-songwriter Bill Withers, best known for a string of hits that includes “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lean On Me,” has died from heart complications. He was 81.
“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father,” Withers’ family said in a statement to the Associated Press. “A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other. As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.”
The three-time Grammy Award winner released eight albums before retiring from music in 1985. However, his inspiration and influence on artists, films, and music fans has never stopped. Even today, amidst the coronavirus pandemic,...
“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father,” Withers’ family said in a statement to the Associated Press. “A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other. As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.”
The three-time Grammy Award winner released eight albums before retiring from music in 1985. However, his inspiration and influence on artists, films, and music fans has never stopped. Even today, amidst the coronavirus pandemic,...
- 4/3/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Blaxploitation films burst onto the scene in 1971 with the huge success of Gordon Park’s Shaft. By 1972, audiences were clamoring for more, and filmmakers and studios were keen to jump on the bandwagon. While most of the majors were focusing on the Shaft formula of hot chicks and cool Dicks, American International Pictures saw a void that no one had filled yet: the black horror film. And so, with as little money as they usually invested, they sent forth into the world Blacula (1972), and wouldn’t you know it? Audiences loved it.
Just don’t call it Blaxploitation—because it isn’t. Blacula, surprisingly, showcases little of the developing tropes already established by Shaft. There is no "jive" talk, no gratuitous nudity or overwhelming violence. And I say "surprisingly", because it would have been so easy (not to mention profitable) to follow the formula set in motion by Shaft, Superfly,...
Just don’t call it Blaxploitation—because it isn’t. Blacula, surprisingly, showcases little of the developing tropes already established by Shaft. There is no "jive" talk, no gratuitous nudity or overwhelming violence. And I say "surprisingly", because it would have been so easy (not to mention profitable) to follow the formula set in motion by Shaft, Superfly,...
- 1/16/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Urban action and fatal attraction give rise to a groove from beyond the grave in this funkadelic, fangadelic blaxploitation double-bill from Eureka Entertainment, which sees the eternally cool William Marshall put a fresh spin on the age-old legend of the vampire, condemned to wander the earth with an insatiable lust for blood as Blacula.
Produced at the height of the blaxploitation era, the Blacula movies are the perfect blend of genre and social film making, the types of which hadn’t been seen before… or since!
Blacula (1972)
Stars: William Marshall, Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicholas, Thalmus Rasulala, Gordon Pinsent, Charles Macaulay, Emily Yancy, Ted Harris, Rick Metzler | Written by Joan Torres, Raymond Koenig | Directed by William Crain
In 1780, African Prince Mamuwalde (Marshall) pays a visit to Count Dracula in Transylvania, seeking his support in ending the slave trade. Instead, the evil count curses his noble guest and transforms him into a vampire!
Produced at the height of the blaxploitation era, the Blacula movies are the perfect blend of genre and social film making, the types of which hadn’t been seen before… or since!
Blacula (1972)
Stars: William Marshall, Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicholas, Thalmus Rasulala, Gordon Pinsent, Charles Macaulay, Emily Yancy, Ted Harris, Rick Metzler | Written by Joan Torres, Raymond Koenig | Directed by William Crain
In 1780, African Prince Mamuwalde (Marshall) pays a visit to Count Dracula in Transylvania, seeking his support in ending the slave trade. Instead, the evil count curses his noble guest and transforms him into a vampire!
- 11/2/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Academy Award-nominated actress Lupita Nyong’o, Ava DuVernay, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, and more were honored at this year’s seventh annual Essence Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon in a beautiful event that took place at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday. Oprah Winfrey, Kerry Washington, Spike Lee, and more were in attendance at this year’s celebration, which packed an emotional punch as honorees spoke of personally struggling with finding their place in the world. Read on to find out what the winners had to say in their acceptance speeches below:
When accepting the award for Best Breakthrough Performance, Nyong...
When accepting the award for Best Breakthrough Performance, Nyong...
- 2/28/2014
- by Pamela Gocobachi
- EW.com - PopWatch
#relatedCeleb{display:none;} The seventh annual Essence magazine Black Women in Hollywood luncheon kicks off Thursday, and you can catch all of the red carpet action on People.com. The stars start arriving at 2:30 p.m. Et at the Beverly Hills Hotel for the event, which honors African-American women in the entertainment industry. This year's top honorees include Lupita Nyong'o, receiving an award for best breakout performance for 12 Years a Slave, as well as Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who will receive the Trailblazer Award, and Ava DuVernay, a writer, producer, director and independent filmmaker,...
- 2/27/2014
- by Andrea Billups
- PEOPLE.com
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Continues Thursday Night with A Piece Of The Action and Let’S Do It Again
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Continues Thursday Night with A Piece Of The Action and Let’S Do It Again
February is Black History Month, and to help celebrate, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to the 86-year old Sidney Poitier at their C lassic Black Film Festival. Lucky St. Louis movie buffs will have the opportunity to view eight vintage Sidney Poitier on the big screen. Every Thursday in February, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting two Poitier films at St Louis Cinemas Galleria (630 St Louis Galleria, Richmond Heights, Mo 63117).
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Film Festival continues this Thursday night (February 27th) with two Poitier classics; A Piece Of The Action and Let’S Do It Again
Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, co-stars of the comic capers Uptown Saturday Night and Let’S Do It Again, teamed up again in 1975 for the...
February is Black History Month, and to help celebrate, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to the 86-year old Sidney Poitier at their C lassic Black Film Festival. Lucky St. Louis movie buffs will have the opportunity to view eight vintage Sidney Poitier on the big screen. Every Thursday in February, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting two Poitier films at St Louis Cinemas Galleria (630 St Louis Galleria, Richmond Heights, Mo 63117).
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Film Festival continues this Thursday night (February 27th) with two Poitier classics; A Piece Of The Action and Let’S Do It Again
Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, co-stars of the comic capers Uptown Saturday Night and Let’S Do It Again, teamed up again in 1975 for the...
- 2/24/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Essence announced yesterday, planned highlights for the 7th annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, which will include a special celebration of the other gender, called Black Men in Hollywood: A Year in Film, as well as a tribute to 10 performers who championed the Civil Rights Movement. Honorees this year include the woman of the hour, Lupita Nyong'o, Ava DuVernay, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Diahann Carroll, Nichelle Nichols, Jim Brown, Denise Nicholas, Clarence Williams III, and others. The event is scheduled to take place next month, February 27, 2014, in Beverly Hills, CA. The details via press release below: Black Women...
- 1/16/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
If you're going to be near the Chinese Theaters in Hollywood this week, be sure to pop in on Wednesday to enjoy Mad Monster's screening of Blacula featuring a Q&A with cast members Denise Nicholas and Bob Minor. Sounds like a blast!
You can purchase tickets for Blacula at the Chinese Theaters here, and once you do, RSVP at the official Blacula event Facebook page for a free gift. Read on for all the details.
From the Press Release
Celebrate Black History Month with Mad Monster and Blacula, Dracula's 70’s Soul Brotha’, at the Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, Wednesday, February 13th at 9:00pm! The event will include a special Q&A with cast members Denise Nicholas who played "Michelle" and Blacula's stuntman, Bob Minor, moderated by author and film historian, Pat Jankiewicz, the last person to interview Blacula himself, William Marshall!
As always, there will be prize giveaways,...
You can purchase tickets for Blacula at the Chinese Theaters here, and once you do, RSVP at the official Blacula event Facebook page for a free gift. Read on for all the details.
From the Press Release
Celebrate Black History Month with Mad Monster and Blacula, Dracula's 70’s Soul Brotha’, at the Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, Wednesday, February 13th at 9:00pm! The event will include a special Q&A with cast members Denise Nicholas who played "Michelle" and Blacula's stuntman, Bob Minor, moderated by author and film historian, Pat Jankiewicz, the last person to interview Blacula himself, William Marshall!
As always, there will be prize giveaways,...
- 2/12/2013
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
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