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FILMAKERS' PORTRAITS ON EXHIBIT - Twelve original portraits of Atrtcan-Amerlcan filmmakers are on display this month at the'
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, a a part of Miller Brewing Company' Gallery of Greats collection. More
than 400 people attended a reception to launch the month-long exhibition. Attendee included Noel Hankin (right), director of marketing relation
at l\1ll1er, and ftlmmaker Charle Lane ("True Identity"). Other honoree present were Madeline Anderson, St. Clair Bourne, WiUlam Greave
and'Melvln Van Peebles. The Black filmmakers' collection ha toured the country this year.
OSSIE DAVIS
Documenting the drama of life
MILWAUKEE (October 16.1991)­
To call Ossie Davis a "filmmaker"
is to merely skim the surface of a
man whose 50-year career reads
like several average lives. But
then, no one ever has called Ossie
Davis "average." 'Throughout his
career, he cantinually has
broadened himself as an actor,
writer, producer and director,
while never losing sight of his cul-
ural identity or heritage.
Both Davis and his wife, Ruby
Dee, have chosen and developed
projects that present the strife and
victories of Black culture, such as
"Ossie and Ruby," their PBS
series that focused on Blacks and
others outsied the mainstream.
Another successful PBS series,
"With Ossie and Ruby, " presented
folk tales, poetry and anecdotes of
Black writers such as Langston
Hughes, showcasing the couple's
unique talent to present literary
material in an entertaining way.
For three years, they had a radio
show, "Tbe Ossie Davis and Ruby
Dee Story Hour," carried on the
National Black Network.
In 1961, Davis wrote and
starred in his play "Purtle Vic­
torious," a role he later recreated
on film. The play was the basis for
the Tony Award-winning 1970
Broadway musical "Purlie." lie
has appeared in a variety of plays,
including "A I Raisin in the Sun,"
nWisteria Trees" and the Tony­
Award-winning "I'm Not Rap­
p.aport. "
DA VI HAS worked on both
sides of the camera, mo t recently
appearing in the movie "Do The
Right Thing," which earned him
the NAACP Image Award for
best supporting actor. He has
directed a number of films, includ­
ing "Cotton Comes to Harlem"
and "Countdown at Kusini. "
The medium of televi ion has
be t given Davis and Dee the op­
portunity to explore hi tory, both
Black and white. "It's alway
been our de ire," ay Dee, "to
explore i ntercul tural connections,
to see how alike and how different
we are, and how alike we are in
our differences."
In addition to their award-win­
ning PBS eries, Davis' credits in-
-ctude the PBS special, "Martin
Luther King: The Dream and the
Drum," and roles in "Roots: The
Next Generation" and"A Walk
Through the 20th Century" with
Bill Moyers. He also has co­
starred in the television series
"B.L. Stryker" and is currently in
Evening Shade. "
Among all Davis' work, his
favorite but lea t-known role is
that of father to his three grown
children and now grandfather of
six. Family, politics and art: It's
the rich mixture and sometimes
delicate balance that has made
Davis' 50-year career so extraor­
dinary.
Davis was born in Cogdell,
Ga., and raised in Wycross, Ga.
He attended Howard University,
where he studied under Dr. Alain
Locke, a Black Rhodes Scholar,
and Sterling A. Brown, a distin­
guished poet. Davis moved to
New York City to join the Rose
McClendon Players, a Harlem
theater group, then made his 1948
Broadway debut in "Jeb," playing
oppo ite his furture wife.
DURING THE '50 , Davis
found that good acting roles for
Black actors were' harder to come
by, particularly for omeone who
was an active and vocal par­
ticipant in civil rights and peace
causes. But he and Dee never
questioned the importance of their
involvement. "Ruby and I are
known as people who have never
hesitated to, aggres ively.if neces­
sary, express our attitudes and be
politically active when called
upon," ays Davis. "We are not
just the average afe couple. We
have been at the right tea partie
but we have also been at the wrong
damn tea parties."
Davis' and Dee's involvement
in issues ranging from nuclear dis­
armament to civil liberties alway
has been a family affair. Druing
the '60s, their three children ac­
companied them everywhere.
from rallies to picket lines, grow­
ing up among some of this
century' most· chari malic
leaders. Says Davis, "Our kid
grew up in the middle of a tremen­
dous explosion. They knew Mal­
colm X, and all the currents that
swept through America swept
through our kitchen and living
room."
(Ossie Davis is one of 12
people selected for "Gallery of
Greats: Black Filmmakers, "a col­
lection of portraits commissioned
by Miller Brewing Company. The
collection, which honor all
Black, independent filmmakers, i
on a national tour of museums, art
gallerie and universitie
throughout 1991.)
I,
ryWi
go back .0_- h
mother coun ry
LOS ANGELES - It is the strong
emotional connection that A&M
recording legend Barry White feels
for the people of Africa that
motivated him to shoot his next two
videos there. "In 1980 I was honored
to have been invited to the Ivory
Coast by President Felix Houphouet­
Boigny. It was there and then that I
felt a spiritual connection with the
people of the country.
Africa is my motherland, just as
an Italian-American who go to
Italy for the first time feels a certain
connection with the people, or a
Jewish-American to Israel." -Direc­
tor Paris Barclay, who's credits in­
clude House Party I, the Ll, Cool J
video "Mama Said Knock You Out,"
and A&M artist Vesta's videos for
"Do YaIr and "Special; " among many
others will direct the piece.
The shooting began this week in
and around the city of Abidhan,
Ivory Coast. Barry notes that, "This
is modern Africa, bush country and
high rises. There are rich, middle
class and poor people, but no one
goes hungry."
The crew will be predominantly
Black, including an all African local
, crew which will be hired to augment
the small crew that i traveling over
with Barclay.
THE FIR T VIDEO is for
"Darkandl.ovely, "a duet with Barry
White and Isaac Hayes (who will
also present for the making of the
video), and the second is for the up­
coming single "Who You Giving
Your Love To." Both are from his
most recent album release Put Me In
Your Mix.
The "Dark and Lovely" video will
take the viewer through a lush Gar­
den of Eden shot in one of the lovely
gardens of the Abidjan city. "When
I did Secret Garden, it made me
think of a theme that I wanted to
have run through several of my
videos.
Issac Hayes was thrilled with the
idea and felt a kinship with Africa,
just as I did. We will have many dark
and lovely women in the video, all
descending from Africa. Africa
Abidjan, Ivory Coast will provide
the-best environment for th emusical
arrangements and attitude I'd like to
achieve for the video."
o
E DAVIS, ilmmaker