Passing Films and the Illusion of Racial Equality
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15415468 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bowdre Bowdre (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 21-21 |
| Publication date | 2014-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Black Camera (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1536-3155 • E-ISSN: 1947-4237 |
| Publisher | Indiana University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2979/blackcamera.5.2.21 |
| OpenAlex | W1964423881 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 7 |
This essay considers prominent films, including Imitation of Life (1934, 1959) and Lost Boundaries (1949), that examine the topic of passing. Social problem films dealing with race were often viewed as progressive and thought to tackle the issue of racism. However, I argue that in its focus on passing, Hollywood made an empty gesture toward racial equality. The majority of Blacks cannot pass as White, so examining this issue was superficial. Moreover, passing narratives did not challenge the racial hierarchy in the United States but encouraged those at the bottom to stay in their place. Industry practices such as casting decisions also played an important role in these films. While ostensibly these movies should have provided opportunities for more Black actors and actresses, except for the casting of Fredi Washington in 1934 in Imitation of Life , Hollywood continued to cast White actors exclusively in Black roles. In fact the Production Code Administration (PCA) was so alarmed about Washington’s appearance and real-life ability to pass that I posit subsequent passing films avoided any PCA censorship problems by not casting Blacks. Through an examination of the PCA files on these films, I argue that industry practices of racial exclusion from lead roles as well as the use of passing films continue to shore up the centrality of whiteness in Hollywood cinema
Aesthetics · Art · Cognitive psychology · Illusion · Sociology · Cinema and Media Studies · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society · Psychology · Race, History, and American Society
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,25 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2022 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |