{"id":3438,"date":"2018-04-29T16:47:25","date_gmt":"2018-04-29T21:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/?p=3438"},"modified":"2018-04-29T16:47:25","modified_gmt":"2018-04-29T21:47:25","slug":"type-characters-and-tap-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/2018\/04\/29\/type-characters-and-tap-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"Type Characters and Tap Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"

In doing research about tap dancing in film, I can across a little article titled \u201cTopical Types\u2026 in Filmland\u201d, which appeared on page four of The Plaindealer <\/em>on May 24, 1935.1<\/sup><\/a> Although initially attracted by the mention of the Nicholas Brothers and Bill Robinson, the article\u2019s subheadings kept me hooked:<\/p>\n

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Title and subheadings from article<\/a> in The Plaindealer<\/em> (Kansas City, Kansas), 1935.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Not only did it connect to the question of authenticity, which is another theme we\u2019ve heavily discussed in class, but it also connected to another article I had recently read about Bill \u2018Bojangles\u2019 Robinson and the persistence of stereotyping roles in Hollywood film.<\/p>\n

Jackson, a correspondent for the Associated Negro Press Hollywood begins by remarking about how \u201cNegro film critics and fans\u201d are often deemed too \u201csqueamish\u201d to discuss \u201cwhat is and what is not an authentic portrayal of the Negro\u201d, specifically in Hollywood film. So, Jackson states that she has decided to conduct a \u201csymposium\u201d with well-known white critics instead. In this article, she recounts her conversation with W. E. Oliver who was the Los Angeles Herald Express\u2019s dramatic editor and screen reviewer.<\/p>\n

Throughout the interview, Oliver makes several interesting claims about the silver screen\u2019s portrayal of black people, but the most interesting of Oliver\u2019s insights come in the form of the examples he draws upon. Oliver praises the Nicholas Brothers\u2019 performances with Eddie Cantor in \u201cKid Millions\u201d. This illustrates his claim that the trend in Hollywood seems to be using black performers as talent rather than \u201ctype\u201d. An advertisement for the movie in the New York times in 1934 makes no mention of the brothers, even in its cast list.2<\/sup><\/a> In fact, the Nicholas Brothers really don\u2019t play roles in the plot line, they really only serve as dancers in one scene.<\/p>\n

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Poster<\/a> for the film “Kid Millions” mentioning the Nicholas Brothers and depicting them with Eddie Cantor in blackface.<\/p><\/div>\n

Additionally, especially from a modern standpoint, the content of their performance is very problematic. The scene that the brother appear in is the scene where the characters are putting on a minstrel show for the entertainment of the passengers on a cruise. Opening the scene is Harold, the younger of the brothers, sings \u201cMinstrel Night\u201d<\/a>, which begins with the phrase \u201cI want to be a minstrel man\u201d. Furthermore, when both brothers dance, it is only with Cantor in blackface, which is interesting and problematic because this is essentially the only time when the brothers interact with any of the main characters on screen.3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

But the Nicholas Brothers are praised for their work in the film which \u201cbrought them to the fore in that picture\u201d. This was their first screen appearance and their exceptional dancing got them noticed. During the song \u201cMandy\u201d, they effectively tap circles around Cantor and the other film stars who can\u2019t seem to execute the steps together or in time. Ultimately, the scene seems to demonstrate that while Cantor may be able to appropriate blackness by putting on his face paint, he cannot match \u201cblack artistry\u201d.4<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n