Hugh M. Hefner

Dorothy Dandridge

Yvonne De Carlo

Cab Calloway

Before MTV and the age of television, there were Soundies. First appearing in 1941, these three minute black-and-white films featured artists of the Big Band, Jazz and Swing era, like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Jordan, Louis Armstrong, Gene Krupa, The Mills Brothers, Les Paul, Cab Calloway, and Fats Waller. The Soundies helped launch the careers of Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Liberace, and Dorothy Dandridge, among others. Viewed for a dime through a special machine called a Panoram, a movie jukebox, these forerunners to the music video could be seen in nightclubs, roadhouses, restaurants and other public venues across the U.S. These classic films remain as glorious time capsules of music, social history, popular culture, and tell the story of a crossroads in our country, when the uncertainties of war, race relations, and emerging technologies combined to write one of the most influential chapters in our nation¹s history.

Soundies: A Musical History Hosted by Michael Feinstein

Soundies: A Musical History Hosted by Michael Feinstein (2007)

Kelly McGillis

Jodie Foster

Jennifer Lopez

The reclusive Patricia Douglas comes out of hiding to discuss the 1937 MGM scandal, in which the powerful film studio tricked her and over 100 other underage girls into attending a stag party, where she was raped.

Girl 27

Girl 27 (2007)

Harry Belafonte

Robert Horton

Based on the story, See How They Run (The Ladies' Home Journal June 51), and subsequently won that year's Christopher award. The story was

Bright Road

Bright Road (1953)

John Wayne

Northern lawyer John Reynolds travels to New Orleans to try and clean up the local crime syndicate based around a lottery. Although he meets Julie Mirbeau and they are attracted to each other, the fact that her father heads the lottery means they end up on opposite sides. When her father is killed, Julie becomes more and more involved in the shady activities and in blocking Reynolds' attempts at prosecution. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26}

Lady from Louisiana

Lady from Louisiana (1941)

Joan Collins

James Mason

Joan Fontaine

Set on a fictitious island in the Carribean during colonial British rule, it focuses on the life of a young charismatic and handsome black male with political aspirations. He finds himself confused on returning home when his romantic liaison with a white female tends to conflict with his political views. As rumor has it, an interracial screen kiss caused quite a commotion in the U.S. when this movie was released. The plot is further strengthened by a look at the lives of a white expatriate family also living on the island. The family has to deal with problems of infidelity, racism, and murder. —Warren D. Mottley

Aurinkosaari

Aurinkosaari (1957)

Brock Peters

Diahann Carroll

At an all-black army camp, civilian parachute maker and "hot bundle" Carmen Jones is desired by many of the men. Naturally, she wants Joe, who's engaged to sweet Cindy Lou and about to go into pilot training for the Korean War. Going after him, she succeeds only in getting him into the stockade. While she awaits his release, trouble approaches for both of them. Songs from the Bizet opera with modernized lyrics. —Rod Crawford

Carmen Jones

Carmen Jones (1954)

Tamara Taylor

Cynda Williams

Halle Berry

Brent Spiner

This biography of Dorothy Dandridge follows her career through early days on the club circuit with her sister to her turn in movies, including becoming the first black actress to win a Best Actress Nomination in 1954 for "Carmen Jones", to her final demise to prescription drugs, which was debated whether it was suicide or accidental. Brent Spiner plays her faithful manager who stood beside her through all of the roller coaster of her career. The film also examines her love affair with director Otto Preminger, which is shown to have probably initially helped her career, but later probably led her to some wrong decisions. The film also examines 50's racism as the black star is not permitted to use white bathrooms or the Vegas pool. In the first situation, she was given a bathroom cup to pee in. In the second situation, the hotel drained the pool and scrubbed it after she dared put her foot in the water.

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999)

Curd Jürgens

A Dutch slave captain, on a voyage to Cuba, faces a revolt fomented by a newly captured African slave, Tamango. The slaves capture the captain's mistress, forcing a showdown.

Tamango

Tamango (1958)

Charles Lane

Lou Costello

Samuel S. Hinds

Two peanut vendors at a rodeo show get in trouble with their boss and hide out on a railroad train heading west. They get jobs as cowboys on a dude ranch, despite the fact that neither of them knows anything about cowboys, horses, or anything else. —Anonymous

Ride 'Em Cowboy

Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942)

9 YIFY Movies Found

7.6 / 10

Documentary

7 / 10

Biography
Documentary

6.6 / 10

Action
Drama

5.8 / 10

Drama
Romance

6.1 / 10

Drama
Romance

6.8 / 10

Drama
Musical

7.1 / 10

Action
Biography

6.5 / 10

Action
Drama

6.6 / 10

Comedy
Musical

9 YIFY Movies Found

7.6 / 10

Documentary

7 / 10

BiographyDocumentary

6.6 / 10

ActionDrama

5.8 / 10

DramaRomance

6.1 / 10

DramaRomance

6.8 / 10

DramaMusical

7.1 / 10

ActionBiography

6.5 / 10

ActionDrama

6.6 / 10

ComedyMusical

Biography
Documentary

Action
Drama

Drama
Romance

Drama
Romance

Drama
Musical

Action
Biography

Action
Drama

Comedy
Musical