Lena Horne, a true musical talent, and the racism she experienced behind the scenes at MGM, where she was the first Black person to have sighed a film studio contract.
So disgusting that this beautiful woman was ever treated as second class. She was always a first class lady. Just another example of how fundamentally stupid racism is.
Mrs. Lena Horne Broke through racial barriers & helped that Hairstylist do the same by being the best person possible & dispelling any misconceived notions of African American people. That level of purity will always garner support of those like Mr. Sidney
I was born in 1963 and I grew up knowing who Lena Horne was because I remember seeing her on television and because my mother loved her and thought she was beautiful. My Dad was in the Air Force and many years before I was born they were stationed in the South, and my mother hated it because of the local people. The locals didn't like the Air Force people because they said they paid black people too much money to do gardening and housework and that the Air Force women would eat lunch with their black housekeepers in the kitchen or dining room. The locals would say, "They know their place." What sickened my mom the most was shopping off base and to see a black woman and her child step into the gutter because she, a white lady, was walking down the sidewalk. My mom would wipe tears from her face and feel sick to her stomach because she thought it was so cruel and disgusting. Years later, when I was in 5th grade, we moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, in Louisiana (I lived across from the tennis courts by the Officer's Club), and after my first day at school, I came home from school and asked my Mom to please explain racism and slavery and civil rights because I didn't understand well enough what was going on. Which she did. Also, while living there, the miniseries ROOTS was aired on TV for the first time and my parents made it a point that we watch it together as a family, every episode, and then we could talk about it after each show. It was really an important series, and I'm glad we watched it, and I am grateful my parents were open and that they hated racism, so that's how we grew up - NOT RACIST. I also remember so many songs that were geared at tearing down racism and promoting love. And, television shows like Archie Bunker in All in the Family, and Sanford & Son, and Julia, and the Jeffersons. It seemed that Entertainment was all about moving past the bigotry and racism and coming out of the 1960's together as one America and not divided by race. Those were important times, important songs, important television and movies. We need more of that again. There is too much hate, too much racism, too many unarmed black young people being shot by bad cops, and too much of Conservatives pushing the Don't Talk About Slavery in school and don't teach the truth about history. Now, it makes sense why they hate Hollywood... Because Hollywood was part of the big change of attitudes, and Conservatives simply don't want to evolve, won't accept we are all the same and equal, and won't love all of their neighbors... I remember Lena Horne fondly, and my Mom still loves her!
Thank you so much for sharing your accounts here! I read every word eagerly, and feel grateful to you. This was sad, yes…but also beautiful in that so often, people don’t receive first hand accounts of what has happened in our society. You witnessed things first hand; you shared; and everyone that reads this will be enlightened. Blessings to you! You’ve made my evening. 🤗👍👍🙌🥰
When I interviewed Lena Horne's daughter Gail in London in 1988 she told me that MGM was the least racist studio in Hollywood at that time because they did put her under contract. MGM put her to work, gave her the best directors (including Vincente Minnelli), cameramen, costumes, lighting, gorgeous sets, everything. Everything, that is, except starring roles (apart from Cabin) & a chance to integrate on screen with Judy, Gene, Frank, Fred etc. But what we have are special, magical moments in movie musical history. Lena was never demeaned by MGM in those wonderful sequences & cinema audiences adored her & remained loyal fans forever. She is remembered.
I’m more inclined to believe you because she did receive better treatment than her dark skinned counterparts. What Lena fails to mention is her light skinned privilege. You think they would have someone of the likes of Hattie McDaniel singing a duet with Sinatra or Garland?
Hattie McDaniel, Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Gail Fisher, Isabel Sanford, Diahann Carroll all broke ground made history. They made it for all the rest to come thru.
hollywood broke lena, after she didn’t get to play Julie in showboat, Julie was a mixed race character, MGM promised her the she was Julie...but the script called for Julie and her white lover to kiss, so they fired lena and hired Ava Gardner (Ava who (much) later revealed that she was part black too so raspberries to MGM....hollywood did the same to Anna May Wong, they broke her, when they didn’t allow her to play O-lan in the film about Chinese Farmers, The Good Earth, ( because she had to kiss a white man that was playing a Chinese man & it was against the law, interracial, but it was really about white southern movie goers culture) ... oh ‘merikkka, all the talent you have squandered ...when will you grow up?
@@akrenwinkle honey I know exactly what I am talking about… feelings are not facts… and yes Ava Gardner is part black, that’s the part that upset you 😂MGM bought Showboat for Lena… read a biography and then get back to me
@@akrenwinkle you are trying to come for me about Lena??? I suggest you don’t do that… you’re sounding real ignorant right now… Lena would be 105 now, I’m a professional historian you are a troll 🧌
Lena Horne was manipulated by the NAACP into signing with MGM. Before that she had done Race Films where she had been the dramaitc lead, where singing was a part of the plot and she was not thped as a singing cameo player. But the NAACP wanted to try to move the Hollywood studios along and Horne was the Trojan horse. At Metro she was low totem in the brothel. As a matter of fact her whole personality changed if you compare what she did in Race Films with her persona at Metro. She became like a puppet on speed. She never regained her status and while we may all ooh and ah at how well she looks and how well she`s aged essentially she was done in by the System. By Hollywood. And by the NAACP too. Sydney Guilaroff did the right thing not just for Lena but for all people of colour. But hey, who cares? Life is not a political joust. It is real. It is short. It is evanescent. We only get one Go. Lena missed her chance and I blame Metro and the NAACP,
