I am so pleased to be able to share this extremely obscure and obviously banned film "Minstrel Man". One of the most influential black music films ever made. I do not own any copyrights to it and am making it public for entertainment purposes only. This movie post is missing a few words at the beginning with Glynn Turnan's opening narration. He starts by saying "The first minstrels in this country were the slaves..." The overall sound and visual quality for this film post isn't the best. It was transfered to DVD from my VHS copy. New York Times Overvue: ...Minstrel Man is a made-for-TV chronicle of two African-American entertainers, played by Glynn E. Turman and Stanley Clay. Confined to racist show-biz tradition of the early 20th century, dancer Turman is permitted to perform only if made up in traditional blackface--white lips and all. Clay, Turman's brother, is a Scott Joplin style composer whose outspokenness brings down the wrath of white producers. But his music helps foment a revolution in black entertainment, the first step in allowing performers of his race to express themselves on their own terms, not as a reflection of Caucasian stereotypes. Enchanced throughout by genuine ragtime tunes of the era, Minstrel Man is rousing, thought-provoking entertainment. The film was originally aired as a Mobil Showcase special in March of 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi Glynn Turman won an NAACP Image Award Fred Karlin (music) and Meg Karlin (lyrics). Fred Karlin received an Emmy Award nomination for his musical score. The song "Early In The Morning" was performed by Louise Whitney (of The Whitney Family), and was also nominated for an Emmy Award - Outstanding Achievement in Special Musical Material. Starring: Glynn Turman - as Harry Lucas Brown Jr. Ted Ross - as Charlie Bates Stanley Bennett Clay - as Rennie Brown Saundra Sharp - as Jessamine Art Evans - as Tambo Gene Bell as Harry Brown Sr. and - (Fat Man) Uncle Charlie Wilbur Swartz - as Tobias Finch This film is nowhere to be found - presumed banned- maybe because it shines light on the notorious little town of Cairo, Illinois (the southern most town in what is known as "Little Egypt") which today is a ghost town, and New Madrid, Missouri. "Minstrel Man" recalls the 1902 lynching of ragtime trombonist and minstrel Louis Wright in New Madrid, Missouri not far from Cairo, Illinois.

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