HELLO AMERICA!  After talking with many Hollywood veterans, people who have played a significant role in building the glamour keg of Tinseltown’s image worldwide, it is abundantly clear that the general belief is that we are slowly witnessing the decline of a magnificent, magical entertainment industry, especially where motion pictures are concerned.  An industry that inspired and motivated the best in us to reach out for the golden prize is quickly becoming a trash bin of unimpressive, classless actors and producers who believe they must reach the lowest level of humanity in order to make a buck. 

          Film actor, Peter O’Toole, one who doesn’t hesitate to make his voice heard, noted:  “There was something very brash, yet regal about Hollywood when I first arrived in the place.  I would say, there was a curiosity about the stars and the people who brought bigger than life characters onto the screen. Now, because of television, cable and also the invasion of the computer into our lives, there is a problem of overexposure – if you want to find out something about an artist, you simply go online, and there you have it. The glamour as it was is gone. When watching premieres, what do you see?  People attending wearing tennis shoes or looking as if they had just emerged from a shower. So, where are the role models – of course, there are few stars that have maintained certain standards of dress and behavior but they are very few. I must confess that the Hollywood that I once knew and admired is nearly gone – dead, unfortunately.” 

          Lena Horne who was the first major Black contract star under the rule of MGM’s Louis B. Meyer agreed with O’Toole and added: “It is absolutely shocking to see many of our young black actors and musicians still allowing themselves to be stereotyped as was the case when I was coming along at MGM.  I refused to play roles that might denigrate my people in any way. Of course, I paid for it in many ways by not being permitted to play certain roles not meant for a person of color, but I stood my ground.  For example, I felt that I should have been cast as ‘Julie’ in the musical ‘Show Boat’ but the studio gave it to my friend Ava Gardner who rehearsed the songs by listening to my recording of them.  Watching some of the sitcoms on TV, I must tell you that I’m embarrassed – the scripts seem to be written by people who believe we are clowns and fools.  And if Black writers write them, they should be ashamed – they are doing a disservice to people of color. As for the vulgarity in some of the music, it only reinforces the belief that we are a low class group of people with very little substance. Of course, I realize that every generation has its own music and rap obviously is the current choice, but this gangster stuff that many of our young people are putting out there should stay in the gutter where it belongs.”

          Writer-producer Barry Kirk who served his producing internship at 20^th Century Fox under Richard Zanuch Jr. also mourned the demise of an industry that once gave him hope to create and achieve something which might make life a little easier for people.  “I’m afraid that I’m one of those who is somewhat disenchanted with our industry, generally.  I see terrible things happening behind the gates of our studios and production companies – and the villains are not white people but people of color.  The very same people who complained that they were not receiving fair treatment or given an opportunity to develop their ideas and projects in the ’60s and ‘70s are the very ones who are guilty now of closing the door of opportunity from their positions of powers to many other Black, Asian and Latino actors and writers at many studios and production offices in the industry. As a result we are still polarized and creatively separated.” 

WELL AMERICA, THAT’S IT FOR NOW – REMEMBER THAT IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A CLEAR VIEW OF THOSE WHO YELL THE MOST ABOUT TOLERANCE AND JUSTICE – SOMETIMES THEY ARE THE VERY PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT HESITATE TO ADMINISTER A LETHAL BITE!