Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee

Born: October 27, 1922
Died: June 11, 2014
in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 - June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun. Her other notable film roles include The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Do the Right Thing (1989) and American Gangster (2007).

Movies for Ruby Dee...

Poitier's Walter Lee
Title: Poitier's Walter Lee
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 25, 2018
Type: Movie
An interview with film scholar Mia Mask, co-editor of Poitier Revisited.
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Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
Title: Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
Character: Self
Released: June 22, 2014
Type: Movie
In this open-letter style documentary, Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis' rich lives guide their grandson on his personal quest to master lasting love, conscious art, and undying activism.
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Betty and Coretta
Title: Betty and Coretta
Character: Narrator
Released: February 2, 2013
Type: Movie
The widows of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and how they carry on as single mothers after the assassination of their husbands.
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Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal
Title: Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal
Character: Self
Released: February 1, 2013
Type: Movie
The film chronicles the life and revolutionary times of death row political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.
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A Thousand Words
Title: A Thousand Words
Character: Annie McCall
Released: March 7, 2012
Type: Movie
Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he’s got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he’s a goner.
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Video Girl
Title: Video Girl
Character: Valerie
Released: October 11, 2011
Type: Movie
Lorie Walker is a small town girl whose big dreams of becoming a dancer come true when she becomes a star in the Hip-Hop video world. But she soon learns the hard way that life in front of the camera is not as glamorous as it seems.
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Politics of Love
Title: Politics of Love
Released: August 26, 2011
Type: Movie
Politics makes strange bedfellows, but never stranger than when a sexy, savvy, African-American conservative Republican reluctantly falls for his Democratic counterpart: a beautiful Indian-American Obama campaign volunteer. Sparks fly, tempers flare, heads turn, and romance blossoms for this mismatched pair of lovers in the frantic and intoxicating days leading up to Election Day. Can the politics of love conquer all?
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The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll
Title: The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll
Character: Miss Candy
Released: August 5, 2011
Type: Movie
In this film, childhood friends come face to face with the demons of rock and roll (lust, drugs, and passion) on a cross-country road trip that compels them to face their past, present, and future. Rocker Spyder, whose debut album was a huge hit saw his follow-on album bomb, causing him to retreat to his small hometown and give up. Seven years later, 27-year-old Spyder reconnects with his long-lost best friend and writer of his debut album Eric, son of a late great punk rock guitar legend, who has long settled into the sedate life of a suburban middle school music teacher. The reunion forces the two to recall their youthful ambitions and re-examine the choices they've made.
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A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School
Title: A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: July 22, 2009
Type: Movie
For a seventy-year period, when America cared little about the education of African-Americans, and discrimination was law and custom, The Bordentown School was an educational utopia. An incubator for black pride and intellect, it taught values, discipline, and life skills to generations of black children. This is the story of that remarkable school, as told by Bordentown alumni, historians, and remarkable archival footage. It is also the story of black education in America across three centuries, presenting a nuanced, rarely seen portrait of a separate black space; and a much-needed preface to the growing national discussion about historically black institutions and their role in nurturing identity and accomplishment. What was lost and what was gained in the march toward equality?
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America
Title: America
Character: Mrs. Harper
Released: February 28, 2009
Type: Movie
In "America," Dr. Maureen Brennan, a psychiatrist at a youth treatment center, encounters her newest patient, a bi-racial boy named America. Through their sessions, Dr. Brennan helps America come to terms with his roller-coaster life, which began when he was taken by authorities from his crack-addicted mother, and placed into foster care as an infant. The short time of stability in his life occurred when America lived with Mrs. Harper, the elderly nanny to one of his foster families. Later reunited with his mother, she soon abandons America and he is again placed into foster care. Lagging behind in school and full of anger, America retreats further away from society after years of sexual abuse. After attempting suicide, America is placed in a treatment center where Dr. Brennan helps him open up about his painful past and discover the support and courage he needs to get his life back on track.
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Steam
Title: Steam
Character: Doris
Released: November 15, 2007
Type: Movie
Three women — a young coed, a forty-something single mother, and one a senior-aged widow — meet in the sauna of the local gym, where they gradually get to know one another and bond over their respective trials and tribulations.
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American Gangster
Title: American Gangster
Character: Mama Lucas
Released: November 2, 2007
Type: Movie
Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. He does so by buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and he comes up with a unique way of importing the drugs into the United States. Partly based on a true story.
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All About Us
Title: All About Us
Character: Ms. Ella
Released: October 1, 2007
Type: Movie
Two Hollywood filmmakers attempt to find Morgan Freeman in Mississippi and convince him to star in their next movie. When life gets in their way they soon discover what matters to them most.
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In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
Title: In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
Character: Herself
Released: September 15, 2007
Type: Movie
This documentary captures the sounds and images of a nearly forgotten era in film history when African American filmmakers and studios created “race movies” exclusively for black audiences. The best of these films attempted to counter the demeaning stereotypes of black Americans prevalent in the popular culture of the day. About 500 films were produced, yet only about 100 still exist. Filmmaking pioneers like Oscar Micheaux, the Noble brothers, and Spencer Williams, Jr. left a lasting influence on black filmmakers, and inspired generations of audiences who finally saw their own lives reflected on the silver screen.
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Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson
Title: Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson
Character: Self
Released: January 31, 2007
Type: Movie
A retrospective look at the career of Paul Robeson and his legacy as both an American and a citizen of the world.
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Discovering William Greaves
Title: Discovering William Greaves
Character: Self
Released: December 6, 2006
Type: Movie
A documentary on the career of William Greaves, featuring Greaves, his wife and co-producer Louise Archambault, actor Ruby Dee, filmmaker St. Clair Bourne, and film scholar Scott MacDonald. Released within Criterion's Symbiopsychotaxiplasm set.
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No. 2
Title: No. 2
Character: Nanna Maria
Released: February 16, 2006
Type: Movie
A matriarch organizes a feast with her family, in which she will name her successor. The heart has gone out of Nanna Maria's family. There are no parties — they don't even fight anymore...
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Title: Iconoclasts
Character: Self
Released: November 17, 2005
Type: TV
Iconoclasts is a Sundance Channel show. Each episode pairs two "creative visionaries" who discuss their lives, influences, and art, most of whom are longtime friends with the other person featured in the episode. The series premiered on November 17, 2005, and has had six six-episode seasons.
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Character: Nanny
Released: March 6, 2005
Type: Movie
A drama set in the 1920s, where free-spirited Janie Crawford's search for happiness leads her through several different marriages, challenging the morals of her small town. Based on the novel by Zora Neale Hurston.
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TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Title: TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Character: (archive footage)
Released: January 1, 2004
Type: Movie
Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the medium's first half-century. Actors, writers and historians discuss the image of black America on television from Amos and Andy to the present day. The interviews accompany clips from groundbreaking shows and performances by entertainment pioneers that create a timeline of the portrayal of African Americans throughout TV history.
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Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
Title: Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
Character: Self
Released: August 22, 2003
Type: Movie
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks is a 2003 documentary about the life of Academy Award nominated actress Beah Richards. Directed by Lisa Gay Hamilton, it won the Documentary Award at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival in 2003.
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Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
Title: Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
Released: February 10, 2003
Type: Movie
When the Civil War ended in 1865, more than four million slaves were set free. Over 70 years later, the memories of some 2,000 slave-era survivors were transcribed and preserved by the Library of Congress. These first-person anecdotes, ranging from the brutal to the bittersweet, have been brought to vivid life in this unique HBO documentary special, featuring the on-camera voices of over a dozen top African-American actors.
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Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Title: Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Character: Self
Released: June 14, 2002
Type: Movie
Panel discussion about the original Broadway production of Lorraine Hansbury's "A Raisin in the Sun."
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Title: Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years
Character: Narrator
Released: June 1, 2002
Type: TV
A two-series set produced by the A&E network which explores the history of Christianity and its impact on the world from the year 0 to 2000.
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Taking Back Our Town
Title: Taking Back Our Town
Character: Emelda West
Released: December 10, 2001
Type: Movie
A true story about a concerned housewife, Pat Melancon, who tries to block Shintech, a massive Japanese petrochemical conglomerate, from building a plant in her toxic township already known as "cancer alley". Pat and a few newly recruited, fledgling activitsts face the full force of Shintech's wealth and influence peddling, which has bought the cooperation of the government from the local level all the way up to the Governor's office.
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Feast of All Saints
Title: Feast of All Saints
Character: Elsie Claviere
Released: November 11, 2001
Type: Movie
Set in nineteenth-century New Orleans, the story depicts the gens de couleur libre, or the Free People of Colour, a dazzling yet damned class caught between the world of white privilege and black oppression.
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Title: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Character: Mary Wilson
Released: October 6, 2000
Type: TV
A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.
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Finding Buck McHenry
Title: Finding Buck McHenry
Character: Mrs. Henry
Released: April 16, 2000
Type: Movie
When an 11 year old boy gets cut from his Little League baseball team, he sets out to form his own team.
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A Storm in Summer
Title: A Storm in Summer
Character: Grandmother
Released: January 18, 2000
Type: Movie
Set in 1969, Abel Shaddick, a crotchety deli owner, has a grudge against virtually everyone in his upstate New York town of Fairview, particularly against his slacker nephew Stanley who lives behind the shop. Without telling his uncle, Stanley agrees to put up a needy city kid for the summer as part of a charity program run by rich debutante Gloria. Abel immediately vetoes the plan, but it is too late. The kid, young Herman Washington, is already on his way...
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The Unfinished Journey
Title: The Unfinished Journey
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: December 31, 1999
Type: Movie
A short about American life and history produced for the millennium New Year's Eve celebration.
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Title: Little Bill
Released: November 28, 1999
Type: TV
Little Bill is a television show for children that is presently on Nick Jr. The stories are based on Bill Cosby's Little Bill book series, set in Philadelphia and feature Bill Jr. learning a lesson or moral. It was developed through research and in consultation with a panel of educational consultants. The show also aired on CBS as part of Nick Jr. on CBS, from September 16, 2000 - September 7, 2002, then as part of Nick on CBS from August 2, 2003 - September 10, 2005. The show returned with the return of Nick Jr. on CBS on September 17, 2005, and seen through September 9, 2006 when the block was replaced with The KOL Secret Slumber Party on CBS. The series went back into production in fall 2006 and a new season of 6 episodes aired on Noggin throughout April and July 2007, ending in the later month. Reruns are played on Nick Jr., on BET, as of January 7, 2008, and on Centric, as of May 1, 2010. Sonia Manzano, best known for playing Maria Rodriguez on Sesame Street, was a frequent writer for the show.
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Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Title: Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Character: Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
Released: April 18, 1999
Type: Movie
Tells the story of Sadie and Bessie Delany, two African-American (they preferred "colored") sisters who both lived past the age of 100. They grew up on a North Carolina college campus, the daughters of the first African-American Episcopal bishop, who was born a slave, and a woman with an inter-racial background. With the support of each other and their family, they survived encounters with racism and sexism in their own different ways. Sadie quietly and sweetly broke barriers to become the first African-American home-ec teacher in New York City, while Bessie, with her own brand of outspokenness, became the second African-American dentist in New York City. At the ages of 103 and 101, they told their story to Amy Hill Hearth, a white New York Times reporter who published an article about them. The overwhelming response launched a bestselling book, a Broadway play, and this film.
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Baby Geniuses
Title: Baby Geniuses
Character: Margo
Released: March 12, 1999
Type: Movie
Scientist hold talking, super-intelligent babies captive, but things take a turn for the worse when a mix-up occurs between a baby genius and its twin.
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Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
Title: Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
Character: Self
Released: February 24, 1999
Type: Movie
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand presents the life and achievements of an extraordinary man. Athlete, singer, and scholar, Robeson was also a charismatic champion of the rights of the poor working man, the disfranchised and people of color. He led a life in the vanguard of many movements, achieved international acclaim for his music and suffered tremendous personal sacrifice. His story is one of the great dramas of the 20th century, spanning an international canvas of social upheaval and ideological controversy.
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Passing Glory
Title: Passing Glory
Character: Mommit Porter
Released: February 21, 1999
Type: Movie
A true story of a priest (Andre Braugher) in New Orleans who formed a group of black players and challenged an all-white prep school basketball team in the 1960's. Eventually events like these signaled the pivotal turn in the games' history leading to the integration in today's sport. Directed by Steve James (Hoop Dreams), these basketball players didn't just make shots, they made history.
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A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner
Title: A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner
Character: Narrator
Released: December 7, 1998
Type: Movie
This intimate, uncannily moving documentary profiles Norma Canner, a pioneer in dance movement therapy, who found in dance a way to help people who had been discarded by society. The film traces the evolution of Norma's career from Broadway actress in the '40s, through her ground-breaking work in creative movement with disabled and mentally retarded children in the '60s, to her present work as a dance therapist with adults. Utilizing drawing, music, theater, and dance in the context of other modes of therapy, her work has proved extraordinarily beneficial for handicapped individuals, as well as providing cathartic healing experiences for those with deep emotional scars; And her work with children who were blind, deaf, or autistic has became a model.
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Title: Christianity: The First 1000 Years
Character: Herself - Narrator
Released: November 29, 1998
Type: TV
The incredible story of the people who, despite persecution, grew Christianity from an obscure movement to one of the world's largest religions.
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The Wall
Title: The Wall
Character: Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge")
Released: May 24, 1998
Type: Movie
The story of three items left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall: a pencil holder, a sheriff's badge, and an electric guitar. Each item connects the living with the dead and are left as either memorials or to heal the wounds of war.
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A Simple Wish
Title: A Simple Wish
Character: Hortence
Released: July 11, 1997
Type: Movie
Murray is a male fairy godmother, and he is trying to help 8-year-old Anabel to fulfil her "simple wish" - that her father Oliver, who is a cab driver, would win the leading role in a Broadway musical. Unfortunately, Murray's magic wand is broken and the fairies convention is threatened by evil witches Claudia and Boots.
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Sports on the Silver Screen
Title: Sports on the Silver Screen
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 16, 1997
Type: Movie
HBO (in association with the American Film Institute) presents this 1997 anthology, narrated by Liev Schreiber, which looks at sports in cinema from the earliest silent films until the nineties. Watch not for dramatic scenes but for the glimpse of historical figures shown both cinematic and athletic- in this tribute to the merging of sports and Hollywood.
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Captive Heart: The James Mink Story
Title: Captive Heart: The James Mink Story
Character: Indigo
Released: April 14, 1996
Type: Movie
James Mink is a black man in Canada who has built a very successful livery business, and enjoys a white wife and a beautiful daughter, Mary. An excellent match is arranged with an American businessman, but when he takes his new wife Mary across the border his true character emerges - he sells her into slavery. James and Elizabeth must go to Virginia to rescue their daughter.
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Mr. and Mrs. Loving
Title: Mr. and Mrs. Loving
Character: Sophia
Released: March 13, 1996
Type: Movie
A moving and uplifting drama about the effects of interracial marriage in the 1960s. Friends since childhood, and loved by both families, this couple are exiled after their wedding and have to wage a courageous battle to find their place in America as a loving family.
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Title: Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Character: Grandma (voice)
Released: March 12, 1995
Type: TV
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American anthology animated television series.
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Just Cause
Title: Just Cause
Character: Evangeline Ferguson
Released: February 17, 1995
Type: Movie
A Harvard professor is lured back into the courtroom after twenty-five years to take the case of a young black man condemned to death for the horrific murder of a child.
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Tuesday Morning Ride
Title: Tuesday Morning Ride
Character: Jennie
Released: January 1, 1995
Type: Movie
Tuesday Morning Ride is based on the short story "A Summer Tragedy" by Arna Bontemps, a Harlem Renaissance writer. Set in the 1930s, the story depicts an old man and woman -- he a stroke victim, she blind -- who feel they have nothing to live for since their children do not visit. They decide to put on their finest clothing and take a final ride in their car -- with no turning back. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
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Whitewash
Title: Whitewash
Character: Grandmother (voice)
Released: August 16, 1994
Type: Movie
When Helene Angel walks home from school with her older brother she is attacked by a street gang and painted white. The effect on Helene and her family is devastating. Helene locks herself in her room, her brother blames himself for not having successfully defended his sister, and the media descends on their neighborhood, completely disrupting her small family. But an outpouring of love and understanding from Helene's friends, classmates and family helps her face what has happened and draws the community together. Inspired by actual events, WHITEWASH conveys a powerful message that transcends age and race, told in an entertaining way perfect for children of all ages.
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The Stand
Title: The Stand
Character: Mother Abagail Freemantle
Released: May 8, 1994
Type: Movie
After a deadly plague kills most of the world's population, the remaining survivors split into two groups - one led by a benevolent elder and the other by a malevolent being - to face each other in a final battle between good and evil.
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Title: The Stand
Character: Mother Abagail
Released: May 8, 1994
Type: TV
After a deadly plague kills most of the world’s population, the remaining survivors split into two groups - one led by a benevolent elder and the other by a maleficent being - to face each other in a final battle between good and evil.
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After Goodbye
Title: After Goodbye
Character: Narrator
Released: June 23, 1993
Type: Movie
Award-winning actress Ruby Dee narrates this powerful documentary about the impact of AIDS on the families, friends and members of the acclaimed Turtle Creek Chorale. In the past decade, 145 member of the Chorale have died, most from HIV and AIDS. Although grief is a constant presence, After Goodbye: An AIDS Story shows that the singers and their loved ones are also engaged in a continual process of healing. This ultimately uplifting and inspirational video is a testament to the amazing strength of the human spirit.
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Cop and ½
Title: Cop and ½
Character: Rachel
Released: April 2, 1993
Type: Movie
When a pint-sized 8-year-old kid witnesses a murder he offers to help the police, if they make him a cop, too. Saddled with this streetwise sidekick, a hardboiled cop is forced to take his new partner seriously as they race the clock to bring the bad guys to justice.
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The Ernest Green Story
Title: The Ernest Green Story
Character: Lydia Wilson
Released: January 17, 1993
Type: Movie
Follows the story of Ernest Green, one of the Little Rock Nine who were the first blacks to integrate into an all white school.
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Title: Middle Ages
Character: Estelle Williams
Released: September 3, 1992
Type: TV
Middle Ages is an American comedy-drama television series that aired from September 3 until October 1, 1992.
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Color Adjustment
Title: Color Adjustment
Character: Narrator
Released: January 29, 1992
Type: Movie
From Amos 'n' Andy to Nat King Cole, from Roots to The Cosby Show, black people have played many roles on primetime television. Brilliantly weaving clips from classic TV shows with commentary from TV producers, black actors and scholars, Marlon Riggs blends humor, insight, and thoughtful analysis to explore the evolution of black/white relations as reflected by America's favorite addiction.
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Jazztime Tale
Title: Jazztime Tale
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: November 2, 1991
Type: Movie
Family - Set in Harlem in 1919, two girls - one white, one black - form a lifelong friendship through a chance encounter and the jazztime music of young "Fats" Waller.
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Jungle Fever
Title: Jungle Fever
Character: Lucinda Purify
Released: June 7, 1991
Type: Movie
A successful and married black man contemplates having an affair with a white girl from work. He's quite rightly worried that the racial difference would make an already taboo relationship even worse.
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Decoration Day
Title: Decoration Day
Character: Rowena
Released: December 2, 1990
Type: Movie
A cantankerous widower (Garner) who is virtually living the life of a recluse is forced to rejoin his community when his Godchild (Skaggs) gets in trouble and a childhood friend (Cobbs), a black tenant farmer, refuses to belatedly accept a Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in World War II.
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The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
Title: The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
Character: Jackie's Mother
Released: October 15, 1990
Type: Movie
A film about the early life of the baseball star in the army, particulary his court-martial for insubordination regarding segragation.
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Love at Large
Title: Love at Large
Character: Corrine Dart
Released: March 9, 1990
Type: Movie
Vampish miss Dolan hires hardboiled P.I. Harry Dobbs to tail her shady boyfriend. Harry realizes that the man leads a double life but then his client disappears. Harry teams up with his own tail, P.I. Stella Wynkowski, to clear things up.
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Zora is My Name!
Title: Zora is My Name!
Character: Zora Neale Hurston
Released: January 1, 1990
Type: Movie
A celebration of the life of Zora Neale Hurston, who was born at the turn of the 20th Century and grew to be an important voice with her written portrayals of Black American life in the rural south of the 1930's and 40's, and the stories, songs and folklore that were her heritage and inspiration.
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Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Title: Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Character: Self
Released: November 3, 1989
Type: Movie
The Behind-the-Scenes documentary of the dramatic comedy Do the Right Thing.
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Do the Right Thing
Title: Do the Right Thing
Character: Mother Sister
Released: June 14, 1989
Type: Movie
Salvatore "Sal" Fragione is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.
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Title: American Experience
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: October 4, 1988
Type: TV
TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.
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Title: China Beach
Released: April 26, 1988
Type: TV
Dateline: November 1967. Within klicks of Danang, Vietnam, sits a U.S. Army base, bar and hospital on China Beach filled with wounded soldiers and one very lovely but damaged Army Nurse Colleen McMurphy. Many heroes, dead and alive, try to make sense of life and death in between bourbon, bullets and battles.
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Title: Lincoln
Character: Elizabeth Keckley
Released: March 27, 1988
Type: TV
"Lincoln" was a 1988 American television mini-series starring Sam Waterston as Abraham Lincoln, Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Todd Lincoln, and Richard Mulligan as William H. Seward. It was directed by Lamont Johnson and was based on Gore Vidal’s novel. It covers the time period running from Lincoln’s election as President of the United States to the time of his assassination. When released for home entertainment, the title was changed to "Gore Vidal's Lincoln" Lamont Johnson won an Emmy for directing Lincoln. The film was shot almost entirely in Richmond, Virginia and it cost $8 million to produce.
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Title: Spenser: For Hire
Released: September 20, 1985
Type: TV
Mystery and suspense series based on Robert Parker's "Spenser" novels. Spenser, a private investigator living in Boston, gets involved in a new murder mystery each episode.
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Title: The Golden Girls
Character: Mammy Watkins
Released: September 14, 1985
Type: TV
Four Southern Florida seniors share a house, their dreams, and a whole lot of cheesecake. Bright, promiscuous, clueless and hilarious, these lovely, mismatched ladies form the perfect circle of friends.
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Title: The Atlanta Child Murders
Character: Faye Williams
Released: February 10, 1985
Type: TV
The Atlanta Child Murders is a TV miniseries that aired on February 10 and 12, 1985 on CBS. Inspired by true events, the miniseries examines the so-called "Atlanta child murders" of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
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Go Tell It on the Mountain
Title: Go Tell It on the Mountain
Character: Mrs. Grimes
Released: January 14, 1985
Type: Movie
This film adaptation of James Baldwin's celebrated novel tells the journey of a family from the rural South to "big city" Harlem seeking both salvation and understanding and of a young boy struggling to earn the approval of a self-righteous and often unloving stepfather.
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Title: Reading Rainbow
Character: Herself - Narrator (voice)
Released: June 6, 1983
Type: TV
Journey to exciting places and build a lasting connection with your favorite books. Each episode centers on a theme from a book, or other children's literature, which is explored through a number of segments or stories.
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Long Day's Journey Into Night
Title: Long Day's Journey Into Night
Character: Mary Tyrone
Released: November 23, 1982
Type: Movie
Over the course of one day in August 1912, the family of retired actor James Tyrone grapples with the morphine addiction of his wife Mary, the illness of their youngest son Edmund and the alcoholism and debauchery of their older son Jamie. As day turns into night, guilt, anger, despair, and regret threaten to destroy the family.
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Cat People
Title: Cat People
Character: Female
Released: April 2, 1982
Type: Movie
After years of separation, Irena Gallier and her minister brother, Paul, reunite in New Orleans. When zoologists capture a wild panther, Irena is drawn to the cat – and zoo curator Oliver to her. Soon, Paul will have to reveal the family secret: that when sexually aroused, they revert into predatory jungle cats.
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All God's Children
Title: All God's Children
Character: Irene Whitfield
Released: April 28, 1980
Type: Movie
Big city judge Parke Denison is involved in a forced busing dispute at the climax of his long career. The friendship between two families -- one white, one black -- and their sons, who are buddies, provides the microcosm of this major social issue that has been argued for several decades.
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The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six
Title: The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six
Released: January 1, 1980
Type: Movie
In 1963 a group of young Black boys living in Harlem were involved in an incident that earned them the nickname "The Harlem Six." Intent on protecting and clearing the names of their sons, several mothers bonded together to make their story known. This work emerges as a powerful close up of police brutality, and of power dynamics of 1960's Harlem.
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Title: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Character: Grandmother Baxter
Released: April 28, 1979
Type: Movie
Based on writer Maya Angelou's eloquent reminiscences of her days as a gifted youngster growing up in the South during the Depression years where she and her older brother were raised by their grandmother after the divorce of their parents.
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Title: Roots: The Next Generations
Character: Queen Victoria Haley
Released: February 18, 1979
Type: TV
Roots: The Next Generations is a television miniseries, introduced in 1979, continuing, from 1882 to the 1960s, the fictionalized story of the family of Alex Haley and their life in Henning, Lauderdale County, Tennessee, USA. This sequel to the 1977 miniseries is based on the last seven chapters of Haley's novel entitled Roots: The Saga of an American Family plus additional material by Haley. Roots: The Next Generations was produced with a budget of $16.6 million, nearly three times as large as that of the original.
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Title: The Kennedy Center Honors
Character: Self
Released: December 28, 1978
Type: TV
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture.
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Countdown at Kusini
Title: Countdown at Kusini
Character: Leah Matanzima
Released: April 16, 1976
Type: Movie
An American musician working in Nigeria becomes involved with a patriot hunted by a mercenary in Africa.
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Title: Police Woman
Released: September 13, 1974
Type: TV
Sergeant “Pepper"” Anderson, an undercover cop for the Criminal Conspiracy Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department, poses undercover from mob girl to prostitute.
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Wedding Band
Title: Wedding Band
Character: Julia Augustine
Released: April 24, 1974
Type: Movie
A drama which examines the enduring nature of love between a white man and a black woman in 1918 South Carolina.
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It's Good to Be Alive
Title: It's Good to Be Alive
Character: Ruth Campanella
Released: February 22, 1974
Type: Movie
This movie details the struggles of former Brooklyn Dodger catcher Roy Campanella to adapt to life in a wheelchair following his crippling automobile accident in 1959. Cinematographer Ted Voigtlander was Emmy-nominated.
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Black Girl
Title: Black Girl
Character: Netta's mother
Released: November 9, 1972
Type: Movie
An aspiring dancer and her two wicked sisters resent their mother's love for a foster daughter.
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Buck and the Preacher
Title: Buck and the Preacher
Character: Ruth
Released: March 17, 1972
Type: Movie
A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West.
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To Be Young, Gifted and Black
Title: To Be Young, Gifted and Black
Character: Lorraine Hansberry and other assorted characters
Released: January 20, 1972
Type: Movie
A mosaic biopic on Lorraine Hansberry, based on the stage play combining her unpublished writings, letters, and diaries.
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On Merit
Title: On Merit
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: January 1, 1972
Type: Movie
Examines the history and purpose of the "merit system" used by the U.S. Civil Service in hiring and promoting Federal Government workers. Shows how the system impacts jobs and career prospects for women and minorities.
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The Sheriff
Title: The Sheriff
Character: Sue Ann Lucas
Released: March 30, 1971
Type: Movie
A rape case opens racial divisions in a small town. A black sheriff and his white deputy investigate allegations that a wealthy white businessman raped a black college student.
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Title: Great Performances
Character: Self
Released: January 28, 1971
Type: TV
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.
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King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
Title: King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 24, 1970
Type: Movie
Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, the documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare footage of King's speeches, protests, and arrests are interspersed with scenes of other high-profile supporters and opponents of the cause, punctuated by heartfelt testimonials by some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
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Deadlock
Title: Deadlock
Character: Lucinda
Released: February 22, 1969
Type: Movie
The murder of a journalist, coming shortly after the killings of a black teenager and a white cop, threatens to inflame passions in the city. To prevent a riot, Lieutenant Sam Danforth and District Attorney Leslie Washburn are determined to find the killer, even though they do not exactly get along with each other and disagree over procedure.
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Uptight
Title: Uptight
Character: Laurie
Released: December 28, 1968
Type: Movie
Black militants building up an arsenal of weapons in preparation for a race war are betrayed by one of their own.
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Title: The Dick Cavett Show
Character: Self - Guest
Released: June 6, 1968
Type: TV
The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.
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The Incident
Title: The Incident
Character: Joan Robinson
Released: November 5, 1967
Type: Movie
Two hoodlums terrorize the passengers of a late-night New York City subway train.
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Neighbours
Title: Neighbours
Character: Vicky Kingsbury
Released: January 15, 1966
Type: Movie
The Robinson's like to see themselves as liberals. So when their new black neighbours the Kingsbury's move into their apartment block they are invited for drinks but things don't quite go as they imagined it would.
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Title: The Great Adventure
Character: Harriet Tubman
Released: September 27, 1963
Type: TV
The Great Adventure is a historical anthology series that appeared on CBS for the 1963-1964 television season. The series, narrated each week by Van Heflin, and featuring theme music by Richard Rodgers, presented a weekly one-hour dramatization of the lives of famous Americans and important historical events in American History.
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Title: The Fugitive
Character: Laura Smith
Released: September 17, 1963
Type: TV
Richard Kimble is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death penalty. En route to death row, Kimble's train derails and crashes, allowing him to escape and begin a cross-country search for the real killer, a "one-armed man". At the same time, Dr. Kimble is hounded by the authorities, most notably dogged by Police Lieutenant Philip Gerard.
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Gone Are the Days!
Title: Gone Are the Days!
Character: Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
Released: August 9, 1963
Type: Movie
A young, idealistic man returns home to the plantation where he grew up in servitude. With him, he brings his fiance, Lutiebelle, in hopes of convincing the plantation owner that she is really his cousin in order to secure the family inheritance. To aid in the comic complications that follow are his family members Missy and Gitlow, and the plantation owners endearing (but ineffectual) son Charlie.
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The Balcony
Title: The Balcony
Character: Thief
Released: March 21, 1963
Type: Movie
The Madam of a brothel satisfies the erotic fantasies of her customers, while a revolution is sweeping the nation. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.
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Title: The Defenders
Character: Catherine Collins
Released: September 16, 1961
Type: TV
The Defenders is an American courtroom drama series . It starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed as father-and-son defense attorneys who specialized in legally complex cases, with defendants such as neo-Nazis, conscientious objectors, civil rights demonstrators, a schoolteacher fired for being an atheist, an author accused of pornography, and a physician charged in a mercy killing.
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A Raisin in the Sun
Title: A Raisin in the Sun
Character: Ruth Younger
Released: May 28, 1961
Type: Movie
Walter Lee Younger is a young man struggling with his station in life. Sharing a tiny apartment with his wife, son, sister and mother, he seems like an imprisoned man. Until, that is, the family gets an unexpected financial windfall.
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Take a Giant Step
Title: Take a Giant Step
Character: Christine
Released: December 1, 1959
Type: Movie
This pioneering film in the history of African-American cinema, released two years before "A Raisin In The Sun", is the coming-of-age story of a Black high-school student living in a middle-class white neighborhood in the late '50s.
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Virgin Island
Title: Virgin Island
Character: Ruth
Released: August 7, 1959
Type: Movie
A British woman marries an American writer in spite of her family's disapproval and goes to live with him on a tropical island.
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St. Louis Blues
Title: St. Louis Blues
Character: Elizabeth
Released: April 7, 1958
Type: Movie
Will Handy grows up in Memphis with his preacher father and his Aunt Hagar. His father intends for him to use his musical gifts only in church, but he can't stay away from the music of the streets and workers. After he writes a theme song for a local politician, Gogo, a speakeasy singer, convinces Will to be her accompanist. Will is estranged from his father for many years while he writes and publishes many blues songs. At last the family is reunited when Gogo brings them to New York to see Will's music played by a symphony orchestra.
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Edge of the City
Title: Edge of the City
Character: Lucy Tyler
Released: January 4, 1957
Type: Movie
An army deserter and a black dock worker join forces against a corrupt manager.
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Go Man Go
Title: Go Man Go
Character: Irma Jackson
Released: January 27, 1954
Type: Movie
The story of Abe Saperstein and the creation of the Harlem Globetrotters.
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Title: Hallmark Hall of Fame
Character: Rowena Finch
Released: December 24, 1951
Type: TV
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The longest-running primetime series in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning during 1951 and continuing into 2013. From 1954 onward, all of its productions have been shown in color, although color television video productions were extremely rare in 1954. Many television movies have been shown on the program since its debut, though the program began with live telecasts of dramas and then changed to videotaped productions before finally changing to filmed ones. The series has received eighty Emmy Awards, twenty-four Christopher Awards, eleven Peabody Awards, nine Golden Globes, and four Humanitas Prizes. Once a common practice in American television, it is the last remaining television program such that the title includes the name of the sponsor. Unlike other long-running TV series still on the air, it differs in that it broadcasts only occasionally and not on a weekly broadcast programming schedule.
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The Tall Target
Title: The Tall Target
Character: Rachel
Released: August 17, 1951
Type: Movie
A detective tries to prevent the assassination of President-elect Abraham Lincoln during a train ride headed for Washington in 1861.
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No Way Out
Title: No Way Out
Character: Connie Brooks (uncredited)
Released: August 16, 1950
Type: Movie
Two hoodlum brothers are brought into a hospital for gunshot wounds, and when one of them dies the other accuses their black doctor of murder.
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The Jackie Robinson Story
Title: The Jackie Robinson Story
Character: Rae Robinson
Released: May 16, 1950
Type: Movie
Biography of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player in the 20th century. Traces his career in the negro leagues and the major leagues.
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Easy to Get
Title: Easy to Get
Character: Drugstore Girl
Released: July 10, 1947
Type: Movie
U.S. Army training film about avoiding venereal disease, intended primarily for Black servicemen.
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That Man of Mine
Title: That Man of Mine
Character: Joan
Released: January 1, 1946
Type: Movie
Featuring the swinging sounds of the all-woman band The International Sweethearts of Rhythm and a young Ruby Dee, the 1946 musical showcases tenderness in romance and community through a series of musical numbers. The loosely connected plot follows film producers hoping to cast a stand-out actress for their next film.