African American Film History Mantan Moreland Hollywood Comedy and Racial Representation in Studio Era Cinema 1940s

Mantan Moreland

Archive

Archive of promotional film materials featuring Mantan Moreland, 1940s, documents the career of a Black comedian working within the constraints and opportunities of studio era Hollywood. Moreland appeared in interracial productions and independent Black cast films during a period when roles for African American actors were often limited to stereotyped character types. The materials record his recurring screen presence alongside co performers such as Victor Sen Yung and Sidney Toler, illustrating how racial representation operated within popular film genres. His extensive filmography and recognizable comedic style positioned him as a widely visible performer across both Black and white audiences, offering primary evidence for the study of race, performance, and labor in mid twentieth century American entertainment.

Five items comprising four black and white and sepia toned promotional stills and one color lobby card. Film stills include scenes from The Trap, Shadows Over Chinatown, Sign of the Wolf, and Bowery to Broadway, showing Moreland in supporting roles, including appearances as a chauffeur and comic character within crime and musical films. One image shows Moreland with Victor Sen Yung in a 1946 production, while another includes both Yung and Sidney Toler, reflecting casting practices in films depicting Asian characters. An additional still features Moreland alongside Maria Montez in Bowery to Broadway (1944). The archive also includes a color lobby card for The Dreamer (1948), an all Black cast musical featuring Moreland in a leading role with June Richmond and Mabel Lee.

Produced during the height of the Hollywood studio system, these materials situate Moreland’s career within broader developments in American film, including the persistence of racial stereotyping and the parallel production of independent Black cast films that expanded opportunities for African American performers. The archive supports research into film history, Black performance, and the negotiation of identity and visibility within commercial entertainment industries. Minor edge wear to photographs; lobby card bright with a few pinholes to outer margins; overall very good condition.

Item #20880

Price: $540.00