The Black Emperor of Broadway

Charles S Gilpin was one of the first black dramatic actors on Broadway, originating the title role of the Emperor Jones in 1920. This film explores the tensions between Gilpin and Eugene O'Neill and some of the racial tensions underlying the production. Shaun Parkes (particularly known to Dr. Who fans) gives an intense and nuanced performance, marred mostly by poor lighting. As the darkest member of the cast, Parkes is rarely lit full-face, so the audience is robbed of much of his expression. Not so for Nija Okoro, who gives an excellent performance as Gilpin's first wife, Florence. Okoro portrays the love, frustration, and anguish of her character with a lively and intelligent humor, and is consistently well-shot. John Hensley's Eugene O'Neill is alternately egotistical and bombastic. Nick Moran gives a likeable performance as actor Jasper Deeter, Gilpin's main foil. The location scenes of and around Provincetown are rich and atmospheric, and Arthur Egeli's direction makes the most of the screenplay. "The Black Emperor of Broadway" relates a significant moment in the history of the American theater and the ongoing Black struggles for respect and authority.

Wow. I did not expect to find such a good biopic on Amazon prime. The Black Emperor of Broadway is about black actor Charles Gilpin during the 1920's. He was a broadway actor (the first or among the first) working alongside the son of the Eugene O'Neil Theatre in the role of "Brutus," which would go on to bring him massive fame across the industry. This is an incredible story that I wish I'd known sooner. He was eventually inducted into the The American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1991, 61 years after his death. Wow again. How many black actors paved the way & fought to change the narrative through their work - so long ago? I highly recommend this film to get understanding of the complexities Charles had holding himself together on this level. The film is shot in a sort of theatrical type lens and really draws in with a deep and complex storyline. This is not your average race film, as you will surely feel for and understand the plight of every character. The writer of the play & his wife, Brutus, the girlfriend, the other actors - just all of it- A+. I loved it.