The Black & White Minstrel Show (10/09/59)

[@Aeonterbor]

This content is hosted here complete and unaltered to act as educational research content so the program can be judged in full with it's content in context. If you would like to learn more about the racial stereotypes this show was based on consider visiting the web page for "The Jim Crow Museum"' for a in depth exploration of the culture of the time and how it affected people's lives. jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/index.htm

[@groover5524]

This show really showcases the professional singers and dancers !

[@Midas-qn6rv]

Well, I'll be damned. One could have been forgiven for thinking we'd seen the last of new content a long time ago - let alone new footage, let alone from 1959 - never mind a whole episode! Yet I have come to realize lately that the Archive is practically swarming with stuff that can hardly be searched for - only stumbled across. You never know what it's going to turn up. Well done! If you haven't seen it already, I left a comment on the latest 54 Irving Berlin Songs video which might interest you. Beats me if we can do anything with the information, but it sure as hell gave me the shock of my life.

[@Aeonterbor]

I did see the comment but I've not yet approached any individuals from that channel yet as I'm not sure how I'd approach them. The situation for footage though may be more interesting in the future as this is not the only episode that's now circulating around the internet. Deep in the depths of the internet there's other episodes floating around and I've seen the full list including this episode which is confirmed to be the oldest one that's extant. I'm not one for deep diving though so I'll be sticking to less risky waters and seeing what floats to the surface.

[@Midas-qn6rv]

@@Aeonterbor Yeah, I have no idea why, but a lot of these old TV shows seem to be floating up on the Archive very recently. In particular, about a hundred perfect episodes of Brian Henderson's Bandstand have shown up in the past couple months, if you have any interest in that.

[@H.J.Fleischmann]

@@Aeonterbor, I hope that you can keep finding more stuff like this. It means the world to me to be able to see this here.

[@mr.fahrenheit7009]

fun show i wish more episodes were available

[@Aeonterbor]

If you're in the UK one place you can go are the British Film Institute Mediaquathes, You can request viewings of archive materials and you'll get a set amount of time to watch what you want. The Black & White Minstrel show is one of the available shows that can be called up.

[@mr.fahrenheit7009]

@@Aeonterbor oh that's pretty cool unavailable for me for the moment but maybe one day :)

[@Aeonterbor]

@@mr.fahrenheit7009 I do intend to slowly share more episodes as they become available on here as well since this channel does already host a lot of their material, and like how I said on the first episode I shared back in 2020 I feel it needs to be seen so people can see the show for themselves rather than rely on second hand opinions. I've already shared a fragment of another episode since this came out and the next full episode will be scheduled to come out this weekend.

[@mr.fahrenheit7009]

@@Aeonterbor Why are episodes coming out? And why now

[@Aeonterbor]

@@mr.fahrenheit7009 Good question, The last time I got hold of an episode was 6 years ago before all this recent activity. I imagine these files have been secretly circulating for years within collector circles before they started to resurface.

[@WarrenCarr-w4p]

This show was shown about 25 days after I was born.

[@ABC_DEF]

Musically this is very good indeed but I think the choreography and dancing were better in the 60s and 70s.

[@floydtinsley8047]

Black men serenading white women . I know they are not really black but I'm confused

[@Aeonterbor]

If you are in the UK this documentary might be something you'd want to watch, it covers this history of this show and it's origins, it's not comfortable viewing. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001p474/david-harewood-on-blackface