A Natural Born Gambler (1916) | Bert Williams Silent Comedy

[@drewmcgill5290]

Thank you Jeffrey Wright for bringing me here and enlightening me on Bert Williams. Thank you for the upload!

[@klausweasley]

Who’s here because Jeffrey Wright put this in his Letterboxd Top 4?

[@elcorintio3934]

I'm here bc of that list

[@nathandensley9104]

And I thank him for it, this actor is incredible.

[@jamaicarobinson8981]

100%

[@nappyheadedsoul]

Me

[@JakeHageman]

Thank you Jeffrey Wright for introducing this piece of cinema history!! What a magnificent film!

[@jamesparker40]

…"He was the funniest man I ever saw, and the saddest man I ever knew." A quote from WC Fields about Bert Williams. Says it all. His story MUST continue to be told. Amazing dignity in the most trying of circumstances.❤❤

[@theeditorialsuite1070]

Wow.

[@joseacosta4554]

The great bert Williams never to forgotten pure genius.

[@ShreddedAries]

My great granddaddy was born in 1914 and he was 2yrs old when this came out. I couldn’t image what they had to go through

[@marzthedemon66]

Kvng Breezy89 they loved it lmao don’t be fooled main stream media lied to ya

[@Metro32]

@@marzthedemon66Loved what? slavery?

[@marzthedemon66]

Triller ThanMost yes

[@Metro32]

@@marzthedemon66 Uncle Ruckus is that you?

[@marzthedemon66]

Triller ThanMost so bCuZ I said slavery was a hoax and that black ppl were paid for there services I’m unkle ruckus?

[@phyllismartin7551]

Black actors and actresses in those days did what they had to do, whenever I see these old films i know if it werent for them, dealing with the obstacles that day, we wouldn't be where we are today, God rest their souls

[@dangelo1369]

Well, not EVERY performer had to do that. Bert Williams' partner, George Walker was married to Ada Overton Walker also a stage performer in her own right. After Walker died in 1911, she went on to form her own company and was famous until her death in 1914 at the age of 34: racingnelliebly.com/strange_times/aida-overton-walker-broke-stereotypes-of-victorian-era-stage/

[@bigdawgfrm4108]

I see what your trying to say but o disagree. Selling out should never be the option

[@leschaps2387]

He was astonishingly talented.

[@TheDonnellymarie]

I really enjoyed watching this movie. I am glad that these African American film stars and the movies they made are still available to watch. Thank you for uploading this.

[@reelblack]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@greenbyrd3665]

Don't know how I missed this a year ago, but it came up in my recommendations today. Had many stereotypes from crap shooting, and chicken stealing, to being afraid of the grave yard (although I did laugh when Limpy Jones threw those crutches down and took off running)! Guess everything is about context. This was made over a hundred years ago. Bless the ancestors for paving the way. I did enjoy the music. Scott Joplin? Didn't see it in the credits.

[@dcinsc7]

Years ago read Mel Watkins book “On the Real Side,” and I went down a major rabbit hole of trying to find any other books, audio, and especially film of Bert Williams. It’s a shame not much of it survives. Also after reading Watkins’s book, I became a huge fan and admirer of Godfrey Cambridge, a huge talent that left us way too soon.

[@alainjames9556]

A great movie. Bert Williams is sensational. Thanks for posting!

[@tailor-mademedia1406]

*Limpy Jones* got gout. 😂

[@tigerboi9694]

Bert Williams is a great comedian and if he were alive today he would still perform in the same way. I don't mean the blackface and the racist overtones, but man the poker bit at the end is so good and it's just him carrying the entire scene. He was hugely influential in defining the American sense of humor and differentiating it from British humor and other cultures. He's just a funny guy and while a lot of the jokes and stereotypes here wouldn't be acceptable today for it's time it's a great piece. The Robin Williams of the early 20th century.

[@dangelo1369]

You can't say that. Bert Williams at the time of his death in 1922 was already suffering a decline in popularity. I doubt very much that his act would have survived the Harlem Renaissance and the changing tastes of African Americans. He probably would have been stuck between the old performances and the new burgeoning technologies of film and radio, his final film appearance "Fish" (1916) didn't do very well at all and Vaudville was going away. It's quite possible to say that he left the stage at the right time, albeit prematurely for his age (47).

[@bayarea510]

DAngelo 136 The truth of the matter is we’ll never know. The only other competitor of his day would have been Charlie Chaplin who grew to worldwide stardom after Williams died. All speculation.

[@TheCrispySupreme]

This is really funny!

[@bobbye.wright4424]

Its shameful what black actors and actresses had to do back in those days but then again its shameful what they have to do these days too

[@Ayedee.daTruth.seeker]

Ha! Hit it on the head.

[@dizmop]

The difference is today we have options but some actually choose to go on the wrong path, mainly for financial gain, look at the majority of rapper's, modern minstrels if ever I saw any....

[@thefinalthefirst5638]

@Jamie B very well said, you're dead on right about slavery being Universal evil all over the world at different time with different races back and forth. If you look at this film and all you can see about the great Artistry of Bert Williams is a man in black face and get pissed off about it, you're extremely ignorant and you're doing poor Bert Williams a very great disservice.

[@bobjacksom9776]

​@@dizmopnobody chooses to be poor statically speaking America ranks low in upward mobility even if your white your likely not to make it out of poverty

[@indiosveritas]

They don't have to do anything if they don't want to. An' that do seem to be the case mos' of da time !😅

[@kevikevness]

Great History

[@alqahiri]

Which of Reelblack One's playlists hasthis and other early (pre-1940) Black films? I wanna watch 'em all one-by-one, in chronological order.

[@reelblack]

There’s no movies list, just “vintage films and documentaries “

[@thaxtonwaters8561]

Black Excellence shinning through the shame. *tips hat* #ancestors

[@MilfLvr420]

Very well said!

[@thefinalthefirst5638]

All people, not just blacks, who appreciate great artist should cherish this film because it's one of the very few records of Bert Williams great skills at visual pantomime. If you can watch this film oh, and listen to his records with your eyes closed, you can truly imagine what he must have been like on the stage. And sadly, that's all we're left with.

[@josepalaciospolo]

Cuanto tiempo estuvo cantando en COLUMBIA RECORD? Cuantos disco grabo?

[@bequanis]

Antiguan who knows about notable figures who helped pioneer comedy and film CHECKK

[@mmsjdl]

Hmmm. I'm still wondering how I feel about this.

[@BaldwinFanonGarveyTureShakurX]

Here from a Godfrey reference.

[@illinoisbear]

Whitey was something else, putting black make-up on a black face is like putting tape on a bumper sticker!

[@jackiel279]

1916!!!!

[@norasmith2474]

Here because of Jeffrey Wright

[@saturncrush]

Is this black face? Black people wore black face?

[@Themaddprof]

They sure did. That was commonplace in the early 1900s.

[@bobbye.wright4424]

Akim Smith yes thats true akim but even as late as the 1930s lightskin black artist were pressured to do black face billie holiday talked about but she refused to do it also lena horne and many others years after bert williams

[@aziza7660]

Asad1969 interesting.

[@bobbye.wright4424]

Aziz dont let him fool you with that lie scott joplin was a brilliamt composer and musician who also conducted ballets and operas he was pioneer in the music that would become jazz

[@saturncrush]

The American Storyteller Thanks for the education. The blackface was always confusing to me when it came to black folk. I thought it denoted white actors wearing that stuff.

[@ragtimejohn]

What the hell os wrong with the score? That's a weird performance of Search Light Rag.

[@SakSuper17]

All the performers in this are just as good as their white counterparts

[@TXpete]

I think all actors of that time had to do things they didn’t feel good with but that was the nature of the business back then. I think black actors now should see this and appreciate how far they’ve come and stop complaining about everything. Or just get out of the business all together.

[@metalliholic]

peteWS6 I’m sorry but that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever read. I’m not black but how can you say let’s appreciate what we all have now compared to before. How about people stop being racist or prejudice so that it’s fair and equal for everyone. Instead of “hey stop complaining, you think your life sucks now just look at how bad it was before”

[@TXpete]

Edgar Patlan I’m not black either but I’ve been around them most of my life. I’m ok if they continue blaming everybody and everything that happened to them in the past for the reason they aren’t where they think they should be. We should appreciate where we’re all at now. You couldn’t be in this conversation if it were not for the technology that we now have compared to when this movie was made. Blackface shouldn’t be the reason a black person cant succeed in this day and age, it’s just another crybaby excuse.

[@thefinalthefirst5638]

Thanks for posting this but couldn't you a found a better musical score? This pianist if you want to call him that is so terrible it's distracting from Williams performance.

[@diddymuck]

change the title cards to proper english and this would be tv safe!

[@rodneyjones9347]

Looking at this old film , makes me sad and angry at the same time . It also shows the nature of the white man . Not only does it degrade the black man , it shows the level of hatefulness of white people . I truly believe that , it's in the DNA molecules and makeup of white people to have hate towards black people . Try as they might , it's hard for white people to overcome their nature . Not saying that it's not impossible to not have hate in their hearts but it truly takes work to overcome these natural instincts . Don't be upset , it's difficult to face reality . Most black people don't hate white people , but we do hate the things that white people sometimes do to black people ! This world started with black people in control and will return to where black people are in control . This is what God Almighty Yahweh said , and he will do it ! Bless God Almighty Yahweh and his black son , Yahshua !

[@stressfree.worldwide]

As racist as this is, its actually kinda funny.

[@colstonlchinese]

Why is he in Blackface in his own film?

[@dangelo1369]

That was his character. black-face.com/Bert-Williams.htm Like Chaplin's "Little Tramp" and other silent film performers, they took their act from the stage to film.