own as well-educated, with high moral values, and strongly motivated toward success, all in contravention of the image of blacks in white films. A recurring theme was of the light-skinned black who was "passing" in the white world to achieve success. The films of the alter era, however, shifted to imitations of white genres to a much greater degree:
With few exceptions, the pictures produced by blacks and whites during this period were musicals, gangster films, westerns, or comedies, and the plots were subservient to the dancing, singing, car chases, shooting, riding or comedy routines. In short, most of these films were merely black versions of the gangster and musical comedy films which were being produced by the major Hollywood studios (Sampson 88).
Racial themes were absent from most
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