Summaries

An off-screen narration, four dozen talking heads, and clips of performances tell a chronological story about Black comedy: who has made us laugh since 1901, what is the nature of their humor, and what social and political contexts inform it. We look at minstrels, Stepin Fetchit, "Amos 'n Andy," "Beulah," Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Flip Wilson, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, "The Cosby Show," Chris Rock, Whoopi, "Hollywood Shuffle," entrepreneurship and Black comedy clubs, Robert Harris, urban street culture and "In Living Color," the rise of the Fox network, Def Comedy Jam, and the Original Kings of Comedy. The film asserts Black comedy helps America change.—<[email protected]>

Details

Keywords
  • dark comedy
  • black american
  • talking heads
  • minstrel
  • concert footage
Genres
  • Comedy
  • Documentary
Release date Dec 31, 2008
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) Not Rated
Countries of origin United States
Language English
Filming locations Los Angeles, California, USA
Production companies Codeblack Entertainment

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 35m
Aspect ratio

Synopsis

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