It’s BEN DUNN Before!

5/17/2021

So over the weekend I was browsing HBO MAX and saw they had uploaded a movie that I had not seen since the 1980’s called HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE.

Written and directed by Robert Townsend it involves an actor who is trying to make it in Hollywood of the 1980’s but finds out he is limited to stereotypical roles because of his ethnicity. His dreams of making it big as a highly respected performer becomes more difficult as he makes his rounds through the Hollywood system at the time. It is a film takes a satiric and humorous look at African American actors in Hollywood.

I remember seeing this movie a log time ago and had very fond memories of it. However, one of the scenes in the movie is where Townsend imagines himself as SUPERMAN. I had forgotten that scene and it made me think that this could possibly be the first time a black man has portrayed a SUPERMAN-like character. With the talk of a possible Warner Brothers movie coming from JJ ABRAMS this made me think of this So kudos to ROBERT TOWNSEND for breaking the color barrier and showcasing a SUPERMAN of color.