Ted Sarandos

Miky Lee

Kimberly Steward

Jim Gianopulos

Patricia Bellinger Balzer

Jason Blum

Arnaud Boetsch

Laura Dern

David Dolby

Sidonie Seydoux Dumas

Sid Ganis

Olivier de Givenchy

Ray Halbritter

Tom Hanks

Dawn Hudson

Bill Kramer

David Linde

Eva Longoria

Ryan Murphy

Dominic Ng

Katherine L. Oliver

Alejandro Ramírez Magaña

David Rubin

Regina K. Scully

Emma Thomas

Kevin Yeaman

Doris Berger

Donald Bogle

Cara Caddoo

Rhea L. Combs

Terri Simone Francis

Michael Boyce Gillespie

Whoopi Goldberg

J. Raúl Guzmán

Shola Lynch

Ron Magliozzi

Ellen C. Scott

Jacqueline Stewart

Gary Dauphin

Lauren Girard

Erwin Hines

Yosuke Kitazawa

Kit Masaracchia

Adriana Siu de Olaso

Emily Rauber Rodriguez

Mike Schiro

Agnes Stauber

Chandini Tirunagaru

Connor Uretsky

Mike Vazquez

Savannah West

Dan Yalg

Something Good Negro Kiss

Bert Williams and Odessa Warren Grey in Lime Kiln Club Field Day (dir. Edwin Middleton, T. Hays Hunter, 1913), film stills. Courtesy Museum of Modern Art.

Bert Williams and Odessa Warren Grey in Lime Kiln Club Field Day

Louise Beavers in Reform School (dir. Leo C. Popkin, 1939), film still. Courtesy Academy Film Archive.

Fredi Washington (center) and Duke Ellington and his band in Black and Tan (1929). Core Collection, Production Files, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences


Fredi Washington (center) and Duke Ellington and his band in Black and Tan (1929)

Bill Robinson and Lena Horne in Stormy Weather (1943). Courtesy of Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Sidney Poitier with Diahann Carroll in Paris Blues (1961)

I am Somebody

Photograph of Ernest Whitman

Ernest Whitman

As the US military called more African-American soldiers to service during World War II, they sought to find ways to boost their morale. From 1942 to 1953, the Armed Forces Radio Service broadcast a radio variety show called Jubilee, which featured a range of Black musicians, singers, and comedians. Comedian Ernest “Bubbles” Whitman, who got his start in vaudeville and appeared in many films throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s, was the host of Jubilee throughout the war.

Photograph of Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington 

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (Ernest Whitman)

One of the most accomplished composers and bandleaders in American history.

Photograph of Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters (Ernest Whitman)

Her sublime singing voice took her from first local vaudeville to Broadway, then nationwide via radio, television, and film.

Photograph of Cab Calloway

Cab Calloway

Cab Calloway (Ernest Whitman)

An instantly recognizable icon of the 1940s, bandleader Cab Calloway was known for energetic performances that infused jazz music with vaudeville’s theatrical entertainment.

Photograph of Dooley Wilson

Arthur "Dooley" Wilson

Arthur "Dooley" Wilson (Ernest Whitman)

The singer and actor became a film icon thanks to a single role and song, Wilson playing the piano player Sam in Casablanca (1942) and performing “As Time Goes By.”

Photograph of Mantan Moreland

Mantan Moreland

Mantan Moreland (Ernest Whitman)

Comedian Mantan Moreland had a hugely popular career as a vaudeville entertainer, working in Harlem, on Broadway, and touring abroad.

Photograph of Bill Bojangles Robinson

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (Ernest Whitman)

One of America’s greatest dancers, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson pioneered a controlled, upright style of tap dancing that allowed him to perform intricate maneuvers, such as the famous Stair Dance.

Photograph of Lillian Randolph

Lillian Randolph

Lillian Randolph (Ernest Whitman)

Lillian Randolph’s extensive film, television, and radio career spanned hundreds of titles, from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) to radio and TV in Amos ‘n’ Andy, to voicing Tom and Jerry cartoons.

Photograph of Butterfly McQueen

Butterfly McQueen

Butterfly McQueen (Ernest Whitman)

Butterfly McQueen’s high-pitched voice, impeccable comedic timing, and emotionally resonant performance made her film debut—as an overwhelmed young maid in Gone with the Wind (1939)—unforgettable.

Photograph of Eddie Rochester Anderson

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson 

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson (Ernest Whitman)

Comedian Eddie Anderson became synonymous with his role as Jack Benny’s wise-cracking valet “Rochester,” a character he played on radio, film, and television continuously from 1937 to 1965.

Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 is the recipient of the 2018 Sotheby’s Prize. The Sotheby’s Prize was founded to support and encourage museums to break new ground by recognizing curatorial excellence and facilitating an upcoming exhibition that explores overlooked or underrepresented art history. The Sotheby’s Prize was awarded by a jury of museum curators and directors comprising Sir Nicholas Serota, Donna De Salvo, Okwui Enwezor (1963–2019), Connie Butler, Emilie Gordenker, and chaired by Allan Schwartzman.

Regeneration is made possible in part by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Technology solutions generously provided by Christie®.

Lead support provided by Campari® and J. P. Morgan Private Bank.

Generous support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, and Octavia Spencer.

Accompanying exhibition catalogue supported in part by a grant from Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund.

Academy Film Archive restorations are funded in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation.

Academy Museum Digital Engagement Platform sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies.