Black Joy (1977 film)
Encyclopedia
Black Joy is a British film
released in 1977, directed by Anthony Simmons
. The story of an immigrant country boy in Brixton
, London
, it has been described as the UK's only example of a "Blaxploitation
" movie, a genre more familiar in the United States
. It was entered into the 1977 Cannes Film Festival
.
The film is a lightly ironic, British culture-clash comedy. Trevor Thomas heads the cast as a Guyanan youth who is under the delusion that life will be easier for him in London. No sooner does Thomas set foot in England than he gets tangled up in one disaster after another. The catalyst for most of Our Hero's travails is "assimilated" Caribbean Norman Beaton
, who plays a streetwise con artist.
The film was adapted from Dark Days and Light Nights, a stage play by Jamal Ali who also wrote the screenplay.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
released in 1977, directed by Anthony Simmons
Anthony Simmons (writer)
Anthony "Tony" Simmons is a British writer/film producer. He was associated with, though separate from, the Free Cinema movement; he said he was greatly influenced by Humphrey Jennings and by Michelangelo Antonioni’s movie Il Grido.-Career:Simmons claimed: "I wasn’t aiming to be a film director. I...
. The story of an immigrant country boy in Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, it has been described as the UK's only example of a "Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
" movie, a genre more familiar in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was entered into the 1977 Cannes Film Festival
1977 Cannes Film Festival
The 30th Cannes Film Festival was held on May 13-27. A new non-competitive section, 'Le Passé composé', is held at this festival only and focuses on compilations.- Jury :*Roberto Rossellini *N'Sougan Agblemagnon...
.
The film is a lightly ironic, British culture-clash comedy. Trevor Thomas heads the cast as a Guyanan youth who is under the delusion that life will be easier for him in London. No sooner does Thomas set foot in England than he gets tangled up in one disaster after another. The catalyst for most of Our Hero's travails is "assimilated" Caribbean Norman Beaton
Norman Beaton
Norman Lugard Beaton was a Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom....
, who plays a streetwise con artist.
The film was adapted from Dark Days and Light Nights, a stage play by Jamal Ali who also wrote the screenplay.
Cast
- Norman BeatonNorman BeatonNorman Lugard Beaton was a Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom....
- Trevor Thomas
- Floella BenjaminFloella BenjaminFloella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin OBE DL is a British actress, author, television presenter, businesswoman and politician...
- Dawn Hope
- Oscar JamesOscar JamesOscar James is a Trinidadian actor, who is based in the United Kingdom. He has had a long and varied career, but is best known for appearing on British television, in particular the BBC soap opera EastEnders, where he played original character, Tony Carpenter, for over two years...
- Paul Medford
- Linda LewisLinda LewisLinda Lewis is an English vocalist, songwriter and Guitarist. Lewis is the oldest of six children two of whom also had singing careers...
- Kevin O'Shea
- Vivian StanshallVivian StanshallVivian Stanshall was an English singer-songwriter, painter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his surreal exploration of the British upper classes in Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, and for narrating Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells.-The great...
Soundtrack
The Soundtrack Album contains hits by a number of Soul/R&B stars from the 60's and 70's:- Jimmy HelmsJimmy HelmsJames H. Helms is an American soul singer.-Early days:Helms' first release "Ragtime Girl" was put out on Pye Records in 1963...
- Black Joy - LabelleLabelleLabelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing...
- Lady Marmalade - Moments & Whatnauts - Girls
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- Dance With Me - The Three DegreesThe Three DegreesThe Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...
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- Me & Mrs. Jones - Spinners - The Rubber Band Man
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- Don't Leave Me This Way - Gladys Knight & The PipsGladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
- Midnight Train To Georgia - The O'JaysThe O'JaysThe O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
- Darlin' Darlin' Baby - Biddu Orchestra - Summer Of '42
- The Real ThingThe Real Thing (group)-Albums:Studio albums* Real Thing - UK #34* 4 from 8 * Step Into Our World , retitled Can You Feel the Force - UK #73* ....Saints Or Sinners? Live albums* The Real Thing Live Compilation albums...
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- Black Joy