"Up in the Air" makes Mantan Moreland fall flat

It's been a while since I've written about 1940s film star Mantan Moreland -- but I've been watching his films all along. I've always been impressed with not only how good his performances are, but how much they played against the racial stereotypes of the day.

In many films for poverty row studio Monogram Pictures, he was teamed with Frank Darro. Like Abbott and Costello, or Laurel and Hardy, the two played the same basic characters time and again. Frank was the young man always full of energy and ambition, impetuously plunging head-long into trouble (or sometimes danger).

Mantan Moreland was the level-headed one, always expressing misgivings about Frankie's ideas, and only participating reluctantly and when forced. Often such African-American characters were portrayed as lazy -- but Moreland never gave that impression. His character wasn't lazy -- he just wanted to avoid trouble. And often Frankie's hare-brained schemes worsened rather than improved his character's situations.

These are films of their times, however. Darro always addresses Mantan's character by his first name (usually Jeff, short for Jefferson). Mantan always addresses Darro as "Mister Frankie." Their characters may be friends, but they're not equals.

Mantan Moreland had been active in vaudeville before moving to pictures. He and his vaudeville partner Ben Carter brought one of their routines to the screen. Since many B pictures (such as virtually all of Monogram's output) was only screened once, popular routines could be recycled. As was the case with "Incomplete Sentences." This running gag relies on split-second timing and delivery to pull it off.


It appears in a few of Mantan's 1940s films, almost always in dialog with Carter. But then there's "Up in the Air."

This 1940 film, a murder mystery set at a radio station, is on par with other Moreland/Darro pix. The plot moves along briskly, the competent cast of character actors is doing a credible job. Moreland and Darro are playing their respective roles.

And then comes the unfortunate -- and unnecessary -- scene at 31:41. That's when Darro and Moreland audition for a spot as a comedy duo for a radio show. It's Mister Frankie's idea, of course. They do the "Incomplete Sentences" routine, with Frankie Darro speaking in "dialect." And worse yet, in blackface (so effective on the radio).



Of course, it's horribly racist, and incredibly insulting to Mantan as a performer. But it's also illuminating. Because to me, the skit falls flat. Darro just doesn't have the comedic chops to hold up his part. The timing's off, and I get the sense that the actor had to concentrate so much on delivering his lines in "dialect" that his attention to timing slipped.

I still enjoy watching Mantan Moreland perform in these old movies. But this film really brought home just how little say black actors had in Hollywood in the 1940s -- even with their own material. I can only hope things are different now.

Mantan Moreland and You're Out of Luck

I recently watched "You're Out Of Luck" (1941) one of the eight films Frankie Darro and Mantan Moreland did for Monogram Pictures. As I've noted before in my review of "The Irish Luck," these films aren't great art, but they're definitely entertaining.

Darro and Moreland played virtually the same roles in each film. Darro was the young, impulsive eager beaver ready to leap headlong into trouble, while Moreland was the more cautious and practical -- and definitely wanted to avoid trouble at all costs.

Sure, it's the same relationship Mel Gibson and Danny Glover play in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise but there's a difference. In the early 1940's it was rare for an African-American to be an equal partner to a white man -- even on film.

In the movie , elevator operator Frankie O'Reilly (Darro) and janitor/handyman Jeff Jefferson (Moreland) work at the Carlton Arms hotel, where they witness the murder of a gangster. Frankie's brother, the police detective assigned to the case, asked Frankie to help keep any eye on some of the suspects in the hotel. And of course, Frankie not only agrees but also volunteers Jefferson's help.

Mantan was rumored to ad-lib many of his lines and was actually a big enough star to get away with it. In this first audio clip, Jefferson protests always being dragged into another mess. But listen carefully to what Mantan actually says. It sounds to me like a very subtle commentary on the role he was forced to play. (And is he referencing "King of the Zombies" which he also starred in the same year?)

You're Out of Luck - Jeff's complaint

Mantan Moreland was an accomplished stand-up comedian with an impeccable sense of timing. In this next scene, Frankie tries to gather more clues by bluffing. His brother's been demoted from detective for various setbacks in the case, and Frankie wants to help. Jeff has his own opinion about what's going on.

You're Out of Luck - Jeff's observation

I'm not saying that a film as slight as "You're Out of Luck" is worthy of serious post-modern analysis. But, as always, Moreland's performance gives this breezy little mystery just enough substance to make it worth watching even today.

- Ralph

Mantan Moreland and the Irish Luck

"Irish Luck" (1939) is not a great film -- but very few movies from Monogram were. But many of the productions from this B-picture studio are still very entertaining -- especially those with Mantan Moreland. (I've talked about this under-rated African-American actor before.)

In the late 1930's he was teamed with Frankie Darro for a series of films where they, in essence, played the same characters. Darro was the enthusiastic kid, always getting the pair in trouble by impulsively plunging into trouble. Moreland played the most level-headed of the pair, who was always dragged into predicaments by Darrow against his better judgement.

What I find interesting about these films is that Moreland is treated pretty much as an equal. In "Irish Luck" for example, Moreland plays a janitor (Jefferson) to Darro's bellhop (Buzzy O'Brien) -- both employed in menial jobs. And Jefferson's reluctance to go along with Buzzy's hairbrained amateur sleuthing has nothing to do with racial stereotypes of the day. He simply wants to keep his job and out of trouble with the police. In fact, Jefferson's relationship to Buzzy is very much like that of Ethyl Mertz to Lucy Ricardo.

The difference is that Moreland, a gifted comedian, gets all the best lines (many of which he either wrote or ad-libbed for himself).

This opening scene gives an idea of the movie's pacing. It's fast, glib, and never meant to be taken very seriously.



When we meet Jefferson, he's (as usual) helping out Buzzy who's taken it upon himself to single-handedly capture some crooks in the hotel. Buzzy's plan? Have Jefferson use a dummy to fake a suicide attempt so the hotel would be surrounded by police and firemen! Detective Steve Lanahan (Dick Purcell) at first treats Jefferson as a madman (but without racial condescension). When he finds out that the son of his dead partner's at it again playing detective, sparks fly.



Here's Mantan Moreland in a typical scene with Frankie Darro.



Here are Moreland and Darro towards the end of the film, when Jefferson's just about had enough of Buzzy getting them both into trouble.



"Irish Luck" was never meant to be anything more than a Saturday afternoon diversion. This breezy little mystery is about as challenging and fraught with danger as an episode of "Murder She Wrote." But the chemistry between Darro and Moreland make this (in my opinion) much more fun to watch.

"Irish Luck" is in public domain, and is readily available from Archive.org. Not a great movie, but not a bad one to have on your iPod to while away an hour.

- Ralph

Day 8 of the WJMA Podwatch. They added the word "news" to the title. Still not helpful, still not getting it. The watch continues....

Mantan Moreland -- Chasing Trouble

I've written before about the forgotten African-American film actor Mantan Moreland. In the 1940's this quick-witted comedic talent was popular enough that he was a bankable star. When Moreland's name appeared in the credits (usually under the two leads), the film was sure to make bank and then some.

Monogram Pictures paired Moreland with juvenile actor Frankie Darro and hit box office gold. In their seven films together, Darro usually played an enthusiastic, impulsive character who always brought the pair into a murder mystery or other trouble through his headstrong (and wrongheaded) actions. Moreland played the reluctant sidekick, the more sensible and cautious of the two.

What makes this combination interesting is that it was very unusual for the late 1930's. African-American characters usually only appeared onscreen as servants or unskilled laborers. Often they were shown as lazy and/or slow-witted. Mantan Moreland was neither. And the result is a series of buddy pictures with a dynamic that reminded me of the Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise.

"Chasing Trouble" (1940) is a good example of the pair at work. Frankie Darro plays an enthusiastic florist delivery boy who wants to play matchmaker to Marjorie Reynolds. Mantan Moreland just wants to keep his job (and after Darro gets them involved with Nazi spies, his life).

Here's his take on the fix they're in.




It's a fun little film, and the chemistry between Darro and Mantan holds up well with age. I found this film on Archive.org.

I'll be searching out the rest of the series.

- Ralph

A Worthy Supporting Actor

Ken's post reminded me of another outstanding African-American actor, Mantan Moreland. Beginning in 1933, Moreland's career stretched over 100 films and several TV appearances before his death in 1973. Considered a major star –- or as much of one as an actor of color could be at the time –- his sophisticated, deceptively simple humor made him popular among both black and white audiences (although probably for different reasons). In the 1940's it was not unusual for him to receive top billing immediately beneath the white leads.

I’ve written before about what the uncurious miss –- and without the continual exposure to new things I receive from podcasts, I would have missed Mantan Moreland. One of the ClashTV.com’s podcast episodes was “King of the Zombies.” a 1941 “B” picture. It was competently filmed and acted and without Moreland would have been another pleasant but forgettable movie to watch.

Moreland’s running commentary on the action and witty asides made his performance practically leap off the screen -- raising the entire film several notches in my option. The highpoint of the picture were his scenes with Marguerite Whitten, an actress who also pushed the limits of what African-Americans were allowed to portray in film.

Click here for a sample of their by-play.

I’ll continue exploring Moreland’s work, now that I’m aware of him. Just another example of what’s out there -– if you’re curious.

- Ralph