Blackface

This is a clip from the film "Rose of Washington Square" made in 1939. It features Al Jolson singing and dancing in blackface. Jolson had previously sung in blackface in the first "Talkie" film "The Jazz Singer". Blackface was a common occurrence in the 19th and early 20th century. Minstrel shows were an American theatrical art form which used caricatures of african american stereotypes for comedy. Although they were accepted at the time, modern american culture looks at them with disgust. It is interesting to see how less than a century ago racism was so much more prevalent and acceptable.