Search - Harlem Double Feature: Gang War/Broken Strings on DVD

Two Movies for the price of one!

MeMyselfandI | MI | 03/10/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Well, lets see here. I always enjoyed these all black race films, race films were the only cinema that allowed blacks to play people from all walks of life, be glamourous, beautiful, sophisticated, classy, and create their own images, yes, these films aren't the best but if one isn't so critical, you can see there were potential talents and some who truly gave good acting performances in these films. Broken Strings is a very enjoyable movie with a talented cast, Clarence Muse, Sybil Lewis, Tommie Moore, Edward Thompson, Darby Jones are the ones who give very complimentary performances. The movie is short and to the point but entertaining and complete. Sybil Lewis was an excellent black actress, she usually played the sophisticated, snooty, classy, demure but effective actress in the same fashion as Rosalind Russell and Myrna Loy. Only in race films was she able to display her talent, in Hollywood films she had to play maids but she still was classy with it. Gang War is a worthwhile film, if you have nothing to do for an hour, you could watch this movie to pass the time. I like these race films because if the acting isn't so great, well, at least one could check out the fashions, nightclubs scenes, and the entertainment, to see blacks as they really were not the stereotypical way Hollywood portrayed them. Sometimes I wonder how it could have been if blacks were given a chance in Hollywood to do versatile roles as the ones they did in race films. Another reason why I like watching these race films is because I'm able to discover other black acting talents that I never heard of. I discovered there were other greats besides Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne.

The only real complaint I have is I wish the quality was better on these films. I've seen better quality of these films in other places but I guess you get what you pay for!"