Glover Blames Racism For 'L'Ouverture' Stall: Actor says Hollywood refused to finance 'black film.'

*Danny Glover says Hollywood racism is the reason why he could never get his film about Haitian independence hero Toussaint L'Ouverture off the ground.

[oshun]

not surprised at all.
l'ouverture would be likened to robert mugabe were he alive today. and we all know how mainstream media treat him!

[Irony Kiss]

A movie about a racist? Doesn't sound too interesting to me but then again I guess daring to have my own opinion automatically makes me racist.

[Blackinjun]

Danny I'd give what money I could for your film. Maybe if you'd take it to the "community" you could get the money.

[Petros The Habesha King]

Lol @ Hugo throwing his money around for a movie when the majority of his people are still dirt poor despite all of that oil. On another note, Glover shouldn't be surprised. If Toussaint was of European heritage, a movie would have already been made ages ago!

[BraystreetLad]

Hollywood is full of racist hypocrites!!!!!You mean Glover just discovered it?????

[Panafrican]

No surprise.
Whiteys will never change. Jail all these sons of the b!tches.

[spikewebbe]

Sounds like an independent film with a very limited audience. What Glover should've done was put this L'Ouverture character in Leathal Weapon V; he would've gotten zillions from the movie companies.

[Peric Overde]

Glover: go brow-nosing Chavez a little more. I am sure that after parading you some more in front of the world like the useful idiot you are the petit tyrant will be more than willing to give you the other half. Loser.

[lndychick]

If there were any money to be made off Toussaint L'Ouverture, Spike Lee would have already been there, done that. L'Ouverture's life ends pitifully in prison and Haiti is a mess now.

No happy ending = no $$= no interest

[soulflower]

lndychick wrote:

If there were any money to be made off Toussaint L'Ouverture, Spike Lee would have already been there, done that. L'Ouverture's life ends pitifully in prison and Haiti is a mess now.
No happy ending = no $$= no interest

spikewebbe wrote:

Sounds like an independent film with a very limited audience. What Glover should've done was put this L'Ouverture character in Leathal Weapon V; he would've gotten zillions from the movie companies.

Baltimore1967 wrote:

What Danny Glover has failed to realize is that people invest money to make money. This story line does not interest many people. If you do not make any money, than why invest. It is all economics.
from Internet movie Data Base "Friends with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez. He has been photographed with both Castro and Chavez on more than one occasion."
Why doesn't he ask one of his human rights violator friends.

You all sound as if this is a good thing.

Even if the man was controversial, he is
interesting...

As for people not being interested, what does that say about our society? That people are more interested in dancing kids (High School Musical) and men in leotards (Batman, Spiderman) than a real historical figure...

It should also generate real discussion on slavery, the nature of leadership, how to help a small country, Haiti itself, lots of things...

As for Mr. Glover's political affiliations, well, do any of you know how many people in Congress have friends with polluters, molesters, and supremacists? That there were politicians who supported Nazi Germany?

These things are sadly personal. I know I don't want people judging me harshly because a grade school classmate of mine joined the NOI.

I am sad any time something intelligent can't get made but there are endless reruns of Family Matters and American Pie.

[Shaleekwa]

This scene was cut from another Danny GLover movie. Don't watch it if you're scared of the the truth.

http://hitlerwasright.blogspot.com/2007/08/fa...

[Harrisson]

soulflower wrote:

<quoted text>
<quoted text>
<quoted text>
You all sound as if this is a good thing.
Even if the man was controversial, he is
interesting...
As for people not being interested, what does that say about our society? That people are more interested in dancing kids (High School Musical) and men in leotards (Batman, Spiderman) than a real historical figure...
It should also generate real discussion on slavery, the nature of leadership, how to help a small country, Haiti itself, lots of things...
As for Mr. Glover's political affiliations, well, do any of you know how many people in Congress have friends with polluters, molesters, and supremacists? That there were politicians who supported Nazi Germany?
These things are sadly personal. I know I don't want people judging me harshly because a grade school classmate of mine joined the NOI.
I am sad any time something intelligent can't get made but there are endless reruns of Family Matters and American Pie.

I don't know how progressive Baltimore1967 is overall, but I agree with his take on Glover's complaint.

If BLACK folks (rich and middle-class) ourselves can't be sold on the financing of this movie, then it says volumes about either our lack of confidence in Glovers' skill and experience, or our disinterest in the Haitian historical experience... or perhaps our a mixture of the above along with other factors.

Personally, I hate to see accomplished, millionaire, celebrity/jet-set, black folks complaining about how racism has stymied this or that project or initiative of theirs. It just sounds childish and immature.

To me, it also lessens the confidence the rest of us "po' folks" should have in them as leaders in the African-American community.

[Tom Mix]

Maybe its just a lousy script and, therefore, a lousy movie.

[soulflower]

Harrisson wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't know how progressive Baltimore1967 is overall, but I agree with his take on Glover's complaint.
If BLACK folks (rich and middle-class) ourselves can't be sold on the financing of this movie, then it says volumes about either our lack of confidence in Glovers' skill and experience, or our disinterest in the Haitian historical experience... or perhaps our a mixture of the above along with other factors.
Personally, I hate to see accomplished, millionaire, celebrity/jet-set, black folks complaining about how racism has stymied this or that project or initiative of theirs. It just sounds childish and immature.
To me, it also lessens the confidence the rest of us "po' folks" should have in them as leaders in the African-American community.

Hello.
Sadly, his assessment was spot on,
if you mean just logically.

I understand what you are saying
and I agree with most of it.

But it is still sad. Whites and
others should be open minded
enough to watch. I mean, I saw
the George Wallace movie and
Klan documentaries.

This man was not unspeakably bad
or anything.

I have often wondered why with
so many rich Black artists about
they do not simply fund their own
studio, produce and distribute their
own films?

But I have a sister and a brother in
law who are entertainment executives.
With them and their colleagues I have
learned the the truth.

Even if Black artists and producers did
something like this, they would have
hell trying to distribute their work.

They might even be "blackballed" a bit
because they went against the grain
and competed with the bigger folks.

And they would likely be bankrupted
because people would rather see
movies about pandas in martial arts
than a movie about a Black historical
figure!

[Harrisson]

soulflower wrote:

...
I have often wondered why with
so many rich Black artists about
they do not simply fund their own
studio, produce and distribute their
own films?

But I have a sister and a brother in
law who are entertainment executives.
With them and their colleagues I have
learned the the truth.

Even if Black artists and producers did
something like this, they would have
hell trying to distribute their work...

Well, OF COURSE it's going to be difficult. Perhaps extremely difficult - I take that for granted.

Now, I don't want to sound arrogant about areas that I don't have any specialized knowledge of. But, still, this just doesn't seem right.

Creating or acquiring a distribution network is not like trying to establish a privately-financed satellite-launch business. What we are talking about is something that has a pre-existing model or template to use. It's a known quantity to smart MBA types who specialize in that kind of work.

Here's my suspicion: Many wealthy blacks in the celebrity field come from backgrounds in sports or the creative arts. Their lines of work simply demand a very different skill set than what it takes to earn an MBA in Accounting or Finance, and then be a wheeler-dealer in the business world.

Just my hunch. I'm guessing that it's more a question of lack of interest and lack of initiative than anything else. The IQ is there already - it's just that people simply choose to focus it in other fields. When rich blacks truly have a burning desire to "make things happen" in the film business, then that distribution network will happen.

[Shaleekwa]

LOOK AT THIS VIDEO AND YOU'LL SEE A PROUD BLACK MAN DOING WHAT HE DO BEST:

http://wsrz.com/cc-common/news/videos/player....

[predator1972baz]

Glover tends to play the racism game a lot. CRY WOLF. But I do wonder what such a movie would be like. The movie industry regardless of racism or not do have a bottom line. MONEY. If the movie was made by a blackman or not or if the subject matter would be controversial or not, the question does come out, would the movie had made money ?

The racism argument falls short when you think about the fact that there are other black directors out there that are producing projects. We also knwo that hollywood isn't necesarily shy about movies about controversial figures given that we had Malcolm X and Muhammed Ali. So it is likely that Glover is crying wolf because it is very possible that the movie industry doesn't feel the movie will make any money. WHICH OF COURSE IS THE BOTTOM LINE.

[Democrat for life]

Racism is not illegal, it's freedom of expression. Deal with it.

[The Kingfish]

Tom Mix wrote:

Maybe its just a lousy script and, therefore, a lousy movie.

Brevity and common sense logic speaks loudly here, instead of over-analyzing all of the excuses for failure.

[Jacbill63]

It's no big surprise, but if I were Glover I wouldn't let it end there. Let's attempt to make movies about Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner, and John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry ....irregardless of what other's say who don't truly know of our culture. It's just that the white majority wants to hide the guilt they suffer from within their psyche, they cannot argue that those individuals fought for freedom for blacks by any means necessary when reasoning & diplomacy failed. It's just unfortunate that some whites can never come to grips that their ancestors were WRONG to oppress and suppress a race, and their descendants do not have the dignity to publically apologize.