White Screens, Black Dance - Race and Masculinity in the United States At Midcentury

White Screens, Black Dance shows how several types of American masculinity were built through Black dance on mid-twentieth century film and television. It does so by analyzing case studies of major period stars, both Black and white: the Nicholas Brothers, Gene Kelly, Elvis Presley, and Sammy Davis, Jr. In the process, it also reveals the white stars' appropriation of Black culture through dance, which the author terms blackbodying. Both this practice and the midcentury models of masculinity that it describes are ultimately shown to remain with us today--on film, TV, and TikTok.

List of contents

• Introduction


• Chapter 1: The Nicholas Brothers: Classy and Dignified


• Chapter 2: Gene Kelly: Brash and Athletic


• Chapter 3: Elvis Presley: Virile and Phallic


• Chapter 4: Sammy Davis, Jr.: Modish and Chameleonic


• Epilogue: Masculinities Danced on Post-1970 Screens


• Introduction


• Chapter 1: The Nicholas Brothers: Classy and Dignified


• Chapter 2: Gene Kelly: Brash and Athletic


• Chapter 3: Elvis Presley: Virile and Phallic


• Chapter 4: Sammy Davis, Jr.: Modish and Chameleonic


• Epilogue: Masculinities Danced on Post-1970 Screens

About the author

Pamela Krayenbuhl is an Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies at the University of Washington Tacoma.

Product details

• Authors: Pamela Krayenbuhl
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.07.2025
• EAN: 9780197699072
• ISBN: 978-0-19-769907-2
• No. of pages: 272
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Music > General, dictionaries; Dance, PERFORMING ARTS / Dance / General, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, United States of America, USA, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / History & Criticism, Film Theory & Criticism, Film history, theory or criticism