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Nina Mae McKinney

McKinney at age 16
Born Nannie Mayme McKinney
June 13, 1913
Lancaster, South Carolina
Died May 3, 1967 (aged 53)
New York City, New York
Other name(s) Nina McKinney
Years active 1929-1950

Nina Mae McKinney (June 13, 1913 - May 3, 1967) was an American actress. Dubbed "The Black Garbo",[1] she was one of the first African-American film stars and was one of the first African-Americans to appear on British television, featuring in the demonstration film broadcast each morning for the benefit of installers and engineers.

Contents

Career

Born Nannie Mayme McKinney in Lancaster, South Carolina, McKinney moved to New York when she was a teenager and began her career performing as a dancer. She was spotted dancing in Blackbirds of 1928 by director King Vidor and cast in the lead role of Hallelujah!, one of the first all-black films by a major studio and Vidor's first sound film, for which he was nominated for the best director Oscar in 1930.[2][3] In the film, McKinney dances the "Swanee Shuffle", a seductive dance which became a minor fashion.

After Hallelujah! McKinney signed a five year contract with MGM, however, the studio seemed reluctant to star her in feature films. Her most notable roles during this period were in films for other studios, including a leading role in Sanders of the River (1935), made in the UK, where she appears with Paul Robeson. After MGM cut almost all her scenes in Reckless (1935) she left Hollywood for Europe where she acted and danced, appearing mostly in theatrical shows and cabaret. She returned to the United States at the start of World War II where she married Jimmy Monroe, a jazz musician. After the war she moved to Athens, Greece and lived there until she returned to New York in 1960.

Death

On May 3, 1967, McKinney died of a heart attack. In 1978, McKinney was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.[4]

Filmography

Features:

Short Subjects:

  • Manhattan Serenade (1929)
  • Pie, Pie Blackbird (1932)
  • Passing the Buck (1932)
  • The Black Network (1936)
  • Swanee Showboat (1940)

References

  1. ^ Bourne, Stephen (2005). Black in the British Frame: The Black Experience in British Film and Television. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 142. ISBN 0-826-47898-0.  
  2. ^ Bogle, Donald (2002). Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 31. ISBN 0-826-41267-X.  
  3. ^ Academy Awards Oscar Annual. ESE California. 1979. pp. 26.  
  4. ^ Brettell, Andrew; King, Noel; Kennedy, Damien; Imwold, Denise (2005). Cut!: Hollywood Murders, Accidents, and Other Tragedies. Leonard, Warren Hsu; von Rohr, Heather. Barrons Educational Series. pp. 145. ISBN 0-764-15858-9.  

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