[African American] [Film & Entertainment] Parks, Gordon. Leadbelly. Los Angeles: Paramount Pictures. 1976. Measures 27" x 41". Directed by Gordon Parks, Leadbelly is a 1976 film chronicling the life of blues singer and Ex Convict Huddie Ledbetter, known by his stage name,"Lead Belly". Starring Roger E. Mosley, the film focuses on the troubles of Lead Belly's youth in the segregated South including his time in prison, and his use of music as an outlet for his troubled upbringing. Illustration shows a strong Black man standing shirtless and shoeless with shackles around his ankles and a blues guitar in hand. The tagline reads "Meat Leadbelly -- a real man who's a winner!" Lead Belly's strong vocals, use of the 12 string guitar, and unique folk style, bolstered his popularity throughout the 20th and 21st century, eventually being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. "Stay Woke" is thought to be coined from a statement regarding the false accusations of 9 Black teenagers and men sexually assaulting two white women in 1931. Lead Belly warns his listeners, "So I advise everybody, be a little careful when they go along through there best stay woke, keep their eyes open." Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert states that Leadbelly is one of the best biographies he's ever seen and says of the film "He killed at least two men, he spent long stretches of time on Texas chain gangs, he rode the rails and one of his first jobs was playing the guitar in a whorehouse. The remarkable achievement of Gordon Parks "Leadbelly" is to give us both these men and to show us how one became the other. " Original folds, overall very good condition. Seller Inventory # 20846

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Title: Gordon Parks Film: Leadbelly Original Poster

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Max Rambod Inc offers thousands of historical documents, letters, manuscripts, printed ephemera, and first editions in all variety fields. Since 1991, we have served an international clientele of collectors, private institutions, and public libraries in acquisition and collection development. We are members of ILAB, ABAA, and PADA, and have furnished collections around the world with rare and unique material for over 30 years; from the personal letters of Nobel-Prize winning poets to first edition Journals of Congress to unique pamphlets promoting abolition and suffrage. We offer an unconditional guarantee for each item?s authenticity and completeness. Send us an email with a want list, and we can track down the rarest pieces for your collection

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