The Life of DANCER
THE LIFE OF DANCER
Set in 1940s old Hollywood, during the height of US racial tensions, Dr. Prince C. Spencer was the last surviving original member of the famous tap dancing group, THE FOUR STEP BROTHERS. They were the FIRST Black Dancers to receive a Star🌟 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dr. Spencer sits and recaps his time performing all over the world with Maceo Anderson, Freddie James, Al Williams and Sylvester Johnson. They were renowned for their acrobatic, lightening fast tap dancing, and were the elite opening act amongst royalty, movie stars, TV shows and socialites. Their narrow road to success was full of applause and praise, yet they still suffered racial discrimination. They were conditionally accepted and were ONLY allowed to enter thru the rear, eat in their dressing room and entertain the white audience. But when Jerry Lewis learned that "his guys" were being treated unfairly, he stepped in and made sure "it was fixed".
As years pass, Dr. Spencer retired from dancing and agreed to manage the affairs of the late, controversial comedian, Redd Foxx. Unfortunately and to no avail, while on the set, Foxx suffered a heart attack, collapsed to the floor and was rushed to the hospital. Foxx later died at the age of 68.
It is undeniable, that Dr. Spencer shared recognisable super star qualities with current celebrities, such as Jaime Foxx and Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Dr. Spencer was a tap legend, a successful businessman and a forgotten entertainment trailblazer whose life story of perseverance transcends to the global message of seeking racial equality.
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Stephanie MackDirectorN/A
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Stephanie MackWriterN/A
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Stephanie MackProducerN/A
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Dr. Prince C. SpencerKey Cast"Self"1944 Carolina Blues, 1953 Here Come the Girls, 1964 The Patsy
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Hawthorne JamesKey Cast"Narrator"The Color Purple, Se7en, Speed
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Runtime:25 minutes
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Completion Date:January 3, 2017
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Production Budget:1,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:IPad/IMovie
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Film Color:Black & White
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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LA Shorts Awards, Indie Night Film FestivalHollywood, California
United States
February 2017
North American Premier
Best Director, Editing & Music Score
Stephanie Mack is the essence of an Entrepreneur.
Never sitting still long enough for grass to grow under her feet, Steph Mack was penning an urban adaptation of, 'The Spirit of Jezebel', when Lummie Long (RIP), shared stories about his famous brother.
Intrigued, Mack flew to Las Vegas and, with iPhone in hand, filmed the last known interview of the Black entertainment pioneer.
Together with Spencer's private collection of photos, Mack produced a 30 minute documentary celebrating the late trailblazer.
For 7 years Mack has worked pain-stakingly on the project, trying to produce a quality film worthy of the amazing life of Dancer. “It was like his story grabbed ahold of me and wouldn’t let go!”, says Mack about her directorial debut.
As I uncovered the lost Black History, I was reminded how even famous 1940s Black entertainers were "conditional accept" and endured racial discrimination.