Latino Hollywood

Until fairly recently, stereotyping was a large part of Hollywood films. Latinos, like other ethnic groups, suffered from being pigeon-holed in certain roles that limited their talents and lead to certain assumptions on the part of the filmgoing audience. This video focuses on the period 1911-1940, looking generally at the contributions of Latino performers such as Lupe Velez, Ramon Navarro, Delores Del Rio, and Gilbert Roland, and how they were locked into the roles of "Latin lover", "bandito" or "cantina girl." The subject is treated without much imagination--host Latino actor Hector Ayala supplies a clumsily read voice-over while stills and ancient footage reel by in the expected fashion. While the information is fairly comprehensive and the concern over stereotyping genuine, the appeal will probably be limited to libraries supporting film history or Mexican-American and Latino studies. An optional purchase. (E. Druda)