Prof Richard Dyer (King's College London)

Blacks and Jews, Song and Dance

Thursday, 20 November 2008, 7pm

There is a long history of interactions between Jews and African-Americans in popular culture, sometimes affirming an affinity between them, sometimes more fraught. This talk looks especially at two films, The Jazz Singer 1927, which equates black and Jewish music, and Dirty Dancing 1987, where black dance seems more of an alternative to respectable Jewish culture.

Richard Dyer teaches Film Studies at King’s College London. His books include Stars, Heavenly Bodies, Now You See it, White, Only Entertainment, The Matter of Images, The Culture of Queers and Pastiche.

FilmTalk Lectures are held at the Wiener Library, 4 Devonshire Street, London W1W 5BH.

Admission is free, but places must be reserved in advance by contacting the Leo Baeck Institute (info@leobaeck.co.uk or tel: 020 7580 3493).

Underground: Great Portland Street, Regent’s Park; Bus: C2, 18, 27, 30, 88, 135.

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