What happened when 'Sweetback' made all that money, the studios were in a very difficult position. They wanted the money, but they didn't the message. This marked the advent of the caricatures which became known as blaxploitation. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
I went to a number of schools when I was a kid on the south side of Chicago. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
Music or sound in a film is a character as important as another character. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
I'm not a normal director. You can't look at me that way. What's kept me alive is my technical skill at doing other things. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
Don't ask me something if you don't want to know. Because I will tell you. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
I was a trader for a company. That's different from the brokers who we sort of disdain as sort of just errand boys. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
After 'Don't Play Us Cheap,' I got very busy with theater and Wall Street. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
The studios didn't really take independent films seriously, till 'Sweetback' was such a financial success. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
Whitey is uptight about offending blacks without really knowing what offends blacks. — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
I said to my kids, 'Learn the business of America if you want to be an artist in America. The rest of that stuff,… — Melvin Van Peebles Copy Share Image
