--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Black film,' unless it's lucky enough or…" description: "\"'Black film,' unless it's lucky enough or creative enough, or timely enough to build a life of its own, hangs subjacent to 'white film' on Hollywood's ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/joe-morton-3905_cinema_black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-c_3200163.png" --- # 'Black film,' unless it's lucky enough or creative enough… ![“'Black film,' unless it's lucky enough or creative enough, or timely enough to build a life of its own, hangs subjacent to 'white film' on Hollywood's financial score board... aided and abetted by the supposition that so-called black film has no foreign market.” quote by Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/joe-morton-3905_cinema_black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-c_3200163.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/joe-morton-3905_cinema_black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-c_3200163.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/joe-morton-3905_cinema_black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-c_3200163.png) > “'Black film,' unless it's lucky enough or creative enough, or timely enough to build a life of its own, hangs subjacent to 'white film' on Hollywood's financial score board... aided and abetted by the supposition that so-called black film has no foreign market.” [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Black cinema often remains secondary to mainstream white films due to financial biases and market assumptions. **In simple terms:** Black movies are sidelined by profit-driven industry views. Key Takeaway Advocate for equitable funding and distribution. Themes representation industry bias film economics Mood critical optimistic Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - film festivals - independent production - media criticism Key Concepts Cultural equity market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can audiences support black films? - What changes in financing could level the playing field? A Different Perspective Success depends on audience demand, not just funding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) ## Related quotes > [Hollywood, it seems, recognizes black film and black filmmakers, but like a distant lover, never close enough or long enough to forge a meaningful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/hollywood-it-seems-recognizes-black-film-and-black-filmmakers-but/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [Perhaps, despite my objections, the success of films like: 'The Help,' 'Django,' 'The Butler,' or '12 Years a Slave,' will further persuade Hollywood to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/perhaps-despite-my-objections-the-success-of-films-like-the-help/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I keep a diary - one for each film and foreign land I travel to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/i-keep-a-diary-one-for-each-film-and-foreign-land-i-travel-to/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [When you do a film in a foreign language, you know there's a cost in it, that you know, unfortunately, the audiences of foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/when-you-do-a-film-in-a-foreign-language-you-know-there-s-a-cost-in/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I think the art film, or the auteur-driven film - and not only foreign, but domestic films following that path - can get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/i-think-the-art-film-or-the-auteur-driven-film-and-not-only-foreign/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [Any time there is a film in a 'foreign language,' in Spanish or Korean or whatever language, it's usually not an American film. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/any-time-there-is-a-film-in-a-foreign-language-in-spanish-or-korean/) [Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/) > [I hadn't made a big-budget film, and in Hollywood there's a sort of man and boys situation. You're a man, you make $80 million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-hadn-t-made-a-big-budget-film-and-in-hollywood-there-s-a-sort-of/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [If you watch the movie 'Queenpins,' I believe it is the first film in Hollywood to feature AEW in the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-walter-hauser/if-you-watch-the-movie-queenpins-i-believe-it-is-the-first-film-in/) [Paul Walter Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-walter-hauser/) > [I truly believe that all power corrupts. 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He's got us out there campaigning and everything because honestly it's a silent black-and-white film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-ann-miller/harvey-weinstein-bought-our-film-and-he-s-an-animal-he-s-got-us-out/) [Penelope Ann Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-ann-miller/) > [Full-color images lack the poignancy of monochrome... Black-and-white film inherently peels off interesting images from the world; it sees things we do not see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-c-bunnell/full-color-images-lack-the-poignancy-of-monochrome-black-and-white/) [Peter C Bunnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-c-bunnell/) > ['College Road Trip' is colorless. It's not a black film. It's not a white film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-whitley/college-road-trip-is-colorless-it-s-not-a-black-film-it-s-not-a-white/) [Kym Whitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-whitley/) > [The whole series is black-and-white, so when I went to shoot one of the women I only had black-and-white film with me. She had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-newton/the-whole-series-is-black-and-white-so-when-i-went-to-shoot-one-of/) [Helmut Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-newton/) ## More by Joe Morton > [I guess on one hand I believe it doesn't matter if there is life after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-guess-on-one-hand-i-believe-it-doesn-t-matter-if-there-is-life/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I love doing theater. Despite the fact that out of theater, film, and TV, theater is the hardest thing to do. It's the least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-love-doing-theater-despite-the-fact-that-out-of-theater-film-and-tv/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [My father was in the military; he was a captain. His service was to quote-unquote integrate the Armed Forces overseas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/my-father-was-in-the-military-he-was-a-captain-his-service-was-to/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [The more you know about the world, the more resources you have in terms of things that can inform your character or the circumstances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/the-more-you-know-about-the-world-the-more-resources-you-have-in/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [Basically, the actor's job is to pay attention to the script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/basically-the-actor-s-job-is-to-pay-attention-to-the-script/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [One of the beauties of working in Shondaland is that they make an effort to get to know who you are, so they're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/one-of-the-beauties-of-working-in-shondaland-is-that-they-make-an/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I think the greatest lesson that power has to teach us is, once you've had it, once you are a part of it, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-think-the-greatest-lesson-that-power-has-to-teach-us-is-once-you-ve/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [Republicans in the South... are trying to find ways, not so much to block black and brown people from voting, but to block black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/republicans-in-the-south-are-trying-to-find-ways-not-so-much-to-block/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [You make up your mind what part you want to read for and why. It's kept me focused - on what's important, what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/you-make-up-your-mind-what-part-you-want-to-read-for-and-why-it-s/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [Everyone does what they believe they need to do in order to survive in this business, 'survive' being the operative word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/everyone-does-what-they-believe-they-need-to-do-in-order-to-survive/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [Race prejudice has nothing to do with color. It has to do with being the stranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/race-prejudice-has-nothing-to-do-with-color-it-has-to-do-with-being/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [It's important to know, whether you're pro or anti the current president and what he's doing, that he's doing what he thinks is for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/it-s-important-to-know-whether-you-re-pro-or-anti-the-current/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I think that, unfortunately, it appears that Donald Trump is trampling all over the Constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-think-that-unfortunately-it-appears-that-donald-trump-is-trampling/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I think many villains have the burden of not being very human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-think-many-villains-have-the-burden-of-not-being-very-human/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [The argument for '12 Years a Slave' was that - yes, it's a beautiful film. Beautifully shot, beautifully acted. It's a real story, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/the-argument-for-12-years-a-slave-was-that-yes-it-s-a-beautiful-film/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) [Explore all 119 Joe Morton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. 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I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "'Black film,' unless it's lucky enough or creative enough, or timely enough to build a life of its own, hangs subjacent to 'white film' on Hollywood's financial score board... aided and abetted by the supposition that so-called black film has no foreign market.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Morton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-creative-enough-or-timely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-creative-enough-or-timely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/joe-morton-3905_cinema_black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-c_3200163.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/joe-morton-3905_cinema_black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-c_3200163.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/joe-morton-3905_cinema_black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-c_3200163.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“'Black film,' unless it's lucky enough or creative enough, or timely enough to build a life of its own…” — Joe Morton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joe Morton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "'Black film,' unless it's lucky enough...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-creative-enough-or-timely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/black-film-unless-it-s-lucky-enough-or-creative-enough-or-timely/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```