Paul Robeson discusses Othello

[TheBombshell19]

My very favorite American of ALL time!!!

[cait72590]

Wow. This is so cool. I hope to be fearless and hard working and make waves like Paul Robeson did in my career as an actor.

[SOCOM018]

he's GOT to be James Earl Jones' father or uncle...

[catch2370]

this guy was fucking amazing! What a character he comes off as here...very funny and down to earth.

[ThePharaoho]

Wow! He's the most dignified man I've ever seen, and not only did he have a beautiful singing voice but his speech is also beautiful strong and articulate. What a treat this is! This man is a legend and icon. There will never be another like him! Pure Genius!

[StMartinTours]

It's wonderful to see a video from the 1940's of someone speaking off the cuff, instead of newsreels and so forth where the speech tends to be more stilted.

[BULLDOGS476]

APHS BITCHES!!

[tomashize]

Amazing man. A true artist.

[YourFaceWillDie468]

Why do people like James Earl Jones's voice? Paul Robeson makes him sound like Cuba Gooding, Jr.

[yabruf]

Hm, how is it that a black man born in the late 1800's speaks with such elegance and sophistication. Fast forward 100 years and the black community worships gangsters that cannot speak English correctly and call it there culture. Can someone tell me why black people have more freedoms now then ever before yet they are more dependent on government, less educated, and more violent(ghettos) then ever? What went wrong?

[Nyame30]

@yabruf Don't generalize bigot. 

[Nyame30]

@yabruf Bigots often generalize. People like you seem to want the negative stereotypes about blacks to be true. Almost like you depend on it. Whenever events contradicts this you feel frightened and lost.

[yabruf]

@Nyame30

You fool. I am black myself and speak these truths out of personal experience. I look around my community and all I see is ignorance, drugs, and violence. I have been to black communities across the U.S. in Tampa, Memphis,Phoenix, L.A. You know what all the poor black communities have in common? Ignorance, drugs, and violence. Now as I said before how did we go from Paul Robeson to Snoop Dog? No generalizations just simple facts. Can you handle facts or do you cling to your ignorance?

[Nyame30]

@yabruf Always some depressive tyring to crap on the parade. We are here to celebrate a guy with an amazing talent. Yet you go from that to attacking black people. Can't you just appreciate beauty and shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yabruf]

@Nyame30

I am appreciating the magnificent quality of his voice and my initial response reflects that appreciation. You however are dodging my follow-up question that wonders why todays blacks have become less successful since that era when it was much more oppressive. Stating the facts of todays black ghetto communities is not attacking, it is called being real.

Why don't you stick your head back in the sand and let the thinking man worry about improving conditions in the black community.

[ritzbitzfei]

@Nyame30 The way he said it was upsetting, but I can understand his point. I'm from Taiwan, but raised in Canada and am sometimes so irritated by the way I see other asians acting; without courtesy, without regard for others. Sometimes it's hard not to generalize unconsciously because you see it all the time, especially where I live.

[ritzbitzfei]

@yabruf I see what you mean, about appreciation shifting from those of Paul Robeson's caliber, to Snoop Dog in the modern day. But you can't say there aren't modern educated, intelligent black people who are just as articulate as Robeson; nor can you say that there aren't just as many uneducated, ignorant people of other races.

[yabruf]

@ritzbitzfei

I never said there aren't any educated, intelligent blacks in modern times. Per capita there is a significant imbalance with respect to: prison population, violent crimes, high school dropout rates, teen pregnancy to name a few. Specifically blacks should be excelling in this country more so then the other races. They were here at the countries birth. Why can Asians, Indians, and others come here and get advanced degrees and be successful but most blacks cant get out of the ghetto?

[ritzbitzfei]

@yabruf People tend to be subjective about these types of things. For example, as students, we have so much more opportunities for accessible education than we ever did before, yet many teenagers are appreciating it less than ever; skipping school to party, do drugs, and other assorted illegalities. However, you tend not to notice the quieter ones who do work hard and make the most out of our opportunities. 

[BlacknesUnforgivable]

@yabruf You clearly arent black

[YourFaceWillDie468]

@Nyame30 "People like you seem to want the negative stereotypes about blacks to be true."

Uh, dude...he said EXACTLY the opposite, you dullard.

[MostCamperKills]

Wow, he has a nice voice

[mastaODI56]

there is alot of confusing on if othello was black african or north african,some say he was inspired by the ambassador of the barbary states in great britain

[Badgerthegreat]

It's amazing. I've known about Robeson for years, but I've only ever heard him sing. This is the first time I've ever heard him speak. It's as if I'm discovering what a magnificent voice he has all over again.

[jexplink]

A magnificent man.

[ecuador0001]

Paul Roberson, my new hero. I just watched The Criterion Collection, Paul Roberson, Icon, Tribute to an artist. All I can say is WOW! It's a shame I'm finding out about him as an adult in my 20's.

[sevenragingbull]

...I wish I had just Paul Robeson's speaking voice!!!!!

[spikemoe1]

Paul Robeson is the epitomized eloquent, well-educated bass-voiced black man.

[roscoegino]

Hollywood was much too small for this man.

[vassephardi]

This guy was great. I wish there were more like him today.

[retread01]

His 'radical' views were that racism was wrong, slavery is wrong, persecution of people is wrong. This of course didn't sit well with McCarthy who was a dangerous moron who went out of his way to destroy as many people as he could due to his own personal failings.

[meeboot]

amazing how paul robeson sound sooo intellectual off camera and off stage never would of guess. white americans used him up and disown his work as a pure actor and claim he is radical. its a shame if your of color for no damn reason you get left out or discredited,unrecognized for all your skills or service you contribute thru out history.

[sleepcity]

Great footage! Thanks for posting.

[CaptMARNEY]

Even his speaking voice makes me swoon! :D

[monkeyklaw]

wow when you look at this guy, you have to think he may just be one of the most accomplished people of all time in history. I'm 19 I just discovered who he was recently I'm in awe of him...it's a shame 99% of my generation has no clue who he is

[andTheCreativist]

@monkeyklaw

99% of our generation don't know a damn thing because our Parents' generation ran away from classical culture and decided to have sex and do drugs instead.

[acoreth42]

Wow he is such an amazing man!

[joeparkson]

I thought Othello was an Arab.

[stevevandien]

Given Shakespearean prosody and Elizabethean understanding of same, Othello might have been an Arab, a black African or a Moor ---

[LouisPlume]

He wasnt sure, probably a Moor. Moroccans are all Arabs now, 500 years ago there were a lot more of a mix of sub saharan people with Arabs.

[CharlieChan007]

It's not clear if he was an Arab or a blackamore. Shakespeareans have been debating it for almost a century.

[CreaturaDura]

@joeparkson Look up the word Almoravid. Muslim is the key to Othello. Don't you think this is beautiful no matter what he is?

[Chayastri]

@joeparkson,

I have a DVD of the Verdi opera based on this play. Placido Domingo sings the role of Otello. Most white men in the role look like white men whose faces have been darkened - they certainly don't look "Black". Domingo looks North African, which to me is just right for "Moor".

What happened to Robeson is a loss to the world, not just to the US.

[tirayi]

Beauty

[LeviathanMexicana]

My god, his voice is beautiful and he's not even trying.

[Gassalasca2]

Of course, in Shakespeare's day 'dance' was /dans/, / dɑ:ns/ i.e. TRAP-BATH split is a later British innovation.

[sethmanrockandroll]

He's very charming. He's kind of like James Earl Jones except better looking.

[Raford146]

It's a shame most Americans have no idea about Robeson. He's been omitted from popular culture because of his so-called radical views.

[NoPawn]

@Raford146 I am watching this, and it's the first time I have ever heard Robeson speak - and I am 41. If this is what his so-called radical views made him into, I don't see the problem.

[AfroPoli]

@Raford146 That's because they do not like intelligent people. Intelligent people have to have radical views. The rest are sheep.

[stevevandien]

Wasn't this recorded while Robeson was playing Othello at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1959?

[BrickLaneBetty]

Yes, in 1959.

[stevevandien]

Thanks for your information:) --

[knightleyemma]

Wow, he was an Eng Lit major like me!!!

[unityrover]

Wow! Are you a successful actor, pro athlete, multilingual orator, writer, lawyer and basso profundo concert singer as well?

[TROYABUAH]

Unbelievable! The most articulate man I've heard.

[Achbar]

This is Great!

[diddeliduddi]

dear jesus, this darling of an actor is splendid!

[sisco1989]

hes amazing

[Shiftyeyes516]

Well Said!

[limon276]

When he spoke, he used his voice of "deep bass" singer too. Paul Robeson is distinguished, it doesn't matter if he speaks or sings.

Rest in DEEP peace, Maestro!!!

[MacJaxonManOfAction]

I'd never heard of him before watching "Red Dwarf" today. What an extraordinarily intelligent, profound and articulate man. And what a voice! He makes Darth Vader sound like a munchkin.

[Nickkell58]

lol - Darth Vader sounding like a munchkin! I love that comment, and I'm so glad more people are appreciating Paul Robeson's talent.

[Prudukt]

Lovely! This clip brightened my day.

[angusmark80]

Was this guy a bass or baritone-bass???

[BrickLaneBetty]

BASS PROFUNDO! Par excellence, greatest of his era or perhaps any.

[CreaturaDura]

Perfect! The issue is not whether a Moor is a particular color, but that Shakespeare's Othello is Black, as is Boito/Verdi's Otello. Without the blackness there is no dramatic tension. Also, some living Moors were quite dark, the Almoravits, who came to help the Islamic cause in Andalusia, Spain again the Christians, the Almoravits were very black and strict Muslims. My spelling could be wrong.

[BrickLaneBetty]

Greatest American of all time. No contest.

[hiyadroogs]

Greater love hath no man than he who would lay down his freedom, his career, & his health for the oppressed, who have no voice of their own to be heard. Rest in peace, Paul. God bless you.

[stevevandien]

What did Robeson do to support the plight of Soviet Jews? OF COURSE, Robeson was correct about racism in America. But he had no clue about the same in his beloved USSR, nor about human rights violations there, nor about the tendency of his friend Stalin to kill his political opponents. These are facts of history, well beyond debate. Some would rather not confront them. But facts they remain. Could anyone as intelligent as Robeson ignore them? Apparently so.

[stevevandien]

This is the great tragedy of Robeson's life. A brilliant man, magnificent singer, splendid actor. And God knows he endured prejudice against African-Americans that Caucasians can only begin to imagine. Yet he promoted the murderously oppressive USSR, apparently because it welcomed and courted him. Robeson was absolutely right about equal rights for black Americans. But he was HORRIBLY wrong about the USSR and the state's dominion over individuals.

[seanmg]

Did Robeson have a duty to support Soviet Jews? Weren't Jewish workers and writers key in the growth of the Socialist and Communist movements in the US? Interesting that Paul should have been more attentive to the suffering of Jews than even other Jews. Why must we always resort to a pissing competition for the title of"most persecuted"? Jews and Blacks have had a difficult time around the world and are fortunate to have had a somewhat symbiotic relationship in America at one point.

[stevevandien]

So Robeson needn't have protested against the slaughter of Jews (OR anybody else) in his beloved Soviet Union as long as he (rightly) condemned US racism against blacks?

Or do you believe oppressed Jews abroad deserved less than equal concern over oppressed African-Americans in the US? Your first and second sentences have no logical relationship. . If some Jews supported Socialism and Communism in the US, what had that to do with the USSR's persecution of Jews?

[seanmg]

What did Mr. Robeson have to do with the persecution of Jews in the USSR? Why would he want anyone to be oppressed? You are attacking him for something he was not responsible for. Further, your question as to whether I believe Jews deserve less concern proves my comment about the oppression pissing match. Why are you so concerned about the plight of USSR Jews?

[stevevandien]

He should NOT have wanted ANYONE to be oppressed. So why didn't he speak out against the oppressed (Jews and otherwise) in the USSR, where he felt so at home? Robeson, who protested human rights abuses in the US, never did likewise in the Soviet Union, which had embraced him. Far from rejecting that embrace, he accepted the bizarrely named Stalin Peace Prize. For this greatly gifted but tragically flawed man, human rights abuses were horrible in the US, but unnoticeable in the USSR.

[seanmg]

It is probably much more clear now what was going on at that time than if you visited as a celebrity. If you have not done so, you should visit China and see if they take you on a tour of the slave laborers quarters. Sadly, you think that he is "tragically flawed" because he was not an advocate for the specific people YOU would have preferred. Your tragic flaw is your myopic view of people's motives. Still didn't mention why you care so much about Jews in the USSR in particular.

[stevevandien]

Hogwash. Stalin's purges were well known internationally in the 1930, yet Robeson didn't acknowlege them. Your "specific people" comment is silly. I didn't single out Soviet Jews, as anyone who can read English and has no agenda would have noted, except as a rhetorical example in ONE message. Note that in subsequent messages, I said "OR anybody else" and "Jews or otherwise." Also that Robeson "should NOT have wanted ANYONE to be oppressed."

[stevevandien]

Given your tendency to hone in upon and question my every mention of Jews, please explain, in detail, why you are NOT anti-Semitic.

[seanmg]

Now I'm anti-Semitic because I'm trying to get at why you feel that Mr. Robeson's "Tragic Flaw" was that he didn't do enough for Jews. So anyone who can think critically is an anti-Semite? What of modern supporters of Israel? Should history judge them as betrayers of human right for the atrocities visited on Palestinian people? I think that people tend to first view the fight for human rights through their own cultural lens.

[seanmg]

Just because I'm an African-American, I don't ask that others put the struggle of my ancestors before the struggle of their own. To get back to the point, Paul Robeson was a great American and an amazing artist. You would do well to recall that when Moses went to Pharaoh he said "let MY people go"... Egypt was full of slaves from all over the known world at that time and what of them? Again, human nature...

I'm done sullying this video with your nonsensical ad hominem arguments. Be well.

[stevevandien]

Sigh. I didn't accuse you of anti-Semitism. Given your apparent obsession with Soviet Jews, I asked you to demonstrate why you are NOT anti-Semitic. That does NOT constitute an ad hominem argument, "nonsensical" or otherwise. Given your tendency to wander WAY off point (Moses? Egypt? Your race? NONE of which I brought up; for the latter I couldn't, because I didn't know your race until you mentioned it), you seem uninterested in rational discussion. Be well; I bear you no ill will.

[pminner]

Great clip! shame on America!

[stevevandien]

Shame on America? Why? Please describe in detail.

[pminner]

If you don't know educate yourself... its 2010 no excuse not to know.

[stevevandien]

You don't get off that easily. Please describe in detail.

[Ellemeno]

Thanks for posting this.

[Xenu]

It's such a shame there is no film of Robeson playing "Othello." If I had a time machine the first thing I'd want to see is Robeson's 1940's Broadway "Othello."