I am in the process of creating blog pages/ website for my granduncle Mr Orlando Martins. He was referred to as a Legend as a result of being the First World Acclaimed African Film Actor. A brief history about him - he was born in Dec 1899. He acted in silent films and non silent films. One of his major film highlights was acting in a film called The Hasty Heart (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hasty_Heart)with the late President of the USA, Ronald Reagan. This is a picture of both of them in the film.
Have a look at Orlando Martins wikipage for more information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Martins
Orlando Martins lived during a period when black actors were not recognised on the big screen.
He featured in a book called "Black in the British Frame: The Black Experience in British Film and Television
By Stephen Bourne". It gives a great insight into the life and times of black actors from the 1920s through to 1950s.
The weblink is https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2VnLeHIVID8C&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=Diaghilev+Nubian+slave&source=bl&ots=YPg0G_OZ__&sig=CyBRQ7UUcYw2eHfGqaTZtPRZ1dI&hl=en&sa=X#v=onepage&q=Diaghilev%20Nubian%20slave&f=false
World Premiere Of 'The Hasty Heart' 1949 at Warner Theatre London. Orlando can be seen making an entrance from 3:55 to 3:57 on the video. Unfortunately he was not interviewed by the Press.
More facts about him:
Orlando Martins....... The Legend ...... is the:
FIRST African film actor to dominate the motion picture industry for over 50 years
FIRST African film actor of international repute to receive national awards.
FIRST African film actor to be given the life honorary membership of the British Actors Equity Association.
FIRST African film actor who once slept and swept the streets of London and later wined and dined with the English Royalty, Lords, Presidents, millionaires
FIRST African film actor to blaze the trail of Black actors in the erstwhile white dominated entertainment industry in Europe and America