Joseph Sgammato, Author at

Academic Historian

Joseph Sgammato teaches English and Film at SUNY/Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York. He has written for Sight and Sound, The Wordsworth Circle, The College Language Association Journal, Senses of Cinema, and other publications. He is a contributor to The Book of Firsts (Anchor Books, 2016); The Encyclopedia of Racism in American Films (Rowman and Littlefield, 2018); and The 100 Greatest Literary Detectives (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018).

He lives with his wife in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Buddy Johnson (1915-1977)

Woodrow Wilson “Buddy” Johnson was a popular bandleader and recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s whose compositions and arrangements made him an important figure in the transition from the big band sound to Rhythm & Blues. His many hit records earned his band a … Read MoreBuddy Johnson (1915-1977)

William D. Foster (1860-1940)

Born on September 16, 1860, William D. “Bill” Foster was a late 19th/ early 20th century showman who was among the first to prove the commercial viability of making Black-cast films and marketing them to Black audiences. He was the first African American to establish … Read MoreWilliam D. Foster (1860-1940)

Denise Nicholas (1944- )

Actress and activist Denise Nicholas spent over thirty years as a television actor before embarking on a new career as a writer. While she appeared in several films, she made her greatest mark as a television actress, most notably in the hit shows Room 222 … Read MoreDenise Nicholas (1944- )

Tamara Dobson (1947-2006)

Tamara Dobson was a tall, glamorous model-turned-actress best remembered for playing the title roles in the blaxploitation films Cleopatra Jones (1973) and Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975). Like most other blaxploitation leading players, she achieved quick stardom during the era’s heyday, but … Read MoreTamara Dobson (1947-2006)

Vonetta McGee (1945-2010)

Vonetta McGee was a talented actress now best remembered as a popular leading lady in blaxploitation films such as Hammer (1972), Blacula (1972), and Shaft in Africa (1973).” Born Lawrence Vonetta McGee on January 14, 1945 to parents Lawrence and Alma (Scott) McGee, she grew … Read MoreVonetta McGee (1945-2010)

Ron O’Neal (1937-2004)

Ron O’Neal was a charismatic and gifted actor who never fulfilled the early promise he had shown on the New York Off-Broadway stage following his appearance as a flashy drug dealer in the hit blaxploitation film Super Fly (1972), the role that made him a … Read MoreRon O’Neal (1937-2004)

William Marshall (1924-2003)

William Marshall was a commanding, deep-voiced actor who enjoyed a four-decade career in both classical stage works and Hollywood movies and TV. The London Sunday Times once called him “the best Othello of our time,” but he is persistently best known for the blaxploitation-era films … Read MoreWilliam Marshall (1924-2003)

Richard Roundtree (1942-2023)

Richard Roundtree was an American actor known for creating the onscreen persona of John Shaft, the first and perhaps most iconic black action hero of the 1970s blaxploitation era. Following success as a model, Roundtree was recruited into films at an early age and has … Read MoreRichard Roundtree (1942-2023)

Fred Williamson (1938- )

Fred “The Hammer” Williamson is an African American actor-director-writer-producer who built and sustained a long career as a black action hero from the “blaxploitation” era of the 1970s to well into the twenty-first century. Born on March 5, 1938 in Gary, Indiana to parents Frank … Read MoreFred Williamson (1938- )