About the Book:

A profile of Wendell Franklin – the first African-American member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA). He was also the first to be assigned to a major movie, assisting George Stevens on his epic The Greatest Story Ever Told, breaking Hollywood's colour bar against blacks as production personnel.

From parking lot attendant at NBC's legendary Burbank TV studio complex to stage manager, assistant director and ultimately, film director, this book chronicles his struggle to break down opposition to African-Americans working behind the camera in Hollywood. In this interview Wendell Franklin recounts early days growing up in Los Angeles' Central Avenue community, and his experiences in the entertainment industry. After 10 years in the parking lot, he worked on such TV shows as Peyton Place, The Green Hornet, McMillan and Wife and The Bill Cosby Show, among others, and on over 20 motion pictures including The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Omen II, and Funny Girl. In 1971 Wendell J. Franklin directed the socially topical cult hit film The Bus is Coming. This book candidly details his struggle to overcome bigotry and discrimination in Hollywood.

About the Author:

Wendell James Franklin (1916-1994) was active in the entertainment industry and its allied fields for close to 40 years. He was the son of a distinguished Los Angeles pioneer, James Franklin, real estate developer and hotel operator. A past president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter of the NAACP, he was always in the forefront of black image building as an activist for equality and fair play in the work market of the entertainment industry.

Zeinabu Davis is a veteran of independent film and video. A Professor at the University of California, San Diego, she frequently writes and lectures on African and African American cinema.