MovieChat Forums > Victory (1919) Discussion > Early Albino Villian

Early Albino Villian

posted 17 years ago by Devans00
3 replies | jump to latest

While watching the Ben Deeley character Mr. Jones reminded me of Matrix Reloaded. After that movie came out, there were a bunch of articles complaining that once again, albinos or very pale characters the bad guys. Actually, DiVinci Code is another movie with a pale baddie.

I wonder if the Mr. Jones character was the first colorless bad guy in a movie. The eyebrows were the only hair with some color. 1919 is pretty far back. I'd be suprised to hear that this movie stereotype goes back to even earlier movies.

SKIN DOCTOR CLAIMS ALBINOS BEING CAST IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT
http://www.skinema.com/SpotMediaMatrix1.html

Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.

[–] funkyfry 15 years ago

It does go back earlier than that I believe, because I've heard it was a stage convention. "Victory" could be the first time it showed up in a film though, it's certainly the earliest I've seen it.

Did I not love him, Cooch? MY OWN FLESH I DIDN'T LOVE BETTER!!! But he had to say 'Nooooooooo'

[–] Devans00 15 years ago

Cool. I didn't realize albinos were considered scary back then.

No two persons ever watch the same movie.

[–] funkyfry 15 years ago

well a lot of times in nature a mother animal will reject an albino baby and let it die. In ancient civilizations I would suspect that albino babies were often exposed to die just like other handicapped children in general, although that kind of thing wasn't practiced universally in all cultures. So I suspect it's a very old prejudice rooted in some kind of instinctive urge to avoid genetic deficiencies, much in the way that even the most ancient cultures tend to prohibit against incest.

Did I not love him, Cooch? MY OWN FLESH I DIDN'T LOVE BETTER!!! But he had to say 'Nooooooooo'