Show Business: Situation Report: Show Business

THE show world has long made room for black stars, but they still tend to be restricted to playing what Harry Belafonte resentfully calls "Super-Negroes"—that is, roles that are one-dimensional and have little relevance to black reality. Generally, the characters they portray are admirable beyond plausibility. In television, blacks like Bill Cosby, Leslie Uggams and Flip Wilson have cleared the last hurdle, as headliners of their own shows. Of the networks' 72 prime-time series, twelve have black co-stars or featured players. In nonacting production jobs, a report on Hollywood film and TV studios...