William Modisane
Encyclopedia
William Modisane better known as Bloke Modisane was a South Africa
n writer
, actor
and journalist
.
He lived in Sophiatown. His father was murdered and his sister died of malnutrition
. To make ends meet, his mother ran a shebeen
.
He joined Drum magazine as a journalist and became one of the Drum Boys during Drum's halcyon days in the 1950s.
He was also the jazz
critic at the Golden City Post.
His nickname of Bloke was inspired by The Saint, a character in the Leslie Charteris
novels.
He tried to facilitate non-racial progress in the arts by making concerts and theatre available to Black audiences and tried to further the efforts of the Arts Federation and the Union of South African Artists both of which were non-racial.
He wrote a number of short stories which were published in Drum. One such story The Situation derived from the Tsotsitaal
(slang) for educated Blacks who rose above their station (i.e. situated above their station) but don't really fit into their new milieu. (Don Mattera
mentioned this when describing the journalists. "There was a definite class division. We were in the streets, and they were in the desks. And we used to call such people situations.")
Modisane found an outlet in acting. He joined the African Theatre Workshop and played in the first production of Athol Fugard
's No good Friday.
He shared the writing credits on Come Back, Africa
, a film filmed mainly in Sophiatown.
Becoming frustrated by the political situation and oppression under the apartheid regime, he moved to England
in 1959.
In 1963, his autobiography
Blame me on history was published. This detailed his despair at the bulldozing of Sophiatown (mirroring Can Themba
's short story Requiem for Sophiatown) and his frustration and anger with apartheid. As a result, the book was banned in 1966.
Modisane continued acting and had a leading role in Jean Genet
's The Blacks. . He appeared in an uncredited role in the 1964 movie Guns at Batasi
, which starred Richard Attenborough
, John Leyton
, and Mia Farrow
. In the 1968 action classic Dark of the Sun
, Modisane had a small but memorable supporting role as Corporal Kataki, a sensitive soldier caught up in the rage and horror of the 1960s Congo civil wars. This particular film starred Rod Taylor, Kenneth More
, and Yvette Mimieux
. It was a major box-office success when first released.
He died in West Germany
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
He lived in Sophiatown. His father was murdered and his sister died of malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
. To make ends meet, his mother ran a shebeen
Shebeen
A shebeen was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence.The term has spread far from its origins in Ireland, to Scotland, Canada, the United States, England,...
.
He joined Drum magazine as a journalist and became one of the Drum Boys during Drum's halcyon days in the 1950s.
He was also the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
critic at the Golden City Post.
His nickname of Bloke was inspired by The Saint, a character in the Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris , born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, was a half-Chinese, half English author of primarily mystery fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint."-Early life:Charteris was born to a Chinese father...
novels.
He tried to facilitate non-racial progress in the arts by making concerts and theatre available to Black audiences and tried to further the efforts of the Arts Federation and the Union of South African Artists both of which were non-racial.
He wrote a number of short stories which were published in Drum. One such story The Situation derived from the Tsotsitaal
Tsotsitaal
Tsotsitaals are a variety of mixed languages mainly spoken in the townships of Gauteng province, such as Soweto, but also in other agglomerations all over South Africa...
(slang) for educated Blacks who rose above their station (i.e. situated above their station) but don't really fit into their new milieu. (Don Mattera
Don Mattera
Donato Francisco Mattera , better known as Don Mattera, is a South African poet and author.- Overview :...
mentioned this when describing the journalists. "There was a definite class division. We were in the streets, and they were in the desks. And we used to call such people situations.")
Modisane found an outlet in acting. He joined the African Theatre Workshop and played in the first production of Athol Fugard
Athol Fugard
Athol Fugard is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director who writes in English, best known for his political plays opposing the South African system of apartheid and for the 2005 Academy-Award winning film of his novel Tsotsi, directed by Gavin Hood...
's No good Friday.
He shared the writing credits on Come Back, Africa
Come Back, Africa
Come Back, Africa is the second feature-length film written, produced, and directed by American independent filmmaker Lionel Rogosin. The film had a profound effect on African Cinema, and remains of great historical and cultural importance as a document preserving the unique heritage of the...
, a film filmed mainly in Sophiatown.
Becoming frustrated by the political situation and oppression under the apartheid regime, he moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1959.
In 1963, his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
Blame me on history was published. This detailed his despair at the bulldozing of Sophiatown (mirroring Can Themba
Can Themba
-Overview:He was born in Marabastad, near Pretoria, but wrote most of his work in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, South Africa before it was destroyed under the provisions of the apartheid Group Areas Act....
's short story Requiem for Sophiatown) and his frustration and anger with apartheid. As a result, the book was banned in 1966.
Modisane continued acting and had a leading role in Jean Genet
Jean Genet
Jean Genet was a prominent and controversial French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but later took to writing...
's The Blacks. . He appeared in an uncredited role in the 1964 movie Guns at Batasi
Guns at Batasi
Guns at Batasi is a 1964 drama film starring Richard Attenborough, Jack Hawkins, Flora Robson, John Leyton and Mia Farrow. It is set in an overseas colonial military outpost during the last days of the British Empire in East Africa....
, which starred Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
, John Leyton
John Leyton
John Leyton is an English actor and singer. As a singer he is best known for his hit song, "Johnny Remember Me" , which reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961.-Career:Leyton went to Highgate School and after completing his national service, he...
, and Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
. In the 1968 action classic Dark of the Sun
Dark of the Sun
Dark of the Sun is a 1968 adventure-war film starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Brown, and Peter Carsten...
, Modisane had a small but memorable supporting role as Corporal Kataki, a sensitive soldier caught up in the rage and horror of the 1960s Congo civil wars. This particular film starred Rod Taylor, Kenneth More
Kenneth More
Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
, and Yvette Mimieux
Yvette Mimieux
Yvette Carmen Mimieux is a retired American movie and television actress.-Early life and career:Yvette Mimieux was born in Los Angeles, California, to a French father and Mexican mother, Carmen Montemayor...
. It was a major box-office success when first released.
He died in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
Books
- Blame me on history, Ad. Donker, 1986, ISBN 0-86-852098-5
- De Wet is blank, Van Loghum Slaterus, 1965, (Dutch translation from the English of: Blame me on history)
See also
- Good-looking Corpse: World of Drum - Jazz and Gangsters, Hope and Defiance in the Townships of South Africa, Mike Nicol, Secker & Warburg, 1991, ISBN 0-43-630986-6
- Writing from South Africa, edited by Anthony Adams & Ken Durham, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-52-143572-2 contains The Dignity of Begging: William Bloke Modisane
- 1963 Time magazine article - Where God is Black has a sample of his work