Zonk!

Not to be confused with Zonk! from the game show Let's Make a Deal.

Zonk! is a 1950 musical film made in South Africa.^[1] It features black performers doing American style numbers.^[2] It was directed by Hyman Kirstein.^[3] It was made by African Film Productions.^[4]

The film shows Broadway's influence.^[5] It is one of four films made from 1949–1951 documenting original music and performances by Africans.^[6] Jacqueline Maingard of the University of Bristol wrote an article about "Cinematic Images of Black Sexual Identity" in the film.^[7]

Cast

• Sylvester Phahlane
• Daniel Lekoape
• Fiver Kelly
• Richard Majola
• Hessie Kerry
• Timothy Zwane
• Moffat Tlale
• Laura Gagashane
• Geoffrey Tsebe
• Manhattan Stars
• Zonk Band led by Samuel Maile^[8]

References

1. "Song and genocide: Investigating the function of Yvonne Chaka Chaka's Umqombothi in Hotel Rwanda".
2. Zonk. OCLC 868977157.
3. "Hyman Kirstein – ESAT". esat.sun.ac.za.
4. Maingard, Jacqueline (2003). "Bokkies/Moffies: Cinematic Images of Black Sexual Identity in 'Zonk!' (1950)". Journal of African Cultural Studies. 16 (1): 25–43. doi:10.1080/1369681032000169249. JSTOR 3181383. S2CID 191474513.
5. "Southern African Films and Documentaries launches on Africa Commons". 17 May 2023 – via librarytechnology.org. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
6. "Song and genocide: Investigating the function of Yvonne Chaka Chaka's Umqombothi in Hotel Rwanda". p. 735
7. Maingard, Jacqueline (2003). "Bokkies/Moffies: Cinematic Images of Black Sexual Identity in 'Zonk!' (1950)". Journal of African Cultural Studies. 16 (1): 25–43. doi:10.1080/1369681032000169249. JSTOR 3181383. S2CID 191474513.
8. "South African Musical Film – 'African Jim' (1949) & 'Zonk' (1950)". The New York Public Library.