Doubtfully blacklisted: Canada Lee





Research actor Canada Lee (Leonard Lionel Cornelius Canegata) and you will find pages and pages declaring that he was blacklisted and not a single fact to defend the accusations. He WAS NOT called to testify before the HUAC.
The cold facts are that Lee was black and the number of roles available to black actors between 1947 (When his supposed blacklisting began)  and 1952 (When he died) were very, very limited. Add to that the fact that Lee made a public declaration that he would only take roles that educated society about race and enhanced the image of African Americans. Lee died of a heart attack on May 9, 1952. His health had been in decline in the prior two years before his death, so much so that he had collapsed  during the filming of Cry the Beloved Country.
Lee’s career was focused on stage work. He turned to films only occasionally.  He made only four films in 12 years. Since the supposed blacklist had no effect on Broadway, Lee could have, logically, continued his career on stage if he couldn’t find acting parts in film, but he completed his last play in 1948.


1951
Cry, the Beloved Country (film)

1950
The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (TV Series)

1949
Lost Boundaries (film)
Lt. 'Dixie' Thompson

1948
Set My People Free [Play]
Nov 03, 1948 - Nov 27, 1948

1947
Body and Soul (film)

The Roosevelt Story (Documentary)
Narrator - Voice of the Depression

1946
The Duchess of Malfi
[Play]
Oct 15, 1946 - Nov 16, 1946

On Whitman Avenue
[Play]
Produced by Canada Lee
Performer: Canada Lee
May 08, 1946 - Sep 14, 1946

1945
Ask the OPA (Documentary short)

The Tempest
[Play]
Performer
The entire year of 1945

1944 (Film)
Lifeboat

South Pacific
[Play]
Starring: Canada Lee
Dec 29, 1943 - Jan 01, 1944

Anna Lucasta
[Play, All Black Cast]
Performer
Aug 30, 1944 - Nov 30, 1946

1942
Henry Browne, Farmer (Documentary short)
Narrator

Native Son
[Play]
Starring: Canada Lee
Oct 23, 1942 - Jan 02, 1943

Across the Board on Tomorrow Morning
[Play]
Performer
Aug 17, 1942 - Aug 22, 1942

1941
Native Son
[Play]
Performer
Mar 24, 1941 - Jun 28, 1941

Big White Fog
[Play]
Performer
Oct 22, 1940 - Dec 14, 1940

Mamba's Daughters
[Play]
Performer
Mar 23, 1940 - Apr 06, 1940

1939
Keep Punching (Film, bit role)

Mamba's Daughters
[Play, Drama, Original]
Performer
Jan 03, 1939 - May 1939

1938
Haiti
[Play]
Performer
Mar 02, 1938 - Sep 24, 1938

1937
Brown Sugar
[Play]
Performer
Dec 02, 1937 - Dec 04, 1937

Moon of the Caribbees
[Play]
Performer: Canada Lee
 Oct 29, 1937 - Closing date unknown

1936
Macbeth
[Play]
Performer: Canada Lee
Apr 09, 1936 - May 1936

1935
Sailor, Beware!
[Play]
Performer.
May 03, 1935 - May 1935