Elvis Mitchell uncovers why Chameleon Street (1989) by Wendell B. Harris Jr. failed to secure a proper distributor deal. Originally aired as a segment on "20/20".
Cast & crew
Elvis MitchellDirector
John SingletonSelf - Director, 'Boyz N' the Hood' (archive footage)%20by%20%E2%80%9ENatalia%20Spivak%E2%80%9D%2C%20licensed%20under%20%E2%80%9ECC%20BY%204.0%E2%80%9D%20(https%3A%2F%2Fcreativecommons.org%2Flicenses%2Fby%2F4.0%2F)%3C%2Fdc%3Arights%3E%3C%2Frdf%3ADescription%3E%3C%2Frdf%3ARDF%3E%3C%2Fmetadata%3E%3Cmask%20id%3D%22viewboxMask%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%2280%22%20height%3D%2280%22%20rx%3D%220%22%20ry%3D%220%22%20x%3D%220%22%20y%3D%220%22%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20%2F%3E%3C%2Fmask%3E%3Cg%20mask%3D%22url(%23viewboxMask)%22%3E%3Crect%20fill%3D%22%2329e051%22%20width%3D%2280%22%20height%3D%2280%22%20x%3D%220%22%20y%3D%220%22%20%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M19.07%2030.47s1.57-20.23%2021.59-20.23S62.3%2030.55%2062.3%2030.55s9.43-.8%209.43%207.6c0%208.42-9.28%207.13-9.28%207.13S60.9%2067.15%2042.03%2067.15c-21.11%200-23.4-20.8-23.4-20.8s-9%20.72-9.93-6.25c-1.08-8.2%2010.37-9.64%2010.37-9.64%22%20fill%3D%22%23c26450%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22m64.3%2039.49.46-.41.1-.09c.12-.1-.13.1-.02.02l.24-.17q.5-.35%201.06-.62l.26-.12.05-.02.05-.02.58-.21q.6-.18%201.2-.28c.52-.08.85-.76.7-1.23-.18-.56-.67-.8-1.23-.7a9.3%209.3%200%200%200-4.87%202.43c-.38.36-.4%201.06%200%201.4.4.36%201%20.4%201.4%200zm-51.8-1.16.14.01c-.27-.02-.11-.01-.04%200l.3.05.52.14.28.09.12.05c.02%200%20.22.09.06.02-.14-.1%200-.04.03-.03l.15.06.26.13.47.3.27.22q.47.38.83.83c.33.4%201.07.37%201.41%200%20.4-.43.36-.98%200-1.4a7.3%207.3%200%200%200-4.84-2.53c-.52-.06-1.02.5-1%201%20.03.59.44.94%201%201m18.3-1.9v4.54c0%20.52.46%201.02%201%201s1-.44%201-1V36.4c0-.52-.46-1.02-1-1s-1%20.44-1%201M49.2%2036l-.15%204.81a1%201%200%200%200%201%201c.56-.02.98-.44%201-1l.15-4.8a1%201%200%200%200-1-1%201%201%200%200%200-1%201%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M30.5%2032.66q.36-.4.77-.76l.09-.08.04-.03c-.12.09%200%200%20.02%200l.12-.1.45-.3.44-.25.24-.12.14-.06c.03-.01.16-.07.02%200l.05-.02.1-.04.26-.1.55-.15c.5-.12.86-.73.7-1.23s-.7-.83-1.23-.7a8%208%200%200%200-4.17%202.52c-.34.4-.42%201.03%200%201.4.38.36%201.05.43%201.41%200m18.4-1.87q.9.15%201.8.43l.4.15.25.09.06.02-.06-.03c.02.04.19.08.23.1l.17.08.46.23c.46.25%201.1.13%201.37-.36.26-.5.13-1.1-.36-1.37a12%2012%200%200%200-3.8-1.3c-.28-.03-.52-.04-.77.1a1%201%200%200%200-.46.6c-.1.49.15%201.15.7%201.24zM36.4%2047.12a17%2017%200%200%201%2011.35-.1c1.22.4%201.74-1.52.53-1.94a18.8%2018.8%200%200%200-12.4.1c-.5.19-.86.69-.7%201.24.12.49.71.88%201.22.7%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M20.23%2032.43s13.74%2023.53%203.86%2028.24C12.83%2066.03%202.59%2050.96%203.9%2039.72s10.94-16.35%2010.94-16.35-.58-9.5%209.2-15.04%2016.64.44%2016.64.44%208.06-5.9%2015.5-1.37c7.46%204.53%207.26%2014.68%207.26%2014.68s13.74-.56%2013.65%2016.47c-.08%2015.17-10.03%2022.94-16.8%2021.6-10.48-2.07%201.24-29.22%201.24-29.22s-14.4%201.04-20.14-9.75c0%200-4%205.95-9.7%208.62a32%2032%200%200%201-11.46%202.64z%22%20fill%3D%22%23ffffff%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
John PowersSelf - Film Critic
Steven SoderberghSelf - Director, 'Sex, Lies & Videotape'
Wendell B. Harris Jr.Self - Director, 'Chameleon Street'%20by%20%E2%80%9ENatalia%20Spivak%E2%80%9D%2C%20licensed%20under%20%E2%80%9ECC%20BY%204.0%E2%80%9D%20(https%3A%2F%2Fcreativecommons.org%2Flicenses%2Fby%2F4.0%2F)%3C%2Fdc%3Arights%3E%3C%2Frdf%3ADescription%3E%3C%2Frdf%3ARDF%3E%3C%2Fmetadata%3E%3Cmask%20id%3D%22viewboxMask%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%2280%22%20height%3D%2280%22%20rx%3D%220%22%20ry%3D%220%22%20x%3D%220%22%20y%3D%220%22%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20%2F%3E%3C%2Fmask%3E%3Cg%20mask%3D%22url(%23viewboxMask)%22%3E%3Crect%20fill%3D%22%2329e051%22%20width%3D%2280%22%20height%3D%2280%22%20x%3D%220%22%20y%3D%220%22%20%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M19.07%2030.47s1.57-20.23%2021.59-20.23S62.3%2030.55%2062.3%2030.55s9.43-.8%209.43%207.6c0%208.42-9.28%207.13-9.28%207.13S60.9%2067.15%2042.03%2067.15c-21.11%200-23.4-20.8-23.4-20.8s-9%20.72-9.93-6.25c-1.08-8.2%2010.37-9.64%2010.37-9.64%22%20fill%3D%22%23ffd6c0%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22m64.3%2039.49.46-.41.1-.09c.12-.1-.13.1-.02.02l.24-.17q.5-.35%201.06-.62l.26-.12.05-.02.05-.02.58-.21q.6-.18%201.2-.28c.52-.08.85-.76.7-1.23-.18-.56-.67-.8-1.23-.7a9.3%209.3%200%200%200-4.87%202.43c-.38.36-.4%201.06%200%201.4.4.36%201%20.4%201.4%200zm-51.8-1.16.14.01c-.27-.02-.11-.01-.04%200l.3.05.52.14.28.09.12.05c.02%200%20.22.09.06.02-.14-.1%200-.04.03-.03l.15.06.26.13.47.3.27.22q.47.38.83.83c.33.4%201.07.37%201.41%200%20.4-.43.36-.98%200-1.4a7.3%207.3%200%200%200-4.84-2.53c-.52-.06-1.02.5-1%201%20.03.59.44.94%201%201m18.3-1.9v4.54c0%20.52.46%201.02%201%201s1-.44%201-1V36.4c0-.52-.46-1.02-1-1s-1%20.44-1%201M49.2%2036l-.15%204.81a1%201%200%200%200%201%201c.56-.02.98-.44%201-1l.15-4.8a1%201%200%200%200-1-1%201%201%200%200%200-1%201%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M20.7%2047.13a24%2024%200%200%200-4.7%203c-.41.33-.37%201.07%200%201.41.43.4.98.35%201.41%200l.25-.2.13-.1q-.12.1%200%200a17%2017%200%200%201%201.62-1.12q1.11-.7%202.3-1.27c.47-.23.64-.94.36-1.37-.3-.49-.86-.6-1.37-.36zm1.48%206.02-2.54%203.81c-.29.44-.1%201.13.36%201.37.5.27%201.06.11%201.37-.36l2.54-3.8c.3-.45.1-1.14-.36-1.38-.5-.27-1.06-.1-1.37.36m5.8%206.21-1.7%203.95c-.1.26-.17.5-.09.77.06.23.24.48.46.6.43.23%201.15.15%201.37-.36l1.7-3.95c.1-.26.17-.5.1-.77a1%201%200%200%200-.47-.6c-.43-.23-1.15-.15-1.37.36m6.22%203.19a63%2063%200%200%201-.45%205.5c-.07.52.5%201.02%201%201%20.6-.03.93-.44%201-1q.34-2.74.45-5.5a1%201%200%200%200-1-1c-.56.03-.98.44-1%201m7.19.98.54%205.93c.05.52.43%201.03%201%201%20.5-.02%201.05-.44%201-1l-.54-5.93c-.05-.52-.43-1.03-1-1-.5.02-1.05.44-1%201m7.36-1.7a12%2012%200%200%200%202.5%205.26c.34.4%201.1.37%201.42%200%20.4-.43.35-.98%200-1.4l-.1-.14q.11.15%200%200l-.19-.26-.36-.54a11%2011%200%200%201-.62-1.14q-.08-.15-.13-.3l-.05-.14-.22-.6q-.2-.63-.32-1.27c-.1-.5-.74-.86-1.23-.7-.55.18-.8.68-.7%201.23m5.9-3.58%202.54%204.52c.26.46.92.65%201.37.36s.63-.88.36-1.37l-2.54-4.52c-.26-.46-.92-.65-1.37-.36s-.63.88-.36%201.37m3.1-6.35a9%209%200%200%200%203.74%203.62c.47.24%201.1.14%201.37-.36.24-.46.14-1.1-.36-1.37a8%208%200%200%201-1-.6l-.23-.17c.27.2%200%200-.07-.06l-.44-.4-.4-.4-.18-.22c-.05-.07-.24-.34-.06-.07q-.34-.48-.64-1c-.25-.45-.92-.64-1.37-.35s-.63.88-.36%201.37%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M27.86%2043.79c2.41%209.29%2015.16%2012.28%2022.34%206.67a14%2014%200%200%200%204.7-7.22c.36-1.24-1.57-1.77-1.93-.53-1.24%204.23-4.33%207.39-8.68%208.33-3.77.8-8.03-.1-11.05-2.52a10%2010%200%200%201-3.45-5.26c-.34-1.25-2.27-.72-1.95.53%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22m21.33%2033.18%202.52-10.73%208.65%202.8%201.5-4.54%209.34%204.35%202.12-4.6%206.96%205.07%205.55-2.34%201.22%2010.75%207.74-8.28-3.9-2.32.83-7.38-3.27.2-1.02-6.95-4.1%202.53-3.86-5.2-3.63%202.12-9.1-4.3-1.01%203.59-7.17-1.48v3.8h-9.21l1.64%204.22-8.4%203.16%204.5%202.95-4.5%204.22z%22%20fill%3D%22%23ff543d%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Russell SchwartzSelf - Miramax Distributors, 'Sex, Lies & Videotape'- Elvis MitchellSelf - Film Critic
Will SmithSelf (archive footage)
Warrington HudlinSelf - Producer, 'House Party'
