Tamara Dobson, born in 1944 in Baltimore, Maryland, made a significant impact in the Blaxploitation genre with her roles in Cleopatra Jones (1973) and its sequel, Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975). Standing at 6 feet 2 inches, she brought a commanding presence to the screen, also appearing in Come Back, Charleston Blue (1972) and Norman... Is That You? (1976). Dobson's performances not only showcased her acting talent but also contributed to the cultural conversation around empowerment and representation in cinema during the 1970s.
Norman... Is That You?
Ben Chambers, a drycleaner, and his wife Beatrice are having marital problems. Beatrice leaves her husband for his brother and Ben decides to take off for New York City to visit his son, Norman. Ben finds his son in a romantic relationship with another man, Garson Hobart. Determined to set his son on the straight and narrow path of heterosexuality, Ben hires Mary, a prostitute, to try to entice his son into pursuing women. The attempt backfires and Ben ultimately comes to the conclusion that his son is gay and that there is nothing he can do to change that. At this point, Beatrice shows up and, unaware of the prior events that have transpired, is shocked to learn her son is gay. She too ultimately comes to accept her son. When Norman joins the Navy, the couple invites Garson to come and live with them, an offer which he accepts.
