← Bill Cosby Decoded: A Family-Friendly Brand

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By Anslem Samuel | Published October 26, 2011 | Full size is 620 × 480 pixels

CHAMPION OF THE BLACK ARTS: Spike Lee and Melvin Van Peebles both owe a sincere debt of gratitude to the performing legend. When no studio would finance Peebles' 1971 independent film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Cosby contributed $50,000 of his own money to help him complete the project. Similarly, the comedic great has been there a few times for Lee, most notably contributing to 1992's Malcolm X and 1996's Get On The Bus. Although the specific amounts he contributed have been withheld, it has been reported that without Cosby's assistance both films would not have had the funding to make it to the big screen.

CHAMPION OF THE BLACK ARTS:

Spike Lee and Melvin Van Peebles both owe a sincere debt…

(Image: Getty)