Poster for Micheaux's film The Exile (1931)

The race movie or race film was a film genre which existed in the United States between about 1915 and 1947. It consisted of films produced for an all-black audience, featuring black casts. Image File history File links Micheaux_Exile. ... Image File history File links Micheaux_Exile. ... Poster for The Exile, Mighty modern all talking epic of Negro life. The Exile was a 1931 American film by Oscar Micheaux. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Even in the early days of film history, the audience appetite for new content was voracious. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

In all, approximately five hundred race films were produced. Of these, fewer than one hundred remain. Because race films were produced outside of the Hollywood studio system, they have been largely forgotten by mainstream film historians. Nevertheless, in their day, race films were very popular among African American theatergoers, and their influence continues to be felt in cinema and television marketed to African Americans. ... The studio system was a means of film production and distribution dominant in Hollywood from the early 1920s through the early 1950s. ...

In addition, race films were some of the first financially successful independent films. An independent film, or indie film, is usually a low-budget film that is produced by a small movie studio. ...

Financing and production

Much like early black sitcoms, race movies were most often financed by white-owned companies, such as Alfred N. Sack, and scripted by white writers. However, black-owned studios existed, including Lincoln Motion Picture Company (1916–1921), and most notably Oscar Micheaux's Chicago based Micheaux Film Corporation, which operated from 1918–1940. On his posters, Micheaux advertised the fact that his films were produced and scripted exclusively by blacks. A black sitcom is an American term meaning a U.S. sitcom that features a primarily African American cast. ... Poster: The Realization of a Negros Ambition (1916) Lincoln Motion Picture Company (1916–1921), Los Angeles, California, first organized black filmmakers, was incorporated in 1917, became the earliest film studio of race movies. The stated purpose of the film company was to make films to encourage black pride while... // Events November 19 - Samuel Goldfish (later renamed Samuel Goldwyn) and Edgar Selwyn establish Goldwyn Company (the company later became one of the most successful independent filmmakers). ... See also: 1920 in film 1921 1922 in film 1920s in film years in film film Events February 20 - The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, starring Rudolph Valentino, premieres. ... Oscar Micheaux (1893-1951) Oscar Micheaux (January 2, 1893 – March 25, 1951) was a pioneering African American author and is widely recognized as being the first African-American filmmaker (although he was predated by the shortlived Lincoln Motion Picture Company[1]). He is without a doubt the most famous producer... See also: 1917 in film 1918 1919 in film years in film film Events Following litigation for anti-trust activities, the US Supreme Court orders the Motion Picture Patents Company to disband. ... See also: 1939 in film 1940 1941 in film 1940s in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events February 7 - Walt Disneys animated film Pinocchio is released. ...

The race films vanished after United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. or the Hollywood Antitrust Case of 1948 that forced the separation of motion picture exhibitors and motion picture production companies. Black actors took the lead in several Hollywood major productions such as Pinky (1949 film) with Ethel Waters, Home of the Brave (film) with James Edwards (actor), Intruder in the Dust all in 1949, and No Way Out (1950), the debut of Sidney Poitier. United States v. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... ... Pinky is a 1949 film which tells the story of a young lightskinned African American woman passing as white, who becomes torn between the needs of her grandmother and the love of a white doctor. ... Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896–September 1, 1977) was an Oscar-nominated American blues vocalist and actress. ... Home of the Brave is a 1949 film based on a play by Arthur Laurents. ... James Edwards (March 6, 1918 - January 4, 1970) was an African American actor who primarily worked in film. ... Intruder in the Dust is a 1948 novel by William Faulkner. ... No Way Out can refer to: No Way Out (1950 film) is a 1950 movie starring Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier. ... Look up debut in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sir Sidney Poitier KBE, (IPA pronunciation: ) (born February 20, 1927), is an Academy Award-winning Bahamian American actor, film director, and activist. ...

Venues

Title card of The Scar of Shame (1927), the archetypal race movie.

In the south, to comply with segregation, race movies were screened at designated black theaters. Though northern cities were not formally segregated, race films were generally shown in theaters in black neighborhoods. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (984 × 787 pixel, file size: 394 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Scar of Shame title card This image is a screenshot from a copyrighted film, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by the studio... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (984 × 787 pixel, file size: 394 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Scar of Shame title card This image is a screenshot from a copyrighted film, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by the studio... The Scar of Shame is a silent film, which was filmed in 1926 and released in 1927. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Rex Theatre for Colored People Racial segregation is characterized by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home[1]. Segregation...

While it was extraordinarily rare for race films to be shown to white audiences, white theaters often reserved special time-slots for black moviegoers. This resulted in race films often being screened as matinees and midnight shows. During the height of their popularity, race films were shown in as many as 1,100 theaters around the country. The Dark of the Matinée, or Matinée as it is also known, is the second single by Franz Ferdinand. ...

Many large northern theaters incorporated special balconies reserved for blacks. This practice gave rise to the term "peanut gallery", which was originally a racist epithet used by disdainful white theater patrons. Look up peanut gallery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Racism is a belief or concept that inherent differences between people (such as those upon which the concept of race is based) determine cultural or individual achievement, and may involve the idea that ones own race is superior. ...

Themes

Though produced primarily in northern cities, the target audience of these films consisted primarily of poor southern blacks and southerners who had migrated northward. Consequently, many race films, particularly those produced by white studios, attempted to impart middle-class urban values, especially education and industriousness. Common themes included the "improvement" of the black race, the supposed tension between educated and uneducated blacks, and the tragic consequences in store for blacks who resisted bourgeois values. The most famous race movie, The Scar of Shame, incorporates all of these themes. The states in blue had the ten largest net gains of African-Americans during the Great Migration, while the states in red had the ten largest net losses[1]. The Great Migration was the movement of over 1 million[1] African Americans out of the rural Southern United States from... The middle class, in colloquial usage, consists of those people who have a degree of economic independence, but not a great deal of social influence or power. ... The Scar of Shame is a silent film, which was filmed in 1926 and released in 1927. ...

Race films typically avoided explicit depictions of poverty, ghettos, social decay, and crime. When such elements appeared, they often did so in the background or as plot devices. Perhaps most strikingly, race films rarely if ever treated the subjects of social injustice and race relations. A ghetto is an area where people from a specific racial or ethnic background live as a group in seclusion, voluntarily or involuntarily. ...

Not surprisingly, race films avoided many of the popular black stock characters found in contemporary mainstream films, or else relegated these stereotypes to supporting roles and villains. Micheaux in particular went to great lengths to depict his protagonists as educated, prosperous, and genteel. Micheaux hoped to give his audience something to help them "further the race", though in doing so, he often sacrificed plausibility. It is interesting to note that many modern black sitcoms, such as The Cosby Show, have followed a similar pattern, and have encountered similar criticism. A stock character is a fictional character that relies heavily on cultural types or stereotypes for its personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics. ... A stereotypical villain, common in early 20th century silent films, wears formal black clothes, exquisitely neat facial hair, and a maniacal demeanour. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

On the other hand, black comedians such as Mantan Moreland who had played supporting comedy roles in mainstream Hollywood films reprised his character as the lead in such films as Professor Creeps and Mr Washington Goes To Town. Some black entertainers such as Moms Mabley or Pigmeat Markham starred in their own vehicles, and never entered mainstream entertainment until both appeared on Laugh-In on American television in the late 1960's. A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... Mantan Moreland (3 September 1902 - 28 September 1973) was a comic and actor most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. ... ... Jackie Moms Mabley (born 19 March 1894, Brevard, North Carolina died 23 May 1975 White Plains, New York) was an American comedienne. ... Pigmeat Markham (April 18, 1904 - December 13, 1981) was an African American entertainer. ... Rowan & Martins Laugh-In was a United States comedy television show broadcast from January 22, 1968 through 1973 over the NBC Network. ... This article is about television in the United States, specifically its history, art, business and government regulation. ... Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ...

Historical significance

Body and Soul (1924), Paul Robeson's film debut

Race movies are of great interest to students of African American cinema not only for their historical significance, but also because they showcase the talents of actors who were relegated to demeaning, stereotypical supporting roles in mainstream studio films. Hattie McDaniel and Clarence Muse are two of the most striking examples. A few stars from race films were able to cross over to relative stardom in mainstream films – for example, Paul Robeson and Evelyn Preer. Indeed, Hollywood studios often used race movies as a ready source of black talent. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Filmed in 1924, Body and Soul is the best-known silent film of pioneer African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. ... Year 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was a multi-lingual American actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, Communist sympathizer, Spingarn Medal winner, and Lenin Peace Prize laureate. ... Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1895 – October 26, 1952) was an African American actress. ... Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979), lawyer, screenwriter, director, composer, and actor. ... Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was a multi-lingual American actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, Communist sympathizer, Spingarn Medal winner, and Lenin Peace Prize laureate. ... Evelyn Preer Eveleyn Preer ( July 16, 1896 - November 27, 1932) was a notable pioneering African-American stage and screen actress and accomplished blues singer of the 1910s through the early 1930s. ...

Notable race movies

• The Birth of a Race (1915), a documentary made in response to The Birth of a Nation
• The Homesteader (1919), Micheaux's first film
• Within Our Gates (1919)
• Body and Soul (1924), Paul Robeson's cinematic debut
• The Scar of Shame (1927), the most well-known example of the genre
• The Exile (1931)
• Harlem on the Prairie (1936), Herb Jeffries in the first Singing Cowboy Western race movie
• Lying Lips (1939)

Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For the 1982 film of the same name, see Birth of a Nation (1982 film). ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Still from the 1919 Oscar Micheaux film Within Our Gates featuring actress Evelyn Preer Within Our Gates is a 1919 silent film about an African-American who goes North and helps a minister in the Deep South raise money to keep a school for poor Black children open. ... Filmed in 1924, Body and Soul is the best-known silent film of pioneer African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. ... Year 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Scar of Shame is a silent film, which was filmed in 1926 and released in 1927. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Poster for The Exile, Mighty modern all talking epic of Negro life. The Exile was a 1931 American film by Oscar Micheaux. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Herbert Jeffreys (born September 24, 1911 in Detroit, Michigan) is a Black American jazz singer and actor. ... Lying Lips is a 1939 movie by Oscar Micheaux, starring Edna Mae Harris. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Print references

• Diawara, Manthia. Black American Cinema. Routledge, 1993. ISBN 0-415-90397-1
• Gaines, Jane M. Fire and Desire: Mixed-Race Movies in the Silent Era. University Of Chicago Press, 2001. ISBN 0-226-27875-1

External links

• General information
• Oscar Micheaux and the Micheaux Film Corporation