Early Black Cinema - Something to Watch

Early Black Cinema - Something to Watch

 (1910s–1940s)

“Race films” were made for Black audiences, often by Black filmmakers or progressive independents outside the Hollywood studio system. You can find many of these movies on youtube or at Kanopy (available through many library memberships). 

1. Within Our Gates (1920) – Oscar Micheaux

  • A direct response to The Birth of a Nation, this film tackles racism, lynching, and Northern hypocrisy.

2. The Homesteader (1919) – Oscar Micheaux

  • Micheaux’s first feature film and one of the first full-length films written, produced, and directed by an African American.

3. Body and Soul (1925) – Oscar Micheaux

  • Notable for Paul Robeson’s film debut in dual roles. A critique of religious hypocrisy and economic exploitation.

4. The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920) – Oscar Micheaux

  • A Western-style race film confronting the KKK and colorism within the Black community.

5. Ten Nights in a Bar Room (1926) – Colored Players Film Corporation

  • A morality tale with strong performances and technical quality; a rare film from Philadelphia's Black-owned studio.

6. The Scar of Shame (1927) – Colored Players Film Corporation

  • Deals with class, shame, and uplift ideology. A popular silent-era race film.

7. Hallelujah! (1929) – King Vidor

  • One of the first studio films with an all-Black cast. Produced by MGM, it attempted a more sympathetic portrayal of Black Southern life.

8. The Exile (1931) – Oscar Micheaux

  • The first Black sound feature film. Blends romance, race issues, and Micheaux’s signature political commentary.

9. Birthright (1938) – Oscar Micheaux

  • A remake of a 1924 silent film (now lost). Tells the story of a Black man returning to the South after earning a college degree.

10. The Girl from Chicago (1932) – Oscar Micheaux

  • A crime-romance hybrid filmed on location in Harlem and Mississippi, showcasing jazz and Black urban life.

11. Dark Manhattan (1937) – Ralph Cooper & Harry Fraser

  • A gangster drama set in Harlem. Notable for its ambitious storytelling and all-Black cast.

12. Harlem Rides the Range (1939) – Richard C. Kahn

  • A Black cowboy film featuring singing hero Herb Jeffries (“The Bronze Buckaroo”), blending Western tropes with race film aesthetics. This one is wild because Herb Jeffries later identified as a white man. He was a complicated character and one you should learn more about. 

13. Two Gun Man from Harlem (1938) – Richard C. Kahn

  • Another Herb Jeffries Western. These films challenged stereotypes and gave Black audiences heroic figures in a popular genre.

14. Son of Ingagi (1940) – Spencer Williams

  • A Black horror/sci-fi film. One of the first Black-made horror movies with a sci-fi twist, written by pioneering screenwriter Eloyce Gist.

15. Broken Earth (1936) – Roman Freulich (Starring Clarence Muse)

  • A rare depiction of rural Black Southern life with haunting religious themes.

 

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