Podcast
Questions and Answers
What was the name of the movie that Bessie Smith made in 1929?
What was the name of the movie that Bessie Smith made in 1929?
- The Birth of a Race
- The Harlem Renaissance
- Jimmy's Plea
- Saint Louis Blues (correct)
Which intellectual expressed disdain for movies during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
Which intellectual expressed disdain for movies during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
- J. Rosamond Johnson
- Bessie Smith
- Langston Hughes
- James Weldon Johnson (correct)
Which film argued for racial integration and was the first of its kind on the American screen?
Which film argued for racial integration and was the first of its kind on the American screen?
- The Harlem Renaissance
- Jimmy's Plea
- Saint Louis Blues
- The Birth of a Race (correct)
In response to the lack of representation in the film industry, what company did black filmmakers found?
In response to the lack of representation in the film industry, what company did black filmmakers found?
What did the movie 'Saint Louis Blues' bring together?
What did the movie 'Saint Louis Blues' bring together?
What medium lacked the ability to record and express rich qualities of black life during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
What medium lacked the ability to record and express rich qualities of black life during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
Which movie challenged the monopoly of racist movies by arguing for racial integration?
Which movie challenged the monopoly of racist movies by arguing for racial integration?
Who made a plea to Bessie Smith not to leave him?
Who made a plea to Bessie Smith not to leave him?
What was the name of the company founded by black filmmakers in response to the lack of representation in the film industry?
What was the name of the company founded by black filmmakers in response to the lack of representation in the film industry?
Who expressed disdain for movies during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
Who expressed disdain for movies during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
What did the movie 'Saint Louis Blues' bring together?
What did the movie 'Saint Louis Blues' bring together?
What era lacked a medium to record and express rich qualities of black life?
What era lacked a medium to record and express rich qualities of black life?
What was the major theme explored by Micho in his autobiographical films?
What was the major theme explored by Micho in his autobiographical films?
What genre did the Norman Film Company explore with the film 'The Bulldogger'?
What genre did the Norman Film Company explore with the film 'The Bulldogger'?
Which filmmaker attempted the difficult fantasy genre with the film 'Sissy'?
Which filmmaker attempted the difficult fantasy genre with the film 'Sissy'?
What did the film 'The Scar of Shame' deal with?
What did the film 'The Scar of Shame' deal with?
What was a common reason why some black audiences avoided race movies?
What was a common reason why some black audiences avoided race movies?
What was the subject of 'The Color Players Company' formula for their films?
What was the subject of 'The Color Players Company' formula for their films?
What type of films were created during the silent era of race movies?
What type of films were created during the silent era of race movies?
'The Homesteader' and 'The Exile' depicted the struggles faced by which protagonist?
'The Homesteader' and 'The Exile' depicted the struggles faced by which protagonist?
What social problem did Sisy solve in the film 'Sissy'?
What social problem did Sisy solve in the film 'Sissy'?
What was one criticism faced by white film companies attempting to create black versions of popular films?
What was one criticism faced by white film companies attempting to create black versions of popular films?
What did a Baltimore Afro-American editorial urge towards race movie producers?
What did a Baltimore Afro-American editorial urge towards race movie producers?
What did Duke Ellington's film 'Symphony in Black' aim to do?
What did Duke Ellington's film 'Symphony in Black' aim to do?
Why did race movies need to struggle for approval according to the text?
Why did race movies need to struggle for approval according to the text?
What was the significant impact of silent race movies?
What was the significant impact of silent race movies?
How did James Weldon Johnson feel about the impact of talkies on black voices?
How did James Weldon Johnson feel about the impact of talkies on black voices?
What did Theophilus Lewis refer to as 'indigenous [Music] drama'?
What did Theophilus Lewis refer to as 'indigenous [Music] drama'?
What was the impact of silent race movies on the film medium?
What was the impact of silent race movies on the film medium?
What was Duke Ellington's film 'Symphony in Black' attempting to achieve?
What was Duke Ellington's film 'Symphony in Black' attempting to achieve?
'Symphony in Black' was one of dozens of short Hollywood films done in order to:
'Symphony in Black' was one of dozens of short Hollywood films done in order to:
What was James Weldon Johnson's belief about the future of the Negro in the movie world?
What was James Weldon Johnson's belief about the future of the Negro in the movie world?
Flashcards
Micho (Michelle McLean)
Micho (Michelle McLean)
A black filmmaker who explored themes of urban and rural black identity through films like "The Homesteader" and "The Exile."
Race Movies
Race Movies
Films that often explored themes of black life, particularly in the context of migration from rural to urban environments.
Neither fish nor foul
Neither fish nor foul
The feeling of not belonging anywhere, often experienced by migrants adapting to a new environment.
Grappling with a new identity
Grappling with a new identity
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Baptiste
Baptiste
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Autobiographical films
Autobiographical films
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Abandoning the homestead
Abandoning the homestead
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Marrying across racial lines
Marrying across racial lines
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Tackling a wide range of topics
Tackling a wide range of topics
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Personal style that sometimes touched a nerve
Personal style that sometimes touched a nerve
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Western genre
Western genre
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Norman Film Company
Norman Film Company
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Bill Pickett
Bill Pickett
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Fantasy genre
Fantasy genre
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Richard D. Maurice
Richard D. Maurice
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Sissy
Sissy
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Shady Fagan
Shady Fagan
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Sisy vows revenge
Sisy vows revenge
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The social problem of crime
The social problem of crime
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Black versions of popular films
Black versions of popular films
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The Scar of Shame
The Scar of Shame
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The Color Players Company
The Color Players Company
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Drawing room drama and racial uplift
Drawing room drama and racial uplift
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Reasons for avoiding race movies
Reasons for avoiding race movies
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The silent era of race movies
The silent era of race movies
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Baltimore Afro-American editorial
Baltimore Afro-American editorial
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Lack of respect from Harlem intellectuals
Lack of respect from Harlem intellectuals
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Still seeking a popular audience
Still seeking a popular audience
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Study Notes
- Micho (Michelle McLean) was a black filmmaker who explored the themes of rural versus urban black life and the struggle with identity in the city in his autobiographical films "The Homesteader" and "The Exile."
- Migrants from rural Southern farms to urban Northern cities faced a sense of being neither fish nor foul and grappling with a new identity.
- Micho's hero, Baptiste, struggles with black identity and chooses to abandon his Homestead and return to the city rather than marry across racial lines.
- Micho made over one movie per year and tackled a wide range of topics with his personal style that sometimes touched a nerve.
- Black filmmakers attempted various genres, including westerns, gangster movies, and fantasies.
- Norman Film Company made a black version of the western genre, "The Bulldogger," featuring a black cowboy named Bill Pickett, who invented bulldogging.
- Richard D. Maurice was one of the few black filmmakers who attempted the difficult fantasy genre, which required keeping the fantasy believable and avoiding laughs that might remind black audiences of stereotypes.
- In "Sissy," a fantasy film, Sisy vows revenge on the Shady Fagan and solves the social problem of crime in ghetto streets.
- White film companies sometimes attempted to create black versions of popular films, but often faced criticism for imitating Hollywood stereotypes.
- "The Scar of Shame" was a social drama in the Hollywood tradition that dealt with lives shattered by social snobbery and featured a racial angle.
- The Color Players Company hit on a formula combining drawing room drama and a racial uplift angle.
- Despite the merits of race movies, some black audiences avoided them due to religious conviction, fear of segregation, or a preference for high-budget Hollywood movies.
- The silent era of race movies ended lacking the respect of Harlem intellectuals and still seeking a popular audience.
- A Baltimore Afro-American editorial urged patience and understanding towards race movie producers.
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