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Questions and Answers
What was the name of the movie that Bessie Smith made in 1929?
Which intellectual expressed disdain for movies during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
Which film argued for racial integration and was the first of its kind on the American screen?
In response to the lack of representation in the film industry, what company did black filmmakers found?
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What did the movie 'Saint Louis Blues' bring together?
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What medium lacked the ability to record and express rich qualities of black life during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
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Which movie challenged the monopoly of racist movies by arguing for racial integration?
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Who made a plea to Bessie Smith not to leave him?
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What was the name of the company founded by black filmmakers in response to the lack of representation in the film industry?
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Who expressed disdain for movies during the era of Harlem Renaissance?
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What did the movie 'Saint Louis Blues' bring together?
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What era lacked a medium to record and express rich qualities of black life?
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What was the major theme explored by Micho in his autobiographical films?
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What genre did the Norman Film Company explore with the film 'The Bulldogger'?
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Which filmmaker attempted the difficult fantasy genre with the film 'Sissy'?
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What did the film 'The Scar of Shame' deal with?
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What was a common reason why some black audiences avoided race movies?
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What was the subject of 'The Color Players Company' formula for their films?
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What type of films were created during the silent era of race movies?
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'The Homesteader' and 'The Exile' depicted the struggles faced by which protagonist?
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What social problem did Sisy solve in the film 'Sissy'?
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What was one criticism faced by white film companies attempting to create black versions of popular films?
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What did a Baltimore Afro-American editorial urge towards race movie producers?
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What did Duke Ellington's film 'Symphony in Black' aim to do?
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Why did race movies need to struggle for approval according to the text?
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What was the significant impact of silent race movies?
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How did James Weldon Johnson feel about the impact of talkies on black voices?
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What did Theophilus Lewis refer to as 'indigenous [Music] drama'?
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What was the impact of silent race movies on the film medium?
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What was Duke Ellington's film 'Symphony in Black' attempting to achieve?
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'Symphony in Black' was one of dozens of short Hollywood films done in order to:
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What was James Weldon Johnson's belief about the future of the Negro in the movie world?
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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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Description
Test your knowledge of Bessie Smith's movie and music career with this quiz. This quiz covers the unique film made in New York by Dudley Murphy and other aspects of Bessie Smith's musical legacy.
