Extra Credit Quiz - Race Movies - Popular Art of the Harlem Renaissance
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Questions and Answers

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?

  • 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?

  • 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?

    <p>Lincoln Motion Picture Company (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the movie 'Saint Louis Blues' bring together?

    <p>Blues music, black life, and Harlem Renaissance figures (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What medium lacked the ability to record and express rich qualities of black life during the era of Harlem Renaissance?

    <p>Film (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which movie challenged the monopoly of racist movies by arguing for racial integration?

    <p>'The Birth of a Race' (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who made a plea to Bessie Smith not to leave him?

    <p>Jimmy (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the name of the company founded by black filmmakers in response to the lack of representation in the film industry?

    <p>Lincoln Motion Picture Company (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who expressed disdain for movies during the era of Harlem Renaissance?

    <p>James Weldon Johnson (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the movie 'Saint Louis Blues' bring together?

    <p>Blues music, black life, and Harlem Renaissance figures (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What era lacked a medium to record and express rich qualities of black life?

    <p>Era of Harlem Renaissance (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the major theme explored by Micho in his autobiographical films?

    <p>Rural versus urban black life (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What genre did the Norman Film Company explore with the film 'The Bulldogger'?

    <p>Westerns (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which filmmaker attempted the difficult fantasy genre with the film 'Sissy'?

    <p>Richard D. Maurice (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the film 'The Scar of Shame' deal with?

    <p>Lives shattered by social snobbery (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was a common reason why some black audiences avoided race movies?

    <p>Religious conviction (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the subject of 'The Color Players Company' formula for their films?

    <p>Drawing room drama and racial uplift angle (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of films were created during the silent era of race movies?

    <p>Seeking a popular audience (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    'The Homesteader' and 'The Exile' depicted the struggles faced by which protagonist?

    <p>Baptiste (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What social problem did Sisy solve in the film 'Sissy'?

    <p>Crime in ghetto streets (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was one criticism faced by white film companies attempting to create black versions of popular films?

    <p>Imitating Hollywood stereotypes (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did a Baltimore Afro-American editorial urge towards race movie producers?

    <p>Patience and understanding (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Duke Ellington's film 'Symphony in Black' aim to do?

    <p>Introduce black cultural idiom to European symphonic form (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why did race movies need to struggle for approval according to the text?

    <p>They were not inoffensive enough to attract and please both black and white audiences (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the significant impact of silent race movies?

    <p>They signaled and celebrated the arrival of black urban art forms (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did James Weldon Johnson feel about the impact of talkies on black voices?

    <p>He believed that talkies recorded black voices better than white voices (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Theophilus Lewis refer to as 'indigenous [Music] drama'?

    <p>The combination of black cultural idiom and European symphonic form in films (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the impact of silent race movies on the film medium?

    <p>They signaled and celebrated the arrival of black urban art forms (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was Duke Ellington's film 'Symphony in Black' attempting to achieve?

    <p>Introduce black cultural idiom to European symphonic form (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    'Symphony in Black' was one of dozens of short Hollywood films done in order to:

    <p>Attract blacks and please whites in an inoffensive way (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was James Weldon Johnson's belief about the future of the Negro in the movie world?

    <p>So long as they have talkies, the Negro would achieve a permanent place in the movie world (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Flashcards

    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

    Films that often explored themes of black life, particularly in the context of migration from rural to urban environments.

    Neither fish nor foul

    The feeling of not belonging anywhere, often experienced by migrants adapting to a new environment.

    Grappling with a new identity

    The process of developing a new sense of self in a different environment, often faced by migrants.

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    Baptiste

    The protagonist in Micho's films, struggling with his black identity and facing a difficult choice.

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    Autobiographical films

    The practice of using film to express personal experiences and perspectives.

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    Abandoning the homestead

    The act of leaving a place, often with a sense of longing or loss.

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    Marrying across racial lines

    The act of marrying someone from a different racial background.

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    Tackling a wide range of topics

    Using film to explore various genres and topics, often with a distinct and personal style.

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    Personal style that sometimes touched a nerve

    A style of filmmaking that is characterized by personal expression and often provokes reactions.

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    Western genre

    A genre of film that depicts life in the American West, often featuring cowboys and outlaws.

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    Norman Film Company

    A film company that produced black versions of popular Hollywood genres, including westerns.

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    Bill Pickett

    A black cowboy who invented the rodeo trick of bulldogging.

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    Fantasy genre

    A genre of film that explores fantastical and imaginative worlds and characters.

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    Richard D. Maurice

    A black filmmaker who attempted the challenging fantasy genre, striving to create believable and engaging experiences for black audiences.

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    Sissy

    A fantasy film where the protagonist, Sissy, seeks revenge and addresses social issues in the ghetto.

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    Shady Fagan

    The villain in "Sissy", representing the corruption and crime that Sissy seeks to overcome.

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    Sisy vows revenge

    The act of taking revenge for a wrong that has been committed.

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    The social problem of crime

    The issue of crime and violence in urban neighborhoods.

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    Black versions of popular films

    Films that attempt to create black versions of existing Hollywood productions but often face criticism for perpetuating stereotypes.

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    The Scar of Shame

    A social drama film that deals with the negative impact of prejudice and classism, featuring a racial angle.

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    The Color Players Company

    A theatrical company that produced plays with both social and racial themes, blending entertainment and social commentary.

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    Drawing room drama and racial uplift

    The combination of drawing room drama and a racial uplift angle in the plays of The Color Players Company.

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    Reasons for avoiding race movies

    Reasons why some black audiences avoided race movies, including religious beliefs, fear of segregation, and preference for mainstream Hollywood films.

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    The silent era of race movies

    The era before the introduction of sound in films, where race movies lacked critical acclaim.

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    Baltimore Afro-American editorial

    A call for patience and understanding from black audiences towards race movie producers.

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    Lack of respect from Harlem intellectuals

    The lack of recognition and respect from prominent figures in the Harlem Renaissance.

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    Still seeking a popular audience

    The ongoing pursuit to reach and engage a wide audience, despite challenges and criticism.

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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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    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.

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