Micheaux Shooting Thrilling 8-Reeler -- April 26, 2023

Pittsburgh Courier, 07-April-1922

Oscar Micheaux was a pioneer in producing what were known as race films. 100 years ago this month, he was working on The Ghost of Tolston's Manor, one of Oscar Micheaux's many silent films that are presumed to be lost.

Pittsburgh Courier, 07-April-1922

Robert Levy, organizer of the Lafayette Players and Reol Productions, worked to try to find enough "Race Attractions" to keep the segregated theaters busy. Levy was born in Britain of Jewish parentage, but he was strongly and positively involved in African-American show business. 

Motion Picture News, 28-April-1923

Al Christie, producer of mainstream short comedies, decided to put his performers in black face. "...a comedy of this type has never been attempted seriously by a high-class producing organization."

Birmingham News, 17-April-1923

Facing a shortage of race film items from April 1923, I jumped ahead to April 1948. The Birmingham theater billed itself as the "Biggest and Best Colored Theater," but it was showing a Gary Cooper movie. 

Memphis Press-Scimitar, 01-April-1923

You could purchase the Tennessee Theater in Memphis for $9500. Unless this was an April Fool's gag. 

Charlotte News, 03-October-1923

Some newspapers printed lists of "Negro Theaters." Notice that most of the movies are mainstream productions. The Return of Mandy's Husband was a race film starring frequent partners Mantan Moreland and Flournoy Miller. If Deadline was a race film, I can't find anything about it. 

Detroit Tribune, 10-April-1948

Mantan Moreland also starred in a 30-minute short subject, "The Dreamer." William Forest Crouch directed. "O'Voutie O'Rooney," starring the inimitable Slim Gaillard, was also a featurette. Jack Rieger directed.

Arizona Daily Star, 29-April-1948

The New Royal Theater in Phoenix was showing That Man of Mine, made in 1946, which was Ruby Dee's first movie. I cannot find a war propaganda film named "Call to Duty." Phoenix's Plaza Theater was showing movies from Mexico. Do those count as race films?

Seattle Northwest Enterprise, 04-April-1948

Reet, Petite, and Gone was a 1947 movie that starred bandleader Louis Jordan, "The Amazing Man of Music!" I didn't know about Louis Jordan until someone played "Saturday Night Fish Fry" on KJAZ. I went looking for him at Tower Records. I still love his music. William Forest Crouch directed.

The bill at Seattle's Metropolitan Theater also included Laurel and Hard in The Flying Deuces and "One World or None," a short film from the National Committee on Atomic Information. I might have visited the concessions when that one was playing.

Arizona Daily Star, 06-April-1948

Beware! was a 1946 movie that starred Louis Jordan with an "All Negro Cast." Bud Pollard directed.

Oklahoma City Black Dispatch, 29-April-1948

Killer Diller was a comedy starring Dusty Fletcher and featuring a skad of musical acts including the King Cole Trio. Josh Binney directed. 

Detroit Tribune, 17-April-1948

The first race I saw may have been Spirit of Youth, a 1937 film starring heavyweight champ Joe Louis. It turned up on a local UHF program called The Worst of Hollywood. 

Joe Louis starred in a 1948 race film called The Fight Never Ends. The Mills Brothers provided some music and Ruby Dee played an early role. Bud Pollard directed.

Detroit Tribune, 17-April-1948

Fight Film Refutes Claims by Joe and Tony -- May 7, 2019

Washington Star, 30-June-1939

On 28-June-1939, where champ Joe Louis defended his title against Two Ton Tony Galento. Galento staggered Louis with a powerful left in the first and knocked Louiis down in the third. Louis won by a TKO in the fourth.

This article says that the films of the fight refute Louis' claim that he was off balance when Galento hit him in the first and third.

Washington Star, 30-June-1939

The Washington Star's cartoonist predicted that Louis would win, but did not predict that Galento would knock Louis to the canvas.  I like the image of Tony, who was a famous bleeder.

8 Rounds of Furious Action -- January 11, 2019

Boxoffice, 26-June-1937

On 22-June-1937, at Comiskey Park, Chicago, James J Braddock lost the heavyweight title to Joe Louis.

Boxoffice, 26-June-1937

Tommy Farr v Joe Louis -- October 3, 2018

Truth, Brisbane, Queensland, 03-October-1937

The Tivoli Theater in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia showed a film of Joe Louis defending his heavyweight title against Tommy Farr, who was born in Wales.  They fought in Yankee Stadium on 30-August-1937.  A little over a month later, the film was in Australia.  Farr put up a good fight, but Louis won on a 15-round decision.

Washington Star, 31-August-1937

Schmeling-Louis Fight Film -- September 7, 2018

Detroit Tribune, 27-June-1936

Detroit's State Theater showed film of the 19-June-1936 fight at Yankee Stadium between heavyweights Max Schmeling of Germany and the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis of Detroit.  Much of the world was shocked when Schmeling knocked out Louis in the 12th.  The second fight, on 22-June-1938, went differently.

Washington Star, 20-July-1936

Washington DC's Cameo Theater showed the fight film the next month.

Famous Fights -- August 13, 2017

Movie Makers, April, 1943

Mogulls Film Library offered many silent or sound films for  home viewing.  These included a series of films of famous fights.  Dempsey-Willard would be the 04-July-1919 fight in Toledo, Ohio where Jack Dempsey took the heavyweight title from Jess Willard.  Willard could not come out for the fourth round.  Louis vs Galento would be the 28-June-1939 fight where champ Joe Louis defended his title against Two Ton Tony Galento.  Louis won by a TKO in the fourth.  Nova vs Baer was one of two fights between Lou Nova and former heavyweight champ Max Baer.  Nova won both fights, in 1939 and 1941 by TKO.  Braddock vs Louis was the 22-June-1937 fight where James J Braddock lost the heavyweight title to Joe Louis.  Baer vs Galento could have been the 1940 fight against Max Baer or the 1941 fight against his brother Buddy Baer.  Galento lost both. 

Exclusive Motion Pictures of the Sensational 6 Round Knockout -- May 17, 2017

Film Daily, 25-June-1938

Future heavyweight champ, Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, fought former heavyweight champ, Primo Carnera, the Ambling Alp, on 25-June-1935.  Joe Louis may have been the greatest heavyweight boxer of all.  Primo Carnera was a giant, but he wasn't much of a fighter and he often lost when his fights were not fixed.  Joe Louis won by a KO in the sixth round. 

It's a Knockout! -- September 24, 2014

Movie Makers, February, 1948

Wilco Photo Products offered films of the second fight between heavyweight champ Joe Louis and challenger Jersey Joe Walcott.  Walcott had lost a controversial decision in late 1947, so they founght again on 25-June-1948.  Jersey Joe danced and avoided many of Louis' punches, but Joe Louis caught up with him in the 11th round for a KO.  Louis announced his retirement after the fight.  It didn't last.  Walcott later defeated Ezzard Charles to win the heavyweight championship. 

Movies of Joe Louis' Famous Fights! -- May 13, 2014

Happy 100th birthday to Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, who was perhaps the greatest heavyweight champion.  I think he had a better range of opponents than Muhammad Ali.

Here we have an ad from the February, 1944 Moviemakers for 8 or 16mm movies of Joe Louis' famous fights.  I remember ads like from The Ring magazine.  I could never afford the movies. 

Castle Films was an early home movie distributor, which later became famous for cut-down 8mm versions of Abbott and Costello and Universal horror films.  They offered two reels, with two fights each.



The huge Buddy Baer, brother of former heavyweight champ Max Baer, acted in many Hollywood movies. After their second fight, Buddy Baer said "The only way I could have beaten Louis that night was with a baseball bat."  Here is their first fight. 

Abe Simon later appeared in On the Waterfront. 



Billy Conn, former light heavyweight champ, did well in his first fight against Joe Louis until he tried to knock him out in the thirteenth round.  Louis knocked him out in the thirteenth round.  In On the Waterfront, after Marlon Brando said the famous line "I coulda been a contender," his brother, played by Rod Steiger, said "You could have been another Billy Conn."

Click on the image to see a larger version.