For Colored Only -- March 29, 2024

Atlanta Constitution, 11-March-1924

Atlanta's Paramount Theater "(For colored only)" was showing a William S Hart movie. 

Baltimore Sun, 16-March-1924

In January, we saw that Reol Productions, makers of race films, had been taken over by Progress Pictures. Emil Offerman, who had been head of Reol, was suing former employer Robertson-Cole over breach of contract. 

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

I was interested to see that African-Americans in Topeka, Kansas  protested DW Griffith's hateful epic The Birth of a Nation. I was shocked to see that they boycotted a local African American-owned newspaper which ran an advertisement for the showing. I haven't found the ad yet.

Stole Tickets; Gets Two Years -- January 27, 2024

New York Age, 19-January-1924

Oscar Micheaux's film Birthright was based on the novel by Thomas Sigismund Stribling. It played at Harlem's Lafayette Theater. The film is probably lost. 

Roanoke Times, 31-January-1924

This guy got two years for "housebreaking and stealing tickets from the colored theater..." Another article said he was caught when he tried to use one of the tickets.

Film Daily, 02-January-1924

Reol Productions made several features and documentaries. 

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, 30-November-1922

A Reol production.

Edna Morton -- September 22, 2023

New York Age, 22-September-1923

I couldn't find any posts about race films 100 years ago this month, in September, 1923. Here we have an ad for a stage revue which featured Edna Morton, who had appeared in Reol productions. The Lafayette Theatre in Harlem hosted many African-American artists. 

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

The Greatest Dramatic Triumph of the Negro Race -- March 27, 2023

New York Age, 24-March-1923

Oscar Micheaux was a pioneer in producing what were known as race films. 100 years ago this month, his film The Virgin of Seminole was showing for three nights at The New Douglas Theater in "Harlem's Largest and Finest Theater."

New York Age, 24-March-1923

Leading lady Shingzie Howard made a personal appearance. "... one of the best films ever produced by Negroes."

New York Age, 31-March-1923

Shingzie Howard made a good impression in her first movie role.

Annapolis Evening Capital, 27-March-1922

The Star Theater in Annapolis was showing another "Oscar Michelaux" movie, The Dungeon. 

Annapolis Evening Capital, 27-March-1922

Another bill at the Star featured "A Big Colored Production" called Shot in the Night. I assume this is the same movie as a 1922 production, called A Shot in the Night. I haven't found out who produced or directed it, but I will keep digging. 

Omaha New Era, 05-March-1923

Spitfire, on the other hand, was produced by Robert Livy for Reol Productions. It starred Lawrence Chenault. 

Oscar Micheaux -- The Virgin of Seminole -- February 25, 2023

Sioux City New Era, 02-February-1923

Oscar Micheaux was a pioneer in producing what were known as race films. 100 years ago this month, his film The Virgin of Seminole was showing for two nights at the Diamond Theater in Sioux City, IA. It featured "An All Star Colored Cast." Most of his advertisements featured his name, but this one does not.

Film Daily, 27-February-1923

"'Deceit,' the first all-negro production..." The Film Daily writer did not know what he was writing about. At this point, Oscar Micheaux had produced, directed and distributed at least eight feature films. Other companies that had produced "all-negro" films included the Lincoln Motion Picture Company and Reol Productions. This was Evelyn Preer's first appearance in a movie.

      

Vicksburg Evening Post, 22-February-1923

Lawrence Chenault appeared in many pictures made by Oscar Micheaux, but The Schemers was a Reol Production. "A Splendid Cast of Colored Artists."

Film Daily, 26-February-1923

An Iowa state legislator introduced a bill to forbid segregation in movie theaters. I have to dig around to see if it passed.

Motion Picture News, 13-January-1923

This is one that I missed last month. This clever guy who managed the Moss chain of theaters in New York City had the clever idea of cashing in on all the publicity about the Ku Klux Klan by advertising that "The K.K.K. is coming to B.S. Moss' Broadway Theater, week commencing Mon. Dec. 18th."  I am at a loss for words. 

A Classic Photodrama You Will Long Remember -- November 20, 2022

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, 30-November-1922

This ad for The Schemers, a Reol Production, is one of the more elaborate designs that I have seen for a race film. That's a pretty girl, but I don't know she was. I wonder if she was Edna Morton. "You will be proud to see what strides have been made by the colored artists who enact the principal roles in this picture."

Twin City Daily Sentinel, 16-November-1922

On 15-April-1922, the Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, dedicated a monument, “Lifting the Veil of Ignorance,” to its first principal, educator Booker T Washington. Reol Productions made "A Tuskegee Pilgrimage," a short documentary about the ceremonies.

Topeka Daily Capital, 26-November-1921

Spitfire was another Reol production. It starred Edna Morton and Lawrence Chenault. "Go-Get-'Em-Hutch" was a mainstream movie serial. 

Vicksburg Evening Post, 22-November-1922

The Crimson Skull was a western directed by Richard E Norman. The all African-American cast starred Lawrence Chenault and Anna Bush. The run at Vicksburg's Princess Theater featured a personal appearance by Steve Reynolds, who many will remember as the hero's one-legged friend and mechanic in The Flying Ace, a later Norman production, and the only one which is known to survive. Why Men Forget was a mainstream film starring Evelyn Brent. 

Vicksburg Evening Post, 24-November-1922

"6 Reel Western with Plenty of Action." Fightin' Devil was a mainstream western directed by and starring Robert McKenzie. 

Vicksburg Evening Post, 22-November-1922

"Race Talent Score Triumph."

Dallas Express, 25-November-1921

I have mentioned before that I greatly admire John Harris, owner and manager of the Grand Central Theater in Dallas, who had a policy of showing race films. Unfortunately, there were not enough race films in distribution to allow him to show only race films. This week he showed Erich von Stroheim's popular Foolish Wives.

Daily Ardmoreite, 30-November-1922

Springfield Ohio was soon to have its first movie theater for African-American audiences. 

Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, 18-November-1922

I could not find any references to race film pioneer Oscar Micheaux's movies, but here is a review of his latest novel. I can't tell if the tone is sincere or snarky. I think it is sincere, but it could be read as snarky.

A Tuskegee Pilgrimage -- October 25, 2022

Dallas Express, 21-October-1922

I have mentioned before that I greatly admire John Harris, owner and manager of the Grand Central Theater in Dallas, who had a policy of showing race films. On 15-April-1922, the Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, dedicated a monument, “Lifting the Veil of Ignorance,” to its first principal, educator Booker T Washington. Reol Productions made a short documentary about the ceremonies.

Dallas Express, 28-October-1922

Reol Productions also made The Burden of Race, a feature-length feature film.

Birmingham Reporter, 07-October-1922

This issue of the Birmingham Reporter contained several small ads for the soon-to-open Famous Theater. 

Birmingham Reporter, 07-October-1922

The Champion and Frolic Theaters in Birmingham advertised themselves as the "Best in the South for Colored People." 

Annapolis Evening Capital, 27-October-1922

The Star Theater, "The only up-to-date colored theater in Annapolis, was showing The Crimson Skull, directed by Richard E Norman. The all African-American cast starred Lawrence Chenault and "Anna Bush, the Colored Cowboy Girl." Kid Canfield was a reformed gambler who appeared in two movies and in vaudeville. 

Topeka State Journal, 21-October-1922

On the stage, Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones was successfully touring the country. Star Charles S Gilpin became popular. "Please Don't Mistake This For a Movie." 

Topeka State Journal, 21-October-1922

Gilpin died in 1930 and Paul Robeson played the lead in a 1933 talkie.

Edna Morton, Famous Colored Film Actress -- September 30, 2022

Dallas Express, 02-September-1922

I have mentioned before that I greatly admire John Harris, owner and manager of the Grand Central Theater in Dallas, who had a policy of showing race films. Spitfire was a Reol production. It starred Edna Morton and Lawrence Chenault.

Dallas Express, 30-September-1922

This article about "Famous Film Beauty" Edna Morton's visit to Columbus, Ohio mentions some Reol Productions that I have never heard of. 

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

One enterprising Texas distributor "arranged for a tie-up with the local Klan" to promote One Clear Call. 

Moving Picture World, 23-September-1922

This item reports the burning of "The negro picture theater at Arkadelphia," but does not say which Arkadelphia, Arkansas or Alabama. I dug around newspapers and could not find a mention of such a fire.

Moving Picture World, 30-September-1922

Meanwhile in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Olla James, a woman of color, sued the Hippodrome Theater. "She says in the suit that she was admitted to the theater but was denied full and equal enjoyment of accommodations, advantages and facilities because she is of African descent."