SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 -RELIGION 2 Films 8:00 p.m. (ET)/5:00 p.m. (PT) THE GREEN PASTURES (1936) In 1936 director Marc Connelly adapted his Pulitzer prize-winning play The Green Pastures from the stage to the screen with an all-black cast that included the talents of Eddie ÔRochesterÕ Anderson, Oscar Polk, Edna Mae Harris, and Rex Ingram as De Lawd. Presented as a Deep South folk tale, this lively recreation of various Old Testament stories opens with George Reed starring as Reverend Deshee, a Baptist preacher in Louisiana who is determined to educate his congregation on the stories of the bible in a manner they can easily relate to. Imagine, if you can, a "Southern-style Heaven" where black English vernacular is spoken, fish fries and free cigars are plentiful, and the Hall Johnson Choir sings spirituals in the background all day. In other words, you have a broadly played black miracle play, which should be seen in the context of when it was made to best appreciate its many virtues. Rex Ingram dominates the film with his virtuoso turn in three roles as De Lawd, Adam, and Hezdrel. The first Black to receive the Phi Beta Kappa key at Northwestern University, Ingram quickly proved himself more creative and unpredictable than his academic record indicated. Instead of pursuing a career as a doctor upon graduating from medical school, Ingram went into film. He was often compared to Paul Robeson, as both possessed a regal quality that demanded respect from their counterparts. While Robeson was generally considered the better actor, Ingram had a unique quality that Robeson lacked and that was his ability to express compassion, gentleness, and a genuine interest in his fellow man. The Green Pastures received generally mixed notices from the press during its original film release. The New York World Telegram called it "a beautiful film," while other publications like The Nation were quick to note its rather awkward stage-bound origins. In recent years, the film has come under fire for perpetuating the negative stereotypes surrounding African-American culture. Black film historian Donald Bogle in Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks wrote: "It is new evident that The Green Pastures rested on a cruel assumption: that nothing could be more ludicrous than transporting the lowly language and folkways of the early twentieth-century Negro back to the high stately world before the flood....And in this juxtaposition of low with high, there were implied Negro ignorance and inferiority." Despite his criticisms of the film, Bogle also added "Few film casts have ever equaled the sheer dynamics and unabashed delight that these actors showed." Director: Marc Connelly, William Keighley Producer: Henry Blanke, Jack L. Warner (uncredited) Screenplay: Roark Bradford, Marc Connelly, Sheridan Gibney (uncredited) Cinematography: Hal Mohr Music: Erich Wolfgang Korngold Art Direction: Stanley Fleischer, Allen Saalburg Principal Cast: Rex Ingram (Adam/Delawd/Hezdrel), Oscar Polk (Gabriel), Eddie ÔRochesterÕ Anderson (Noah), Frank H. Wilson (Moses/Sexton), George Reed (Mr. Deshee/Aaron) BW-93m. Closed captioning. By Kerryn Sherrod 10:00 p.m. (ET)/7:00 p.m. (PT) HALLELUJAH (1929) Obstacle after obstacle was what director King Vidor encountered while filming Hallelujah (1929), an all-black, major studio musical and the first of its kind in Hollywood history. As a director with a keen interest in social issues, Vidor thought the time was right to test the waters of racial tolerance with a tale of sex, murder, religion, and music enacted by a black cast. He also wanted to take advantage of the emerging sound technology that was revolutionizing the film industry. At first Nicholas Schenck, the board chairman of Loews Inc. (the owners of MGM) responded negatively to Vidor's movie suggestion because he felt white theatre owners in the South would not exhibit the film. After Vidor agreed to invest his guaranteed salary, dollar for dollar, with the investment of the company, Schenck approved the project with this inappropriate remark, "If that's the way you feel about it, I'll let you make a picture about whores." Schenck was referring to the storyline of Hallelujah, a story about a sharecropper in a juke joint, Zeke, who falls for Chick, a beautiful dancer. But Chick is only setting Zeke up for a rigged craps game. His brother, Spunk, is mortally wounded in the shoot-out that follows and Zeke leaves the community. He later returns as Brother Zekiel the preacher and his forceful preaching draws the faithful in such large numbers that even Chick wants to be saved by him. Hallelujah was filmed on location in Tennessee and Arkansas without sound; the dialogue and sound effects were added later in Hollywood. As cost was a crucial issue, Vidor looked to unknown talent to tell his story although he originally wanted Ethel Waters for the female lead. Most of the cast members for the film were from the "Negro" districts of Chicago and New York. Nina (pronounced Nine-ah) Mae McKinney, who plays Chick, had never been in front of a camera before but had performed in the chorus line of the musical show, Blackbirds, on Broadway. Although MGM signed her to a five-year contract, she did not receive any more starring roles and eventually made her way to Europe where she became a cabaret star billed as "The Black Garbo." Vidor also used extras from a local Tennessee Baptist Church and an authority on baptism ritual to add authenticity to the production. Still, the filming of Hallelujah was a nightmare with numerous equipment problems, chaotic production crew conditions, and the daily anxiety of transitioning from silent to sound film. All the trouble was worth the effort in the end because Hallelujah was a critical success and won Vidor an Oscar nomination for Best Director. It subsequently went on to play most theatres just shy of the Mason-Dixon Line. Vidor triumphed like a champ offering big promises like refund checks to theatre owners if the picture did not do well. He never did have to eat his words and there were often encore engagements of the film in certain markets. As expected, Hallelujah was banned by the Southern Theatre Federation but there were a few exceptions including one in Jacksonville, Florida. Seen today, Hallelujah invites criticism for its stereotypes; blacks are depicted as either naive idealists or individuals ruled by their emotions. Despite this drawback, the film set a high standard for all subsequent all-black musicals and still stands as an excellent showcase for the talents of Ms. McKinney and company. Director/Producer: King Vidor Screenplay: Marian Ainslee (titles), Ransom Rideout (dialogue), Richard Schayer (treatment), Wanda Tuchock (scenario), King Vidor (story) Cinematography: Gordon Avil Music: Irving Berlin Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons Principal Cast: Daniel L. Haynes (Zekial 'Zeke' Johnson), Nina Mae McKinney (Chick), William Fountaine (Hot Shot), Harry Gray (Pappy Parson Johnson), Fanny Belle DeKnight (Mammy Johnson), Everett McGarrity (Spunk Johnson) BW-100m. By Kerryn Sherrod & Jeff Stafford