SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - SPENCER WILLIAMS 2 Films 1:30 a.m. (ET)/10:30 p.m. (PT) GO DOWN DEATH (1944) Spencer Williams was born in Vidalia, California in 1893 and enjoyed a long stage career before he began writing and directing in the 1940s. His directorial debut was The Blood of Jesus (1941), where he took full advantage of the emerging sound technology. Not only were his films wrought with life lessons, they also contained more gospel music and 'Negro' spirituals than dialogue. While Spencer Williams sought to dispel myths that blacks were soulless heathens, many would say he set the race back to square one when he portrayed "Andy" in the television series, Amos 'n' Andy (1951-53). Quite the contrary was the case as Williams often clashed with white producers who wanted more gregarious, minstrel-like performances from his cast. Though he was criticized for playing the "Andy" character, Williams used the money from the series to fund his independent film productions. Williams retired once Amos 'n' Andy went off the air and died of kidney problems in 1969. "Saturday sinners and Sunday saints clash in a battle of good against evil!" was the tagline on the theatrical posters that promoted Go Down Death (1944). Spencer Williams' moralistic drama was filmed in Dallas, Texas, and even features the director himself in a pivotal role as a corrupt character whose actions bring "down death." While the film was obviously made on a low budget, it remains a fascinating social artifact of its time and was allegedly inspired by a poem of the same name by James Walden Johnson. The latter was best known for his book of verse, God's Trombone (1927). Director: Spencer Williams Producer: Alfred N. Sack Screenplay: Sam Elljay, Jean Roddy (story), Spencer Williams Cinematography: H.W. Kier Principal Cast: Myra D. Hemmings, Samuel James, Eddye L. Houston, Spencer Williams (Big Jim Bottoms), Amos Droughan, Walter McMillion, Irene Campbell BW-54m. by Kerryn Sherrod 2:30 a.m. (ET)/11:30 p.m. (PT) THE BLOOD OF JESUS (1941) The financial backer of Spencer WilliamsÕ The Blood of Jesus (1941) claimed it was "possibly the most successful" and "lived the longest" of all the movies of its period created by black filmmakers for black audiences. Williams wrote, produced and directed this religious drama. He also stars in the leading role of Razz, a neÕer-do-well who accidentally shoots his wife, causing her to hover in limbo between life and death, heaven and hell. The struggle for a womanÕs soul is underscored by ethereal gospel songs alternated with "down-and-dirty" blues numbers. In his book Black Film as Genre, Thomas Cripps wrote that the film "provided a brief anatomy of Southern Baptist folk theology by presenting Christian myth in literal termsÉ From its opening voiceover, the film became an advocate for the most enduring traditions of Afro-American family life on Southern ground." Williams (1893-1969) began writing for and acting in films in 1929. The Blood of Jesus, shot on location in Texas on a budget of only $5,000, marked his directorial debut. He directed seven more films during the 1940s, including Dirty Gertie From Harlem U.S.A. (1946), Beale Street Mama (1947), and Juke Joint (1947). He also directed a tribute to blacks in the military entitled Marching On in the forties. Director: Spencer Williams Producer: Spencer Williams, Alfred N. Sack (executive) Screenplay: Spencer Williams Cinematography: Jack Whitman Principal Cast: Cathryn Caviness (Martha), Spencer Williams (Razz ), Juanita Riley (Sister Jenkins), Reather Hardeman (Sister Ellerby), Rogenia Goldthwaite (The Angel), James B. Jones (Satan), Frank H. McClennan (Judas Green), Eddie DeBase (Rufus Brown), Alva Fuller (Luke Williams) BW-56m. By Roger Fristoe