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Editorial by Jeremy Geltzer
We were a country divided. Separate schools, drinking fountains and movie theaters segregated American society. When The Birth of a Nation was released in 1915, it was hailed as an artistic triumph, President Wilson himself endorsed the film. It didn’t seem to matter that the Ku Klux Klan rode to the rescue, lynching a black man to save the day. African Americans audiences were outraged. Recently two films, Within Our Gates (1919) and Symbol of the Unconquered (1920) have been rediscovered, shedding light on a neglected corner of film history and giving a voice to an overlooked group. In July, Turner Classic Movies celebrates The Separate Cinema, film made by black film makers for black audiences in a 29 film tribute, the most extensive and in-depth festival of independent black films in television history. The climatic scenes of The Birth of a Nation remain shocking today. African American communities were alienated and excluded. African American film makers were rallied to action. The Separate Cinema was born of the necessity to counteract negative images prevalent in the media, newspapers and films. Though many films are lost, important films survive and testify to the strong-willed creative and proud African American community. Some names are familiar, like Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker. Others have yet to be rediscovered. Legends surround the maverick director Oscar Micheaux, who has emerged as the unsung hero of the Separate Cinema. Oscar Micheaux embodies the American Dream. He was a man with vision and passion, who rose against the odds again and again to stake his claim. Micheaux was an entrepreneur from his early days as a shoeshine boy on the Chicago-bound railroad. He overheard a tip to buy land in North Dakota, so he left to seek his fortune. On his plot of land, Micheaux began writing autobiographical novels. He self published and sold his book door to door. In 1918 he made his first novel into his first feature film, The Homesteader. Again, he wrote, directed, produced and distributed his film. Micheaux, the man remains a mystery. He made 40-50 films between 1918 and 1948. He had offices in New York, Chicago, and perhaps London. He traveled with his films, re-editing them, sometimes selling the same films under different titles. He created an African American pantheon of stars that boasted nick names like "The Black Valentino" and "The Sepia Mae West." Many of Micheaux’s films were similar to Hollywood’s genres—mysteries, melodramas, musicals with African American actors. Micheaux also produced controversial ‘message’ films. Symbol of the Unconquered (1920) tells the story of a black man menaced by the Ku Klux Klan, Within Our Gates (1919) also contains horrific images of lynchings. These two films were recently discovered in European archives—how they got there just adds to the mystery of Micheaux. TCM talked to two experts who are exploring the life and work of Oscar Michaux, Pearl Bowser, director of Midnight Ramble and Charlene Regester, editor of the Oscar Micheaux Society Newsletter. Noble. Majestic. Powerful. These words are not an exaggeration for describing Paul Robeson. Robeson graduated from Colombia University’s Law School while maintaining his reputation as an unstoppable football star. He took to the stage, his massive presence supported by a baritone voice. Spotted by Micheaux, Robeson was cast in his first film as a dissolute preacher given to women and alcohol in Body and Soul (1925). Robeson became a favorite of playwright Eugene O’Neill who wrote Emperor Jones (1933) for him. Robeson sought to portray the physical and spiritual strength of the African American man but became too controversial when he spoke out for leftist politics, even making 4 trips to the USSR in the 1950s. 1998 marks a century since Robeson’s birth and he has begun to be recognized for more than the picturesque dockman singing "Ol’ Man River" in Showboat (1936). While Paul Robeson fought the system, Spencer Williams played the game. Williams portrayed Amos in the TV series Amos & Andy. Gaining hands-on experience in the industry, he brought back the knowledge to his own films. Williams’ films are most often morality plays like The Blood of Jesus (1941), Go Down Death (1942) and Dirty Gertie from Harlem USA (1946). These films are cautionary tales, spiritual guidance directed to the contemporary African American tempted by drink, gambling, prostitution and the evils of the city. Josephine Baker left her job as a laundress in St. Louis for the stage at the Folies Bergere in 1925. Billed as the Black Venus, she became the rage of Paris with her erotic dances and exotic African American looks. Zou Zou (1934) and Princess Tam Tam (1935), mark one of the first times that the image of a black woman, alluring and sexual, was put on the screen. Her life story was the subject of a TV movie in 1991. Other inspired life stories include The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), staring Jackie Robinson and The Spirit of Youth (1937) starring boxer Joe Louis. Many of the films that came out of the Separate Cinema are interesting simply because they transfer a Hollywood-type plot into an all black production. Dark Manhattan (1937), The Bronze Buckeroo (1939) and Sepia Cinderella (1947) reflect the crime drama, western and musical directed to an African American audience. The rediscovery of the Separate Cinema is important event. Finally we can hear the voice of a minority, a reflection of life that is an alternative to Hollywood’s presentation of reality. TCM proudly presents 29 films and the documentary Midnight Ramble: Oscar Micheaux and the Story of the Race Film. For more information read our interviews with Pearl Bowser, director of Midnight Ramble and Charlene Regester, editor of the Oscar Micheaux Society Newsletter. |