Racefilm

The Race movie is its own film genre that until 1950 mainly experienced during 1915 in America in its heyday. The Race film was produced and released only by African Americans. The genre was not supported by the Hollywood movie studios. For this reason, most films of the genre are very unknown and receive less attention from film historians.

The Race Movie numerous independent films emerged from all film genres.

Development

The Race film was made out of necessity, most African-American actors usually were given only supporting roles. Furthermore formed to replace a simple way the actor with the blackface actors. Popular movies with blackface actors are Uncle Tom 's Cabin in 1904 and The Masher from 1907. The representation in these films was stereotypical and had nothing to do with reality.

Thereupon the own new genre of film Race developed, far away from the Hollywood system. This resulted in a positive light developed almost eliminated that fell on the African American population. However, the film Race was rare in South America, if not to see.

Even in Hollywood was readily reacts to this genre and the negative image degraded unconsciously and imperceptibly. So the actress Hattie McDaniel in 1940 was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film Gone with the Wind. She was the first African-American actress who won an Oscar.

After the famous Hollywood Antitrust Case of 1948 the movie Race disappeared imperceptibly and Hollywood gave the African American actors more important roles.

Production and financing

The production of Race films were mostly realized with little money. Partially produced even companies in your white hand the Race Films, a famous producer was Alfred N. Sack. However, they cared only about the financing and stayed mostly out of the production.

Nevertheless, there were many film companies such as the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, and the Chicago-based Micheaux Film Corporation which was located in African-American hands.

Cinema screenings

The Race films were very popular especially among the African-American population, because here topics were addressed that interested them. Here, too, took African American actors the lead roles. Race films were shown in about 1,100 theaters in the United States. Often, a balcony for the African-American audience was kept free. The films were usually presents at midnight.

Themes of the movie Race

The themes of the film Race all played in the middle layer of the African American population. Here, the directors of the film Race sorts of imaginable film genres such as drama, comedy, religious film, the western or the monster film use.

Familiar faces of the film Race

The Race film spawned numerous stars that were later also often used by Hollywood, as she looked at the Race movie as a cheap source of new talent. The best-known directors and producers of the genre are Oscar Micheaux and Spencer Williams, implemented the many films of the genre with a small budget. Also, the jazz singer Herb Jeffries was discovered in the Race film in collaboration with Spencer Williams. Evelyn also Preer, Paul Robeson and Hattie McDaniel have their roots in the Race movie.

Well-known films of the genre

• The Homesteader (1919 ), the first film directed by Oscar Micheaux
• Within Our Gates (1919)
• Body and Soul (1924 ), Paul Robeson's film debut
• A Son of Satan (1924 )
• The Conjure Woman ( 1926)
• The Scar of Shame (1927 ), the first great success of the movie Race
• The House Behind the Cedars (1927 )
• The Wages of Sin (1929 )
• A Daughter of the Congo (1930 )
• The Exile (1931 )
• Harlem on the Prairie (1937 ), The first Race film with the theme of the Singing Cowboys
• Lying Lips ( 1939)
• The Blood of Jesus (1941 ), the first film Race, which was added to the U.S. National Film Registry List
• Brother Martin: Servant of Jesus (1942 )
• Go Down, Death! (1944 )