Race Films

3

Race Films3

Reform School (1939)

Theme Overview

“Nothing has done so much to awaken the race consciousness of the colored man in the United States as the motion picture. It has made him hungry to see himself as he has come to be.” —William D. Foster, 1913

Between 1915 and 1948, more than 150 independent companies produced and distributed Black-cast movies, or “race films,” which offered an array of stories and roles for Black actors and were aimed at Black audiences. Black-owned production companies made melodramas, westerns, comedies, adventure films, and more.

The third gallery in Regeneration, “Race Films,” considers the legacy of some of these early image makers. Lincoln Motion Picture Company, the Micheaux Film Corporation, and white-owned production studios such as the Norman Film Manufacturing Company were some of the earliest forerunners. While many films by these production companies are thought to be lost, surviving posters offer a glimpse into this tremendously creative world.

Featured Essay
Essays
Fredi Washington (center) and Duke Ellington and his band in Black and Tan (1929). Core Collection, Production Files, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Music and Film4

Scroll To Explore