Directed by
Micheaux, Oscar, American, 1884 - 1951
Written by
Micheaux, Oscar, American, 1884 - 1951
Produced by
Micheaux, Oscar, American, 1884 - 1951
Subject of
Brooks, Eunice, American
Morrell, Stanley
Cole, Celeste, American, 1908 - 1984
Noisette, Kathleen, American, 1903 - 1935
Moore, Charles R., American, 1893 - 1947
Newsome, Nora, American, 1893 - 1987
Randol, George Elwood, American, 1895 - 1973
DeComathiere, A.B., American, 1877 - 1940
Mahon, Carl, American, 1906 - 1992
Vernon, Lou, Australian, 1888 - 1971
Cook, Louise
Holder, Ronald, American, born 1911
Heywood, Donald, American, 1896 - 1967
Owned by
Bowser, Pearl, American, 1931 - 2023
Date
1931
Medium
acetate film
Dimensions
Physical extent (film) (a): 1140 ft
Duration (a): 32 min.
Physical extent (film) (b): 1000 ft
Duration (b): 28 min.
Physical extent (film) (c): 700 ft
Duration (c): 19 min.
Description
A race film with the title The Exile. It consists of three (3) reels of 16mm black-and-white acetate film with optical sound. The film tells the tale of Jean Baptiste (Stanley Morrell), a man living in Chicago, and Edith Duval (Eunice Brooks). Edith, who worked as a servant for a white family, inherits their mansion after they flee their neighborhood because of an influx of African Americans. Jean and Eunice eventually grow at odds with each other because of their different personalities and the two break off their relationship. Jean relocates to South Dakota where he reinvents himself as a rancher and falls in love with Agnes Steward (Nora Newsome), a white woman. Believing that their relationship is doomed because of anti-miscegenation hostility, Jean moves back to Chicago where he reconnects with Edith and the two make plans to get married. One evening, Edith's ex-boyfriend breaks into her room and threatens to kill himself. She challenges him to go through with it, however, he turns the gun and kills her instead. Jean is initially charged with the murder but is eventually acquitted. Meanwhile, Agnes' father confesses that he himself is part black and she travels to Chicago and reunites with Jean.
Place filmed
Greenwich Village, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Place depicted
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
South Dakota, United States, North and Central America
Collection title
Pearl Bowser Collection
Classification
Time-based Media - Moving Images
Type
sound films
black-and-white films (visual works)
feature films
16mm (photographic film size)
Topic
American West
Film
Literature
Race films
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser
Object number
2012.79.1.30.1abc
Restrictions & Rights
Public Domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd53b918589-ab86-4c18-9355-a59b13022dee

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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