Subject of
Criner, John L., American, 1898 - 1965
Boyd, Kathryn, American, 1897 - 1965
De Legge, Boise, American
Daniels, Lions, American
Colvin, George, American, born 1864
Jordan, Sam
Reynolds, Steve, American, 1892 - 1945
Coleman, Bessie, American, 1892 - 1926
Date
1926
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W (image): 38 × 24 in. (96.5 × 61 cm)
H x W (sheet): 41 × 26 15/16 in. (104.1 × 68.4 cm)
Caption
In this 1926 film, black fighter pilot Captain Billy Stokes, played by Laurence Criner, returns home from World War I a hero and resumes his civilian career as a railroad detective. The role of pilot Ruth Sawtelle, played by Kathryn Boyd, is inspired by aviator Bessie Coleman. Coleman had been in talks with race film studio Norman Productions to star in a film about her life when she was killed during a flight in Jacksonville, Florida.
Description
This movie poster depicts a man in a World War I uniform while above him another man is parachuting from a burning plane. The large figure of a man in uniform stands in the lower left corner. Shown from the waist up, he wears a World War I uniform. At his left shoulder is a large heart shape, within which is a vignette of a man and a woman, both in uniform. Above the heart shape to the left is a man in a suit hanging from an open parachute. Slightly above him is a burning airplane. In large red letters below the plane scene is written [THE FLYING ACE] and in smaller blue print [WITH AN ALL-COLORED CAST]. Below the heart vignette and next to the WWI solder is written [STARRING A PROFESSIONAL CAST / FEATURING / LAWRENCE CRINER / AND KATHRYN BOYD / SUPPORTED BY / BOISE DE LEGG, HAROLD PLATTS, / LIONS DANIELS, GEORGE COLVIN, SAM JORDAN, DR. R.L. BROWN AND / STEVE REYNOLDS (PEG) / PRODUCED BY THE NORMAN STUDIOS ARLINGTON, FLA.].
Transcription Center Status
Transcription Available
Place used
United States, North and Central America
Collection title
A Cinema Apart: The Larry Richards Collection of Early Black Film
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
Type
posters
Topic
Actors
Film
Race films
U.S. History, 1919-1933
World War I
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2013.118.33
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd565ee460f-e186-44f6-af5d-760306667ca7

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

Share this page