Directed by
Micheaux, Oscar, American, 1884 - 1951
Written by
Micheaux, Oscar, American, 1884 - 1951
Produced by
Micheaux, Oscar, American, 1884 - 1951
Subject of
Green, Cora, American, born 1895
Seymour, Larry, American, 1917 - 1989
Diaz, Hazel, American, 1908 - 1997
Lovejoy, Alec, American, 1893 - 1946
Randolph, Amanda, American, 1896 - 1967
Smith, Trixie, American, 1900 - 1943
Newsome, Carman, 1912 - 1974
Reed, Nat
Gardiner, Sammy
Van Engle, Dorothy, American, 1910 - 2004
Armena, Doli, American, 1902 - 1975
Jackson, Columbus
Taylor, George
Date
1938
Medium
acetate film
Dimensions
Duration: 65 Minutes
Length (Film Reel 1): 1100 Feet
Length (Film Reel 2): 1400 Feet
Description
A 16mm release print of the feature film Swing!. It consists of two reels of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film with variable-area optical sound.
In the opening scene, the protagonist, Mandy Jenkins (Cora Green), is awakened by an alarm clock which reads 6 o’clock. Mandy snoozes the alarm and exclaims, “Oh, Lordy, why do they invent alarm clocks anyway,” before going back to sleep. She’s awakened a second time and as she dresses herself, her husband, Cornell (Larry Seymour), enters the bedroom. The rest of the film follows a love triangle between Mandy, who is a cook for a wealthy white family, her husband Cornell and his mistress Eloise (Hazel Diaz). The final scene shows Lena Powell (Dorothy Van Engle) threatening Cornell with physical harm if he breaks Mandy’s heart.
Place depicted
Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
Harlem, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Place filmed
New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Time-based Media - Moving Images
Type
sound films
black-and-white films (visual works)
release prints (motion pictures)
feature films
16mm (photographic film size)
Topic
Actors
American South
Film
Musicians
Nightlife
Race films
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Randall and Sam Nieman
Object number
2015.167.20.1ab
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5bf60a0b4-44ad-4e91-aa3c-ad0f7f9cbe8a

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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