Directed by
York, Steven
Narrated by
Davis, Ossie, American, 1917 - 2005
Subject of
Robeson, Paul, American, 1898 - 1976
Washington, Fredi, American, 1903 - 1994
Johnson, George
Tucker, Lorenzo, American, 1907 - 1986
Moses, Lucia Lynn, American, 1908 - 1984
Owned by
D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
Date
1975
Medium
polyester film
Dimensions
Duration: 31 Minutes
Length (Film): 1100 Feet
Caption
This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
Description
Film clips from a documentary film with the title Black Shadows on a Silver Screen. It consists of a single reel of black-and-white 16mm polyester film with variable-area optical sound.
The documentary explores the history of African Americans in film in the early 20th century through the use of archival footage of scenes with black actors or films made by black filmmakers. Some of the actors and films discussed include Paul Robeson in films such as Emperor Jones and others, Duke Ellington's Black and Tan Fantasy, Cab Calloway in Hi De Ho and Oscar Micheaux's The Girl from Chicago. The narrator also describes the various genres of films African Americans appeared in such as race films, westerns and biographical films, as well as the financial challenges filmmakers who produced race films eventually began experiencing.
Place used
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Collection title
DC Public Library Film Collection
Classification
Time-based Media - Moving Images
Type
sound films
black-and-white films (visual works)
16mm (photographic film size)
Topic
Actors
Documentary films
Film
Race discrimination
Race films
Race relations
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2017.55.17.1a
Restrictions & Rights
Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd53548d468-571b-431a-a2d4-62b1ae56ab99

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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