Amateur or Genius?
Race films were showcased at the ‘Colored’ movie houses. These films were played between 12 midnight until 2am. This was referred to as the “Midnight Ramble” made by Black Independent film makers for Black audiences. America at this period in time was still very much segregated and excluded from the mainstream movie industry, Independent film makers such as author-director Oscar Micheaux, known as the "Dean of Black Film Makers", began to form their own production companies making films with entirely African American cast and crew.
What made Micheaux unique was that he knew he had to go on the road to promote his picture. From then on, he traveled all over the country, going from town to town, theater to theater, screening and pre-selling his films to "Colored Movie Houses" that numbered in the hundreds across the country. Between 1919 and 1940 Micheaux produced about 35 feature films. He was the writer, producer, director, distributor, casting director, promoter. He did it all!
Hundreds of these "Race movies" were made in the silent period, mostly very low budget. But since they were free from the Hollywood system and rarely even noticed by the critics, these films could explore cutting social and racial issues that major studios would never touch. More importantly, they were the only films in which African-American audiences could see members of their race portrayed as intelligent and heroic rather than the crooks and lazy, which unfortunately they were repeatedly portrayed as.
The Homesteader (1919), Micheaux's first film
Race films were showcased at the ‘Colored’ movie houses. These films were played between 12 midnight until 2am. This was referred to as the “Midnight Ramble” made by Black Independent film makers for Black audiences. America at this period in time was still very much segregated and excluded from the mainstream movie industry, Independent film makers such as author-director Oscar Micheaux, known as the "Dean of Black Film Makers", began to form their own production companies making films with entirely African American cast and crew.
What made Micheaux unique was that he knew he had to go on the road to promote his picture. From then on, he traveled all over the country, going from town to town, theater to theater, screening and pre-selling his films to "Colored Movie Houses" that numbered in the hundreds across the country. Between 1919 and 1940 Micheaux produced about 35 feature films. He was the writer, producer, director, distributor, casting director, promoter. He did it all!
Hundreds of these "Race movies" were made in the silent period, mostly very low budget. But since they were free from the Hollywood system and rarely even noticed by the critics, these films could explore cutting social and racial issues that major studios would never touch. More importantly, they were the only films in which African-American audiences could see members of their race portrayed as intelligent and heroic rather than the crooks and lazy, which unfortunately they were repeatedly portrayed as.
The Homesteader (1919), Micheaux's first film