African American Films Through 1959

All films with a predominantly or entirely African American cast or that were about African Americans are detailed here. Each entry includes cast and credits, year of release, studio, distributor, type of film (feature, short or documentary) and other production details. In most cases, a brief synopsis of the film or contemporary reviews of it follow. In the appendices, film credits for over 1,850 actors and actresses are provided, along with a listing of film companies.

Larry Richards is a librarian at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Larry Richards
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 320
Bibliographic Info: 134 photos, appendices, index
Copyright Date: 2005 [1998]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2274-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1052-8
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments     1

Preface     3

Historical Overview     5

THE FILMS     7

Appendix A: Actor Credits     191

Appendix B: Film Companies     245

Appendix C: Director Credits     258

Appendix D: Producer Credits     264

Appendix E: Films by Year     271

Index     241

“detailed and well-organized…well illustrated…excellent”—Booklist; “a veritable beacon…casts a light on a whole period of filmmaking that has been obscured in darkness for decades…a wonderful collection of films, reviews, and advertisements that rescues African-American cinema from neglect and obscurity…should be a fixture in everyone’s reference collections”—Film & History; “detailed production information, lengthy commentary…the extensive research that is provided on the talking shorts and features, which include ‘Soundies’ and documentaries, is nothing less than splendid…a major accomplishment…the vital information found within its pages is a valuable contribution to film history in a handsome presentation”—The Silents Majority; “very thorough and precise…important”—Rettig on Reference; “detailed credits and plot synopses…unique”—Choice; “recommended”—Public Library Quarterly; “comprehensive”—BCALA Newsletter; “most welcome”—Classic Images; “historically important and fascinating”—Psychotronic.