History Main / RaceFilm

Race films almost never depicted poverty, ghettos, or crime. They also often avoided discussing racism. Race films instead tended to be based on middle class and upper-middle urban individuals. They discussed themes of "improving" the black race and the tension between uneducated and educated black people. At the same time, there was a focus on avoiding HeritageDisconnect while becoming more successful. Many race films come off as {{Author Tract}}s as a result. The stock black characters seen in mainstream films, such as {{mammy}}s and {{Uncle Tom|foolery}}s, were either absent from race films or were relegated to being supporting roles and villains.

** 1920's ''Film/WithinOurGates'' is one of the earliest surviving race films and is considered a TakeThat at ''Film/{{The Birth of a Nation|1915}}''. It's Oscar Micheaux's most famous film. ''Within Our Gates'' has a famous lynching scene and a NearRapeExperience of the protagonist, [[spoiler:who is actually MixedRace and the [[SurpriseIncest daughter]] of the man who almost raped her.]] It was highly controversial at the time and banned in a number of states. Scenes were edited and remove to please censors, however that didn't help much.

At least five hundred race films were produced however [[MissingEpisode less than one hundred still exist]]. Race films were rarely, if ever, mainstream and thus most fell into obscurity until they were rediscovered decades later.

** 1925's ''Film/BodyAndSoul'', in which an escaped criminal impersonates a Protestant minister, and hoodwinks an entire congregation, except for the one bright young lady who sees through him. Featured the film debut of Music/PaulRobeson.

* 1925's ''Body and Soul'' is about a criminal who passes himself off as a reverend. Jenkins, along with another criminal, use their job to swindle money out of church goers. Jenkins falls for a woman named Isabelle, however she's in love with Jenkins' long-lost twin brother. Jenkins steals money from Isabelle's mother Martha and frames her for it. Isabelle ends up dying, and as she's dying she tells her mother that Jenkins raped her and stole the money. The censors didn't like the film's villainous minister character, forcing the director to quickly make a new ending where it turns out to be AllJustADream of Martha's. Of the original nine reels, the final version only contains five.

** 1920's ''The Symbol of the Unconquered'' is directed by Oscar Micheaux. It was another TakeThat at ''The Birth of a Nation''. It's about a black heiress who fights off the Ku Klux Klan.

Race films almost never depicted poverty, ghettos, or crime. They also often avoided discussing racism. Race films instead tended to be based on middle class and upper-middle urban individuals. They discussed themes of "improving" the black race and the tension between uneducated and educated black people. At the same time, there was a focus on avoiding HeritageDisconnect while becoming more successful. Many race films come off as {{Author Tract}}s as a result. The stock black characters seen in mainstream films, such as {{mammy}}s and UncleTomfoolery, were either absent from race films or were relegated to being supporting roles and villains.

See also RaceRecords, the musical equivalent (more [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_record here]]). Compare to {{Blaxploitation}}. Related to MinorityShowGhetto. Not to be confused with films about ''racing''; those are covered under SportsStories.

At least five-hundred race films were produced however [[MissingEpisode less than one-hundred still exist]]. Race films were rarely, if ever, mainstream and thus most fell into obscurity until they were rediscovered decades later.

** 1920's ''Film/WithinOurGates'' is one of the earliest surviving race films and is considered a TakeThat at ''Film/{{The Birth Of A Nation|1915}}''. It's Oscar Micheaux's most famous film. ''Within Our Gates'' has a famous lynching scene and a NearRapeExperience of the protagonist, [[spoiler:who is actually MixedRace and the [[SurpriseIncest daughter]] of the man who almost raped her.]] It was highly controversial at the time and banned in a number of states. Scenes were edited and remove to please censors, however that didn't help much.
** 1920's ''The Symbol Of the Unconquered'' is directed by Oscar Micheaux. It was another TakeThat at ''The Birth Of A Nation''. It's about a black heiress who fights off the Ku Klux Klan.
** In 1932's ''Ten Minutes To Live'', a movie producer offers a nightclub singer a role in his latest film. He has ulterior motives of wanting to sleep with her, however she still accepts the role. A patron at the club receives a note saying that she will be killed ten minutes after receiving a second note.

* 1925's ''Body and Soul'' is about a criminal who passes himself off as a reverend. Jenkins, along with another criminal, use their job to swindle money out of church goers. Jenkins falls for a woman named Isabelle, however she's in love with Jenkins' long-lost twin brother. Jenkins' steals money from Isabelle's mother Martha and frames her for it. Isabelle ends up dying, and as she's dying she tells her mother that Jenkins' raped her and stole the money. The censors didn't like the film's villainous minister character, forcing the director to quickly make a new ending where it turns out to be AllJustADream of Martha's. Of the original nine-reels, the final version only contains five.
* ''Film/TheBloodOfJesus'' (also known as ''The Glory Road'') is a Christian-themed race film from 1945. In a rural village, a Baptist woman named Martha is baptized, however not soon afterwards her husband accidentally shoots her. Martha's spirit is taken by an angel to the Crossroads between Heaven and Hell. The meat of the film involves Martha being tempted by an agent of Satan into going to Hell. Ultimately, Martha wakes up from her AdventuresInComaland at home after viewing a vision of Jesus. Martha's husband has turned from an atheist to a Christian since she was shot. The angel that took Martha then blesses her marriage. ''The Blood Of Jesus'' was the first race film to be added into the U.S. National Film Registry.
* Comedian Bert Williams signed by to star, direct, produce, and write two short 1916 films. These films were ''A Natural Born Gambler'' and ''Fish''. In both films, Williams was made to wear "darkie" makeup and he played up racist stereotypes for white audiences, however his leadership role was rare for a black lead. ''A Natural Born Gambler'' is about a man who is busted for gambling and thrown into jail. He dreams of playing poker, but even in his dream he fails. In ''Fish'' he played as [[DawsonCasting a boy]] who wants to fish instead of do chores.

* ''Film/TheScarOfShame'' is a 1927 race film. It stars Alvin Hillyard, a well-educated, upper-class black and talented composer, who rescues a lower-class woman named Louise from her [[AbusiveParents abusive]], [[AlcoholicParent alcoholic stepfather]]. The two later [[RescueRomance get married]], however Alvin has doubts about their relationship due to their class difference. Another man, Eddie, tries to woo Louise away from Alvin, with [[DrivenToSuicide tragic consequences]].

** ''Murder in Harlem'' is a 1935 film about a black night watchman who finds a white woman murdered one night and ends up MistakenForMurderer. It's [[LooselyBasedOnATrueStory loosely based]] on the Leo Frank murder trial.