Midnight Ramble (film)
Encyclopedia
Midnight Ramble is a 1994
documentary about Black Hollywood movies from the period between 1910
and 1950
, which were commonly known as "race movies." This documentary is a tribute to a film genre that lasted for over forty years, produced over 500 movies, and created a foundation for contemporary films from directors such as Spike Lee and Tyler Perry. James Avery
narrates this exploration of the early black film industry, which began largely in reaction to D. W. Griffith's 1915 "Birth of a Nation," and served to counteract Hollywood stereotypes within the American black community. The film focuses especially on the work of Oscar Micheaux
, a controversial filmmaker who wrote, produced, and directed over 40 features, and who tackled difficult social issues in Black America. It includes clips from films by a number of African American
directors of the period, which is very helpful since many of these films are difficult to find or unavailable. There are two versions of the title of the documentary, both referring to the same work. It was released as "Midnight Ramble: The Story of the Black Film Industry" by PBS although the film's producer titles it as "Midnight Ramble: Oscar Micheaux & the Story of Race Movies"
With the release of "The Birth of a Nation" in 1915, writer Oscar Micheaux, the grandson of slaves, shifted his attention to film, releasing his first race film, "The Homesteader," in 1918, followed soon after by "Within Our Gates" in 1920 and "The Symbol of the Unconquered" in 1921. With the transition to sound, Micheaux continued to make race films, some of which were controversial even within the Black community.
While the advent of sound decreased the number of race films being made, due to the rise in costs, notable films continued to be released. This included a series of three singing-cowboy movies starring Herb Jeffries as "The Bronze Buckaroo."
and Duke
universities, and film archivist Pearl Bowser, who also directed "Midnight Ramble."
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
documentary about Black Hollywood movies from the period between 1910
1910 in film
The year 1910 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*The newsreel footage of the funeral of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom is shot in Kinemacolor, making it the first color newsreel....
and 1950
1950 in film
The year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:*Ambush...
, which were commonly known as "race movies." This documentary is a tribute to a film genre that lasted for over forty years, produced over 500 movies, and created a foundation for contemporary films from directors such as Spike Lee and Tyler Perry. James Avery
James L. Avery, Sr.
James L. Avery, Sr. is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney Philip Banks in the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, whom Will Smith's character affectionately called "Uncle Phil." This character was ranked #34 in TV Guides "50 Greatest TV Dads of All...
narrates this exploration of the early black film industry, which began largely in reaction to D. W. Griffith's 1915 "Birth of a Nation," and served to counteract Hollywood stereotypes within the American black community. The film focuses especially on the work of Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Devereaux Micheaux was an American author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films...
, a controversial filmmaker who wrote, produced, and directed over 40 features, and who tackled difficult social issues in Black America. It includes clips from films by a number of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
directors of the period, which is very helpful since many of these films are difficult to find or unavailable. There are two versions of the title of the documentary, both referring to the same work. It was released as "Midnight Ramble: The Story of the Black Film Industry" by PBS although the film's producer titles it as "Midnight Ramble: Oscar Micheaux & the Story of Race Movies"
Synopsis
The documentary begins with an explanation of the social context for American blacks at the turn of the 20th century. It then looks at milestones in the development of race films. This includes a look at early silent films, most notably the work of William Foster ("The Pullman Porter", 1910). .With the release of "The Birth of a Nation" in 1915, writer Oscar Micheaux, the grandson of slaves, shifted his attention to film, releasing his first race film, "The Homesteader," in 1918, followed soon after by "Within Our Gates" in 1920 and "The Symbol of the Unconquered" in 1921. With the transition to sound, Micheaux continued to make race films, some of which were controversial even within the Black community.
While the advent of sound decreased the number of race films being made, due to the rise in costs, notable films continued to be released. This included a series of three singing-cowboy movies starring Herb Jeffries as "The Bronze Buckaroo."
Cast list
- James AveryJames L. Avery, Sr.James L. Avery, Sr. is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney Philip Banks in the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, whom Will Smith's character affectionately called "Uncle Phil." This character was ranked #34 in TV Guides "50 Greatest TV Dads of All...
: Narrator - Toni Cade BambaraToni Cade BambaraToni Cade Bambara, born Miltona Mirkin Cade was an African-American author, documentary film-maker, social activist and college professor.- Biography :...
: Commentator (author) - Elton Fax: Commentator (illustrator)
- Carlton MossCarlton MossCarlton Moss was an African American screenwriter and film director in the racial segregation era. His only major film as a director was the short documentary Frederick Douglass: The House on Cedar Hill.Moss was raised in both North Carolina and Newark. He attended Morgan State University where he...
: Commentator (filmmaker) - Dorothy Delfs: Commentator
- Shingzie Howard: Commentator (actress)
- Herb Jeffries: Commentator (actor)
- Robert Hall: Commentator (historian)
- Pearl Bowser: Commentator (archivist)
- Frances E. Williams: Commentator (actress)
- Olive Delfs: Commentator
- St. Claire Bourne Sr.: Commentator (journalist)
- Edna Mae HarrisEdna Mae HarrisEdna Mae Harris , was an American actress, born in Harlem. She was the premier black film actress during the late 1930's and early 1940's....
: Commentator (actress)
Influence
"Midnight Ramble" was chosen as the lead-off for a 1998 Turner Classic Movie Channel series, "A Separate Cinema," in which 29 race films were shown, including Micheaux's 1920 "Within Our Gates" and 1921 "The Symbol of the Unconquered." In selecting the films to be shown, producers called upon the expertise of its staff, film historians, professors at YaleYALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
and Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
universities, and film archivist Pearl Bowser, who also directed "Midnight Ramble."