African-American Power in Early Hollywood

The Micheaux Film Corporation was one of the earliest and best known of all Black-owned independent film companies that were producers of what was known as "race movies." The company was founded in Chicago by Oscar Micheaux, in 1918 as the "Micheaux Film And Book Company Corporation."

Oscar Micheaux was born in 1884 in Metropolis, Illinois. After living in Chicago in the early 1900's, Micheaux believed the only independent future for the Black man lay on the Western Frontier. Inspired by the teachings of Booker T. Washington and the pioneer philosophy of Horace Greeley, Micheaux believed that there was no future without the access to and ownership of land. He was a determined entrepreneur who literally "went west" with only a few possessions to make his fortune. He was the only Black person to obtain a claim in Gregory County on the Rosebud Indian Reservation where he acquired more than 500 acres of land.

In 1908, at the age of 24, he began writing novels. His first book was The Conquest, which was based upon his life experiences . When Noble Johnson and his brother George formed The Lincoln Motion Picture Company, on May 24, 1916, it was the first movie company organized by Black filmmakers. The Johnson's approached Micheaux and, wanting to purchase the film rights for his popular novel, The Homesteader, they set up a meeting. En-route to his engagement with the Johnsons, Micheaux toured the South. Despising the films which portrayed Black people in a negative and stereotypical light, he decided that his books would make better movies. When the Johnson Brothers refused his offer to direct his adaptation, he decided to produce the film himself. The resourceful Micheaux wanted creative control over his works. Although he didn't have any experience, he was anxious to direct. His first film, The Homesteader, was released in 1919 and was financed by fellow farmers, Black and White, in the North Dakota area where he lived. As a good salesman, Micheaux 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 Black movie houses.

Between 1919 and 1940 Micheaux produced about 35 feature films in which he covered a variety of subjects, among them: the racism of Jim Crow America and the transgressions of "jackleg preachers" in the African American community. He portrayed Black Americans in melodramas, dramas about social problems, gangster stories and musicals - without resorting to stereotypes. Micheaux's films offered a wide-ranging look at Black life in early 20th-century America, and his themes reverberate with contemporary urgency, probing such issues as racial solidarity, assimilation and the politics of skin color.

In contrast to the usual Hollywood treatment of Blacks, Micheaux frequently showed African-Americans in positions of authority and respectability. Despite criticisms that these characters were unrealistic, they were a source of pride to the Black community. For one thing, Micheaux's narratives are unusually serpentine and do not adhere to the strict Hollywood standards. They offered depictions of fully-developed Black characters which was an alternative to the simplistic and often cruel stereotypes of mainstream cinema.

By the end of the silent era there were many independent companies producing race films in such diverse locations such as Jacksonville, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York. Other film companies producing ethnically influenced films were: Real Productions, The Unique Company, The Foster Photoplay Company, The Florentine Manufacturing Company, The Big New Colored Company, Colored Players Film Corp. and The Norman Film Company. Some were completely Black owned and some white controlled.

In 1929, race movies made by Black producers started to die out when Hollywood saw a market. The mainstream industry began making films with Black casts for Black audiences, choking off independent producers and distributors. Diving into the sound era, the Micheaux Film Corporation ceased operations in the late 40's. Micheaux hung on longer than most. His dedication to filmmaking produced this legacy - all his productions were independently made and inspired independence among Black Americans. Today, Micheaux and his contemporary Black filmmakers are generally forgotten - most of their films lost or destroyed.