Early Black Filmmaking

Early Black Film-making

The year is 1921. Hollywood at this time did not produce many movies that had a black cast, black screenwriters, or black directors. There were many film companies that did; however, actively produce black films, such as they were called during this time. Among these film companies in the great state of Texas was Superior Art Productions of Houston, Lone Star, and Cotton Blossom. One of these filming companies, Lone Star, had made four motion pictures in 1922, and one film in 1923 as well. The names of these first films were The Wife Hunter's, The Wrong Mr. Johnson, You Can't Keep a Good Man Down, andStranger From Way Out Yonder. It is unknown which of these films was made first because none of these five films were copywrited (copywrite would have shown the exact date in the year) . Today, these first films probably do not even exist and are gone forever because they were stored away and lost.

Two men named Spencer Williams and Alfred R. Sack were black actors and screenwriters in Dallas, TX in this era. Together they produced ten films in 1941 through 1947. Among some of these motion pictures were Death and The Blood of Jesus (a religious film), Girl in Room 20(a drama),and Jivin' in Bebop (a musical film).

Unfortunately, these films came out during the Great Depression and the Influenza epidemic. The Great Depression caused a rise in the cost of everything, including a rise in the cost of making films, making production stop. Within a few years, the Texas black film companies and producers locked away their films in a warehouse for storage. In this collection stored away included the film reels of William Spencer and Alfred R. Sack, along with many others, to be forgotten or destroyed with time.

Tyler, Texas

Credit: Hemby

Copyright: Hemby