EARLY AFRICAN-AMERICA FILM FESTIVAL
October 14-15-16
DIVA brings to Eugene the Early African American Film Festival featuring selected films from the archives of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum (MCLM) in Culver City, California. MCLM's President and Chief Executive Officer, Avery Clayton hosts the series.
The Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum was founded in 1981 by Mayme Agnew Clayton, Ph.D. (1923-2006). Dr. Clayton was a career university librarian who spent over 40 years of her life saving the history and culture of Americans of African descent. Today the Mayme Agnew Clayton Collection represents the world's largest independently held assemblage of rare and out-of-print books, documents, films, music, photographs and memorabilia on African American culture and history. It is one of three major collections in the United States. The others are the premiere Schomburg Collection in the New York City Public Library and the Vivian Harsh Collection in the Chicago Public Library.
Tuesday, October 14th - Cabin In The Sky. (1943) 78 minutes.
7:00 PM
Cost: $3-$6 sliding scale
This was the first film directed by Vincente Minnelli and was a groundbreaking production because of the decision to use an all-African-American cast. It was a financial risk for MGM as many theaters in the 1940s refused to show films with prominent black performers.
Although at times jarring to contemporary sensibilities, the film is recognized for its intelligent and witty script, which treats the film's characters with humanity and dignity.
In the story Ethel Waters, Lena Horn, and Eddie Rochester' Anderson are caught in a musical version of the Faust legend in which Little Joe, a man killed over gambling debts, is given six months to redeem his soul and become worthy of entering Heaven. Without redemption his soul will be condemned to Hell. Other stars include: Louis Armstrong, Kenneth Spencer, John William Sublett, Oscar Polk, Mantan Moreland, Willie Best, Fletcher Rivers, Leon James Poke, Ford Washington Lee, Bill Bailey, and Butterfly McQueen. Directed by Vincent Minnelli. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe".
Wednesday, October 15th - Song of Freedom. (1936) 70 minutes.
7:00 PM
Cost: $3-$6 sliding scale
Song of Freedom. (1936) This was Paul Robeson’s first film shot in England. He plays John Zinga, a black dockworker with a great baritone singing voice. He is discovered by an opera impresario, and is catapulted to fame as an international opera star. Yet he feels alienated from his African past, and out of place in England.
By chance, he is learns of his connection with an ancestral African tribe. He moves leaving fame and fortune behind to take his rightful place of royalty. Reunited with his people and heritage, he plans to improve their lives by combining the best of western technology with the best of traditional African ways.
Prior to making this film Robeson said that, "In the United States the color question is too acute, and prejudice is rampant. A serious Negro actor stands very little chance there." He hoped that in moving to England he would be able to portray a more accurate image of African people in the West. Until this production, people of African descent were often presented as comedic characters.
Robeson sought and obtained approval in his contract to have final cut approval on the film. This was an unprecedented option at the time for an actor of any race. Robeson's goal was to be sure that the film's final message was as he intended and not changed during the editing process. His hope was that this film would dispel myths about African people.
Modern critics have questioned the film for its simplistic view of native African religion and its strong endorsement of the British colonial doctrine.
The film also stars Elizabeth Welch, Esme Percy, Robert Adams, James Solomon and George Mozart. The Song Of Freedom was directed by J. Elder Wills.
Wednesday, October 15th - Gallery Talk with Avery Clayton, Festival Host
Time: 8:30 PM
Admission: Free
~~~
Festival host Avery Clayton, President and Chief Executive Officer, of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum (MCLM) in Culver City, will give a gallery talk about: "The Evolution of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum: From a Backyard Collection to a Major American Cultural Institution".
Thursday, October 16th - Early African-American Film Festival - Double Feature
7:00 PM - Special Double Feature
Cost: $3-$6 sliding scale
Hallelujah. (1929) 109 minutes. The film tells the tale of Zeke Johnson, a sharecropper, and his relationship with a dancer, Chick, who manipulates him with her seductive charm.
The film stars Daniel L. Hayes, Nina Mae McKinney, William Fountaine, Harry Gray, Fanny Bell DeKnight, Everett McGarrity, Victoria Spivey, Milton Dickerson, Robert Crouch, Walter Tait, the Dixie Jubilee Singers and others.
Although director King Vidor later admitted this film, at times, seemed contrived and condescending, "Hallelujah" stands out from other films of the period with its positive and relatively un-stereotyped treatment of an African-American subject.
Given Vidor's fascination with the earthiness of African American spirituality and his desire to make the film, he agreed to direct "Hallelujah" without a salary in order to have it produced.
Although the film was considered a breakthrough for American cinema in the 1920's there were few films that followed that expanded upon this achievement.
This was the first all black cast Hollywood produced sound film and the first sound film for King Vidor as director. As one of the first sound films, "Hallelujah" demonstrates technological sophistication of on-location sound recording and post-production recording in the studio. "Hallelujah" earned King Vidor an Oscar nomination for Best Director.
Stormy Weather. (1943) 72 minutes. This is one of two major Hollywood musicals produced with primarily African American casts in 1943. The other film is Cabin In The Sky, which is also a part of this Festival series. Stormy Weather casts a number of the top African-American performers of the era, at a time when few black artists were seen in mainstream productions, especially in musicals.
The story is a high energy World War II musical cavalcade in which Lena Horne and Bill Robinson play a husband and wife team who struggle to make it in show business; she as a singer and he as a tap dancer.
The film provides rare "mainstream" leading roles for some of the era's greatest African-American entertainers. In addition to Lena Horne and Bill Bojangles’ Robinson are, Cab Calloway, Katherine Dunham, Fats Waller and Harold and Fayard Nicholas, Ada Brown, Dooley Wilson, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson and Zutty Singleton.
Stormy Weather was Directed by Andrew L. Stone; Story by Jerry Horwin and Screenplay by Fredrick J. Jackson.
DIVA CENTER - 110 W. BROADWAY - EUGENE
