Research Catalog

Title

Black films collection, 1939-1984 (bulk 1967-1984).

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Warner Bros.
• Avco Embassy Pictures.
• United Artists Ltd.
• American International Pictures (Firm)
• Columbia Pictures Industries.
• Paramount Pictures Corporation.
• New World Pictures (Firm)
• New Line Cinema Corporation.
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.
• National General Pictures.
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Description

3.2 lin. ft.

Summary

• The Black films collection consists of scripts, press sheets, press kits, movie stills and posters. The scope of the collection extends from the first African American talkie, "Hallelujah", to stills from movies of the early 1980s. A few of the many films for which there is information are "Birth of a Nation," "Coffy," "Cotton Comes to Harlem," "The Great White Hope," "Superfly," and "To Kill a Mockingbird." There are twenty-eight scripts including "Black Samson," "I Passed for White," "The Jesse Owens Story," "The Klansman," and "Roots."
• The press kits include a synopsis of the film (not for publication), articles and ads for local newspapers, biographies of the performers, photographic stills for display, and promotional materials. Some of the images in the kits were obviously doctored to suit the sensibilities of white audiences, while some ads have directions specifying "for Black audiences only."

Subjects

• Brown, Jim, 1936-2023
• Belafonte, Harry, 1927-2023
• Dandridge, Dorothy, 1922-1965
• Peters, Brock
• Poitier, Sidney
• African Americans in the motion picture industry
• African Americans in motion pictures
• Advertising > Motion pictures
• African American motion picture actors and actresses
• Grier, Pam, 1949-

Note

• Photographs transferred to Photographs and Prints Division.
• Lobby cards and posters transferred to Art and Artifacts Division.

Biography (note)

• The Black films collection documents the marketing of African Americans in American motion pictures. The film careers of Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pam Grier, Brock Peters and Jim Brown are well represented. Production companies in the collection include Warner Brothers, Avco Embassy Pictures Corp., United Artists, American International Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Paramount, New World Pictures, National General, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, New Line Cinema and Twentieth Century-Fox. The bulk of the collection is from the "blaxploitation" era of the 1970s, and was generated by film studios and distributors to market the movies to theaters.

Call Number

Sc MG 285

OCLC

86164235

Title

Black films collection, 1939-1984 (bulk 1967-1984).

Biography

The Black films collection documents the marketing of African Americans in American motion pictures. The film careers of Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pam Grier, Brock Peters and Jim Brown are well represented. Production companies in the collection include Warner Brothers, Avco Embassy Pictures Corp., United Artists, American International Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Paramount, New World Pictures, National General, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, New Line Cinema and Twentieth Century-Fox. The bulk of the collection is from the "blaxploitation" era of the 1970s, and was generated by film studios and distributors to market the movies to theaters.

Connect to:

Finding Aid

Added Author

Warner Bros.

Avco Embassy Pictures.

United Artists Ltd.

American International Pictures (Firm)

Columbia Pictures Industries.

Paramount Pictures Corporation.

New World Pictures (Firm)

New Line Cinema Corporation.

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.

National General Pictures.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Research Call Number

Sc MG 285