Just in Time For Black History Month: 75 Classic Black Movies and 45 Short Race Films in One DVD Set

Movie fans now have a chance to watch pre-1960’s African American classic movies.

Scene from the 1949 race movie Souls of Sin.

Chicago, IL (BlackNews.com) — In honor of Black History Month, Trend Entertainment introduces the “Race Films DVD Set”, which features 75 classic African-American movies and 45 short race films – all produced before the 1960’s. Films made for an all-black audience with majority or all-black casts in the United States between 1915 and 1960 are referred to as race films or race movies.

During the first half of the 20th century, African-Americans were not typically granted sincere roles in mainstream Hollywood movies. In mainstream Hollywood movies, black actors and actresses were only given demeaning and stereotypical supporting roles. Race movies gave black actors and actresses a chance to play serious and respected characters and to show off their talents. Race movies provided Black people with images of the African-American experience that were absent from Hollywood films.

In the South, to comply with segregation, race movies were screened at designated black theaters. Though northern cities were not formally segregated, race movies were generally shown in theaters in black neighborhoods. While it was extraordinarily rare for race movies to be shown to white audiences, white theaters often reserved special time-slots for black movie goers. This resulted in race movies often being screened as matinees and midnight shows. During the height of their popularity, race films were shown in as many as 1,100 theaters around the country.

Race movies are of great interest for their historical significance. Watching the race movies one will get a glimpse of black life in the United States from the 1920’s to the 1950’s.

Among the movie titles in the “Race Films DVD Set” are:

Within Our Gates (1920), Symbol of the Unconquered (1920), Body and Soul (1925), The Scar of Shame (1927), Eleven PM (1928), Borderline (1929), The Exile (1931), The Black King (1932), Veiled Aristocrats (1932), Harlem is Heaven (1932), Ten Minutes To Live (1932), The Girl from Chicago (1932), Emperor Jones (1933), Louisiana (1934), Murder in Harlem (1935), Sanders of the River (1935), Song of Freedom (1936), Jerico (1937), Underworld (1937), Dark Manhattan (1937), The Big Fella (1937), Spirit of Youth (1937), God’s Step-Children (1937), Swing (1938), The Duke is Tops (1938), Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938), Way Down South (1939), Paradise in Harlem (1939), Straight to Heaven (1939), Lying Lips (1939), Double Deal (1939), Keep Punching (1939), Midnight Shadow (1939), Moon Over Harlem (1939), Harlem Rides The Range (1939), Bronze Buckaroo (1939), The Devil’s Daughter (1939), Gang War (1940), Broken Strings (1940), Sunday Sinners (1940), Proud Valley (1940), Mystery in Swing (1940), Son of Ingagi (1940), Lucky Ghost (1941), Mistaken Identity (1941), The Blood of Jesus (1941), Murder With Music (1941), Murder on Lenox Avenue (1941), The Negro Soldier (1943), Where’s my Man Tonight (1943), Of One Blood (1944), Go Down Death (1944), The Big Timers (1945), Beware (1946), Beale Street Mama (1946), Tall Tan and Terrific (1946), The Girl in Room 20 (1946), Dirty Gertie from Harlem (1946), Juke Joint (1947), Look Out Sister (1947), Sepia Cinderella (1947), Junction 88 (1947), Boy What a Girl (1947), Reet Petite and Gone (1947), Boardinghouse Blues (1948), No Time for Romance (1948), Miracle in Harlem (1948), The Quiet One (1948), Souls of Sin (1949), Native Son (1951), Magic Garden (1952), Burlesque in Harlem (1954), plus many more noteworthy race movies.