The Czar of Black Hollywood

The Czar of Black Hollywood

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Bayer L. Mack
Produced by Bayer L. Mack
Frances Presley-Rice
Hal Croasmun
Written by Bayer L. Mack
Starring Oscar Micheaux
Narrated by William Bell
Music by Nicholas Jones
Edited by Bayer L. Mack
Edith Bush
Distributed by Block Starz Music Television
Release dates
  • September 26, 2014 (2014-09-26) (ASALH Film Festival)
  • October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17)
Running time
 67 minutes
Country United States
Language English

The Czar of Black Hollywood is a 2014 documentary film chronicling the early life and career of African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951).[1] Bayer L. Mack, writer and record executive of Block Starz Music, conceived of and produced the film about Micheaux using Library of Congress archived footage, photos, illustrations and vintage music.[2] The documentary, which is the first devoted exclusively to Oscar Micheaux's life, is narrated by William Bell, features an original score by Nicholas Jones and art direction by Julie Anderson.[3][4]

Synopsis

Oscar Micheaux was America's preeminent black filmmaker for three decades, having directed or produced 22 silent movies and 15 talking pictures. The Czar of Black Hollywood chronicles the real life experiences that inspired Micheaux's films, including the production of the first feature-length film, The Homesteader (1919), and sound motion picture, The Exile (1931), by an African-American.[5]

Release

On February 13, 2014, Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood was announced by American radio host Tom Joyner on his nationally syndicated program, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, as part of its "Little Known Black History Fact" on Micheaux.[6] In an April 2014 interview with The Washington Times, Block Starz Music founder Bayer L. Mack said that he read the 2007 biography Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only by Patrick McGilligan and was inspired to produce Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood because Micheaux's life mirrored his own.[7][8] In a June 2014 interview with The Huffington Post, Mack said he was shocked there "was virtually nothing out there about Micheaux's life" in spite of his historical significance.[9] A screening of Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood was held at the Boca Black Film Festival on July 17 in Boca Raton, Florida.[10] In a lead up to the event, the film's executive producer, Frances Presley Rice, told Florida's Sun Sentinel that Micheaux was the first "indie movie producer."[11] Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood had a special screening on September 26, 2014 at the 99th Annual Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) Convention in Memphis, TN.[12] In an interview with The News and Advance to promote The Czar of Black Hollywood's first public screening on October 17, 2014 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, director Bayer Mack said he “scoured the archives of all the great major black weeklies,” for information and imagery to recreate Micheaux’s world.[13][14] Mack told The Commercial Appeal the documentary would be available from Block Starz Music Television on DVD and video-on-demand Christmas Eve 2014.[15]

Cast

Accolades

Awards and Nominations received by The Czar of Black Hollywood
Award Category Nominee Result
15th Black Reel Awards Best Independent Documentary Bayer L. Mack Nominated

References

  1. ↑ https://tv.yahoo.com/news/dear-white-people-selma-lead-190900033.html
  2. ↑ http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmovies/article/New-Documentary-Underway-on-Americas-First-Black-Filmmaker-Oscar-Micheaux-20140212
  3. ↑ "Watch 'Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood' - Rar | Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  4. ↑ "Black Royalty! Meet 'The Czar of Black Hollywood' [Watch]". EURweb. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  5. ↑ "Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood [Part 1] « Freedoms Journal". Freedomsjournal.net. 2014-02-15. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  6. ↑ Taylor, Erica L. (2014-02-13). "Little Known Black History Fact: Oscar Micheaux". Black America Web. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  7. ↑ Wetzstein, Cheryl (2014-04-30). "Black side of silver screen: Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux paved his own path to Hollywood". Washington Times. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  8. ↑ Wetzstein, Cheryl (2014-04-30). "Love of history spurred rap mogul Bayer L. Mack to make Micheaux documentary". Washington Times. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  9. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-kelly/new-documentary-about-bla_b_5448566.html
  10. ↑ "Boca Gets a New Film Festival | Boca Raton Magazine". Bocamag.com. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  11. ↑ Anne Geggis (2014-07-10). "Boca Black Film Festival aims to feature Florida's homegrown talent". Sun Sentinel. Articles.sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  12. ↑ "Oscar Micheaux: Homesteader, Bestselling Author, Filmmaker". America Comes Alive. 1939-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  13. ↑ http://www.newsadvance.com/the_burg/movies/it-s-a-treasure-trove-of-black-social-history/article_ebfc5b96-546d-11e4-b626-001a4bcf6878.html
  14. ↑ http://www.academyfinearts.com/stage/OscarMicheaux.asp
  15. ↑ http://www.commercialappeal.com/go-memphis/movies/beifuss-on-movies/groundbreaking-black-filmmaker-oscar-micheaux-subject-of-documentary-premiere_65943415
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