PickFlick
In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema

In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema

The true story of a lost era.

2007•59m•6.5/10
Documentary

Ratings

🎬TMDb
6.5/10(4)

This documentary captures the sounds and images of a nearly forgotten era in film history when African American filmmakers and studios created “race movies” exclusively for black audiences. The best of these films attempted to counter the demeaning stereotypes of black Americans prevalent in the popular culture of the day. About 500 films were produced, yet only about 100 still exist. Filmmaking pioneers like Oscar Micheaux, the Noble brothers, and Spencer Williams, Jr. left a lasting influence on black filmmakers, and inspired generations of audiences who finally saw their own lives reflected on the silver screen.

Open in PickFlick

Language

EN

Status

Released

Release Date

Cast

Lawrence Varnado

Lawrence Varnado

Narrator

Herb Jeffries

Herb Jeffries

Himself

Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee

Herself

Jeni Le Gon

Jeni Le Gon

Herself

Leroy Collins

Himself

Pearl Bowser

Pearl Bowser

Herself

Recommended

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

6.9
2019
Movie

The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

2019
6.9
The Celluloid Closet

The Celluloid Closet

7.2
1996
Movie

Exuberant, eye-opening movie that serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Film contains fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality, from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s.

The Celluloid Closet

1996
7.2
The Director and the Jedi

The Director and the Jedi

7.2
2018
Movie

An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars universe.

The Director and the Jedi

2018
7.2
This Changes Everything

This Changes Everything

6.2
2019
Movie

An investigative look and analysis of gender disparity in Hollywood, featuring accounts from well-known actors, executives and artists in the Industry.

This Changes Everything

2019
6.2
The Skywalker Legacy

The Skywalker Legacy

7.8
2020
Movie

The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that charts the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The Skywalker Legacy

2020
7.8
Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies

6.5
2020
Movie

The definitive documentary on the history of nudity in feature films from the early silent days to the present, studying the changes in morality that led to the use of nudity in films while emphasizing the political, sociological and artistic changes that shaped that history. Skin will also study the gender inequality in presenting nude images in motion pictures and will follow the revolution that has created nude gender equality in feature films today.

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies

2020
6.5
I Am Not Your Negro

I Am Not Your Negro

7.7
2017
Movie

Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.

I Am Not Your Negro

2017
7.7
Los Angeles Plays Itself

Los Angeles Plays Itself

7.6
2004
Movie

From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.

Los Angeles Plays Itself

2004
7.6
As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

7.7
2000
Movie

A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000
7.7
Visions of Light

Visions of Light

7.0
1992
Movie

Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.

Visions of Light

1992
7.0
A Decade Under the Influence

A Decade Under the Influence

7.9
2003
Movie

A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.

A Decade Under the Influence

2003
7.9
Room 237

Room 237

6.1
2012
Movie

A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

Room 237

2012
6.1

Similar Movies

No Image

Bitch: a word movie

Movie

Nantali Indongo, the rapper of the group Nomadic Massive, has long refrained from using the word Bitch in the lyrics of the songs she sings. As an Afro-descendant and mother, she considers that this word’s purpose has always been to dehumanize the Black woman. However, at the junction of the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements, she decided for the f irst time to use the b-word as a cry from the heart in her song Time . Aware of the complexity posed by the trivialization of this word, she embarked on a “word movie” across the Americas to understand the origins of the word and its many connotations over time. Her journey allowed her to give a voice larger- than-life to Black women, so that they could themselves express their opinions on the word bitch.

Bitch: a word movie

Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean

Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean

2026
Movie

Profiles the double Oscar winner, who helmed some of the most well-respected movies of all time, via never-before-seen archive and contributions from leading film directors. Haunted by the shadow of his dismissive father and his puritan upbringing, Lean was married six times, and he created layered and complex narratives in his work while struggling to find connection and meaning in his personal life.

Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean

2026
Blood of 1000 Virgins

Blood of 1000 Virgins

5.4
2013
Movie

The question of "who hunts virgins" and more will be stripped down and explored in the sexiest trailers hosted by Playboy's Nikki Leigh.

Blood of 1000 Virgins

2013
5.4
Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory

6.7
1895
Movie

Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory

1895
6.7
Großes Kino made in DDR

Großes Kino made in DDR

2.8
2016
Movie

In 2016, DEFA celebrates its 70th anniversary: the film embarks on a journey into the exciting film history of the GDR. In a comprehensive kaleidoscope, the importance of DEFA productions is illuminated, the relevance of the films as propaganda productions for the GDR, which socio-political themes were in the foreground, but also which heroes DEFA brought to the screen and celebrated as people from the people.

Großes Kino made in DDR

2016
2.8
#Rucker50

#Rucker50

3.7
2016
Movie

The celebratory explosion of basketball history makers, legend shakers and lawbreakers; juxtaposed against important events in Civil & Human Rights. The 50 years of The Rucker's ripples reverberate throughout Basketball, Hip-Hop, Harlem, and life.

#Rucker50

2016
3.7
The Unknown Peter Sellers

The Unknown Peter Sellers

8.2
2000
Movie

Documentary about the life and career of a comic genius, Peter Sellers.

The Unknown Peter Sellers

2000
8.2
Boundless

Boundless

7.7
2013
Movie

As Hong Kong's foremost filmmaker, Johnnie To himself becomes the protagonist of this painstaking documentary exploring him and his Boundless world of film. A film student from Beijing and avid Johnnie To fan, Ferris Lin boldly approached To with a proposal to document the master director for his graduation thesis. To agreed immediately and Lin's camera closely followed him for over two years, capturing the man behind the movies and the myths. The result is Boundless, a candid profile of one of Hong Kong's greatest directors and a heartfelt love letter to Hong Kong cinema.

Boundless

2013
7.7
The Dinosaur

The Dinosaur

5.8
2021
Movie

Acclaimed Finnish director Rauni Mollberg made several scandalous yet widely appreciated films. Former co-worker Veikko Aaltonen’s eye-opening documentary The Dinosaur looks at the relentless, often disturbing directing techniques behind Mollberg’s art and success.

The Dinosaur

2021
5.8
Chaplin Today: The Kid

Chaplin Today: The Kid

6.0
2003
Movie

This documentary is featured on the two-disc Chaplin Collection DVD for "The Kid" (1921), released in 2004.

Chaplin Today: The Kid

2003
6.0
Adam Sandler: Funny Guy

Adam Sandler: Funny Guy

4.0
2020
Movie

Adam remains a consistent favorite among fans who are comforted that they will always have a good time. Get the inside story on this fascinating actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, husband, father, and forever FUNNY GUY.

Adam Sandler: Funny Guy

2020
4.0
Afro Promo

Afro Promo

8.0
1997
Movie

Co-curated by Jenni Olson and the late Black gay activist Karl Knapper, this entertaining showcase of vintage movie trailers traces the evolution of African American cinema through its most crucial period, 1952-1976. Filled with insights on race and social dynamics, this fascinating compendium of coming attractions explores an extensive range of stylistic approaches—Blaxploitation, Comedy, Music Bio, Plantation Drama and more—offering an outrageous joyride through motion picture history. Beyond mere camp, these marvelously condensed gems crystallize a range of African American identities and personalities, tracking the meteoric careers of Sidney Poitier, James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, Pam Grier and others through their bold performances in movies both hugely popular and practically forgotten. Afro Promo provides a compact glimpse at the representation of African Americans through twenty-five dynamic years of American cinema history.

Afro Promo

1997
8.0
PickFlick Assistant
Hi! I'm your PickFlick Assistant. Ask me about movies, TV shows, OTT sources, or anything about PickFlick.

Powered by CopilotKit