Film Footage Found of First Black Movie

There is unbridled excitement in the African American film community over the discovery of what is most likely the first ever feature film with a black cast. The Museum of Modern Art in New York found the cultural gem in its archives. The silent movie was produced in 1913 and is a romantic comedy filled with rare glimpses of Black middle class life including domestic scenes, a social club gathering, and a day trip to the fair.

The movie is a charming depiction of Broadway superstar Bert Williams and two other suitors striving to win the affections of a lovely lady, played by Odessa Warren Grey. Williams and Grey share a kiss that film historians think is the first, on-camera display of romance for Black actors. And, there are other tender exchanges between Williams and Grey.

MoMA says it acquired the cinematic coup in 1939. Later this fall, MoMA will host an exhibit celebrating the work called “100 Years in Post-Production: Resurrecting a Lost Landmark of Black Film History”. The exhibit opens on October 24.