The Czar of Black Hollywood

The Czar of Black Hollywood is a 2014 documentary film by Bayer Mack that chronicles the early life and career of African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux (1884–1951).[1] Mack 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]

The Czar of Black Hollywood
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBayer Mack
Produced byBayer Mack
Frances Presley-Rice
Hal Croasmun
Written byBayer Mack
StarringOscar Micheaux
Narrated byWilliam Bell
Music byNicholas Jones
Edited byBayer Mack
Edith Bush
Distributed byBlock Starz Music Television
Release date
  • September 26, 2014 (2014-09-26) (ASALH Film Festival)
  • October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17)
Running time
67 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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]

Development

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.[6][7] In an interview with The News and Advance, Mack said he “scoured the archives of all the great major black weeklies” for information and imagery to recreate Micheaux's world, saying the documentary film was a "restoration project".[8]

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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11] 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."[12] 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 and its first public screening on October 17, 2014, at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia.[13][14][15]

Reception

The documentary was critically acclaimed upon release and remains popular with film historians. Fans of African-American cinema often screen The Czar of Black Hollywood along with one of Oscar Micheaux's movies. The film has aired on public television and is available at several libraries in North America. The Czar of Black Hollywood was one of four feature films selected to be screened and discussed at the 2020 March on Washington Film Festival, which finds, encourages, and brings to life stories of both icons and foot soldiers from the Civil Rights Movement. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

Home Media

The Czar of Black Hollywood was released on DVD in the U.S. and Canada on December 24, 2014, and is available for streaming.[24]

Cast
  • Oscar Micheaux: Himself (archive footage)
  • William Bell: Narrator
  • Nicholas Jones: Oscar Micheaux (voice)
  • M. Ayodele Heath: Claude McKay (voice)

Accolades
Awards and Nominations received by The Czar of Black Hollywood
Award Category Nominee Result
2015 Black Reel Awards Best Independent Documentary Bayer L. Mack Nominated
2020 March on Washington Film Festival Featured Film + Discussion Bayer Mack Official Selection

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. 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.
  7. Wetzstein, Cheryl (2014-04-30). "Love of history spurred rap mogul Bayer L. Mack to make Micheaux documentary". Washington Times. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  8. http://www.newsadvance.com/the_burg/movies/it-s-a-treasure-trove-of-black-social-history/article_ebfc5b96-546d-11e4-b626-001a4bcf6878.html
  9. Taylor, Erica L. (2014-02-13). "Little Known Black History Fact: Oscar Micheaux". Black America Web. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  10. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-kelly/new-documentary-about-bla_b_5448566.html
  11. "Boca Gets a New Film Festival | Boca Raton Magazine". Bocamag.com. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  12. 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.
  13. "Oscar Micheaux: Homesteader, Bestselling Author, Filmmaker". America Comes Alive. 1939-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  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
  16. http://www.nashvillescene.com/news/article/13060956/from-straight-outta-compton-to-empire-and-shondaland-hollywood-is-betting-again-on-black-and-the-international-black-film-festival-of-nashville-is-ready
  17. http://www.workersunitefilmfestival.org/festival-schedule-2016/2016/5/7/program-4-oscar-micheaux-retrospective-free-event
  18. http://cleveland.eventful.com/events/czar-black-hollywood-film-screening-/E0-001-090104961-9
  19. http://www.kansas.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/movie-maniac/article61097102.html
  20. https://www.cctvcambridge.org/node/480241
  21. https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/the-march-on-washington-film-festival-goes-virtual-in-2-1845001527
  22. Gray, Tim (October 23, 2020). "Tyler Perry's Role Model: Pioneering Black Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux". Variety. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  23. "The Czar of Black Hollywood". WorldCat.org. WorldCat. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  24. https://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Micheaux-Czar-Black-Hollywood/dp/B00OHRRAIW
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