This significant collection of non-film promotional material documents how blacks were portrayed in films from 1915 to 1980.

The collection contains ca. 2,700 promotional items including photographic stills, programs, trade advertisements, advertising materials, advertising supplements, lobby cards, pressbooks, and posters, representing approximately 400 films, ranging in date from 1915 to the 1980s.

While most of the material is of American origin, there are a small number of programs printed in Denmark and the United Kingdom that cover rare titles.  Likewise, there are rare fliers, lobby cards, photographic stills, posters, and pressbooks printed in Australia, France, Germany, Latin America, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom.

The collection contains important representative examples from the extremely elusive period before 1950: everything from BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) to CABIN IN THE SKY (1943) and STORMY WEATHER (1943); most of Paul Robeson’s films; examples of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Joe Louis; and specimens of the “race” films made with all Black casts by small independent companies, including a number of pieces from the exceptionally rare period of the silent films of the 1920s.  There is also extremely rare material concerning such early and legendary film pioneers as Lena Horne, Rex Ingram, Oscar Micheaux, Mantan Moreland, and the Nicholas Brothers.

Legendary film artists such as Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, and Sidney Poitier are covered in great depth.  Also documented are infrequent film appearances by Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Eartha Kitt.

Popular titles such as NO WAY OUT (1950), CARMEN JONES (1954) and THE DEFIANT ONES (1958), GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967), and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) are well represented.  The classic 1970s era of Blaxploitation films is also covered in great depth.

While the holdings feature predemonitaly black North American film artists, black artists from other continents such as South America, Europe, and Central Asia are included.

References for Additional Information: The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/ Bogle, Donald.  Blacks in American Films and Television.  New York, 1989. Bogle, Donald.  Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films. Third edition, New York, 1994.  James, Darius.  That’s Blaxploitation.  New York, 1995. Maltin, Leonard. Movie and Video Guide 2000 Edition. New York, 1999. Martinez, Gerald.  What It Is . . . What It Was. The Black Film Explosion of the 70s. New York, 1998. Richards, Larry.  African American Films Through 1959. Jefferson, N.C., 1998.

Alphabetical List of Films  (Click here for full credits) 100 RIFLES. (1969). 3 IN THE ATTIC. (1968). AARON LOVES ANGELA. (1975). ABBY. (1974) ACROSS 110^TH STREET. (1972). ADIOS AMIGO. (1975). ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE. (1960). AFFAIR OF THE SKIN. (1963). AFRICA ABLAZE. (1962). ALL THAT JAZZ. (1979). ALL THE FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS. (1960). ALL THE YOUNG MEN. (1960). AMAZING GRACE. (1974). ANGEL LEVINE, THE. (1970). ANGELA DAVIS: L’ENCHAINEMENT. (1977). ANNA LUCASTA. (1959). ANNA’S SIN. (1961). AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN, THE. (1974). BAMBOO GODS AND IRON MEN. (1974). BEAT STREET. (1984). BEDFORD INCIDENT, THE. (1965) BIG DOLL HOUSE, THE. (1971). BIG TNT SHOW. (1966). BIGGEST BUNDLE OF THEM ALL. (1968). BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL-STARS AND MOTOR KINGS. (1976). BIRTH OF A NATION, THE. (1915). BLACK BELT JONES. (1974). BLACK CAESAR. (1973). BLACK CONNECTION, THE. (1974).  (Also released under the alternate title RUN NIGGER RUN) BLACK DRAGON’S REVENGE. (ca 1975). BLACK EYE. (1974). BLACK GESTAPO, THE. (1975). BLACK GIRL. (1972). BLACK GODFATHER, THE. (1974). BLACK GOLD. (1928). BLACK GUNN. (1972). BLACK JACK. (1973). BLACK KLANSMAN. (1966).  (aka I CROSSED THE COLOR LINE) BLACK LIKE ME. (1964). BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA. (1972). BLACK MOSES OF SOUL. (1973). BLACK ORPHEUS. (1959). BLACK RODEO. (1972). BLACK SAMSON. (1974). BLACK SIX, THE.  (1974). BLACK TIGRESS. (1967). BLACKBOARD JUNGLE. (1955). BLACULA. (1972). BLAZING SADDLES. (1974). BLONDE CONNECTION. (1973). BLOOD OF JESUS. (1941). BLOODY MAMA. (1970). BLUE COLLAR. (1978). BLUES FOR LOVERS. (1966). BONE. (1972). BOOK OF NUMBERS. (1973). BOOT HILL. (1969). BORN BLACK. (1969). BOSS NIGGER. (1975). BRIGHT ROAD. (1953). BROADWAY RHYTHM. (1944). BROTHER JOHN. (1972). BROTHERS. (1977). BRUBAKER. (1980). BRUTE CORPS. (1972). BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR. (Broadway production: 1976-1977). BUCK AND THE PREACHER. (1972). BUCKTOWN. (1975). BURLESQUE IN HARLEM. (1955). BUS IS COMING, THE. (1971). BUSY BODY, THE. (1967). BYE-BYE BRAVERMAN. (1968). CABIN IN THE SKY. (1943). CALIFORNIA SUITE. (1978). CALYPSO HEAT WAVE. (1957). CALYPSO JOE. (1957). CAPRICORN ONE. (1978). CAR WASH. (1976). CARDINAL, THE. (1964). CARMEN JONES. (1954). CHANGE OF MIND. (1969). CHARLEY-ONE-EYE. (1973). CHECKERBOARD. (1959). CHINA GATE. (1957). CHOIRBOYS, THE. (1977). CHROME AND HOT LEATHER. (1971). CINDERELLA LIBERTY. (1973). CLAUDINE. (1973). CLEOPATRA JONES. (1973). CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD. (1975). COFFY. (1973). COME BACK CHARLESTON BLUE. (1972). CONCORDE, THE -- AIRPORT ’79. (1979). CONRACK. (1974). CONVICTS 4. (1962). COOL BREEZE. (1972). COOL WORLD. (1963). COOLEY HIGH. (1975). CORNBREAD, EARL AND ME. (1975). COTTON COMES TO HARLEM. (1970). COUNTDOWN AT KUSINI. (1976). CRIMSON SKULL. (1921). CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY. (1952). DARK OF THE SUN. (1968). DEADLY HERO. (1975). DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER. (1969). DECKS RAN RED, THE. (1958). DEEP, THE. (1977). DEFIANT ONES, THE. (1958). DETROIT 9000. (1973). DIFFERENT DRUMMER: ELVIN JONES. (1979). DISCO GODFATHER. (1979) DOLEMITE. (1975). DOUBLE POSSESSION. (1973). DRUM. (1976). DUEL AT DIABLO. (1967). DUTCHMAN. (1967). DYNAMITE BROTHERS, THE. (1974). EBONY, IVORY and JADE. (1975). EDGE OF THE CITY. (1957). EDUCATION OF SONNY CARSON, THE. (1974). EL CONDOR. (1970). EMMA MAE. (1977). EMPEROR JONES. (1935). ESCAPE TO ATHENA. (1979). FAME. (1980). FINAL COMEDOWN, THE. (1972). FINGERS. (1978). FISH THAT SAVED PITTSBURGH. (1979). FIVE ON THE BLACK HAND SIDE. (1973). FIVE PENNIES, THE. (1959). FLAME IN THE STREETS. (1961). FLYING ACE. (1926). FOR LOVE OF IVY. (1968). FOR US, THE LIVING. (1983). FOX STYLE. (1973). FOXY BROWN. (1974). FREE, WHITE AND 21. (1963). FRIDAY FOSTER. (1976). FUNNY LADY. (1975). FUZZ BROTHERS. (1973). GEORGIA, GEORGIA. (1972). GIRL FROM CHICAGO. (1932). GIRLS ARE FOR LOVING. (1973). GOLDEN NEEDLES. (1976). GORDON’S WAR. (1973). GRASSHOPPER, THE. (1970). GREASED LIGHTNING. (1977). GREAT WHITE HOPE, THE. (1970). GREATEST, THE. (1977). GREEN-EYED MONSTER. (1919). GREEN PASTURES, THE. (1936). GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER? (1967). GUY FROM HARLEM, THE. (1977). HAIR.  (1979). HALLS OF ANGER. (1970). HAMMER. (1972). HANDLE WITH CARE. (1964). HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS, THE. (1957). HARDER THEY COME, THE. (1973). HANGUP. (1974). HELL UP IN HARLEM. (1974). HERO AIN’T NOTHING BUT A SANDWICH, A. (1977). HICKEY AND BOGGS. (1972). HIGH SOCIETY. (1954). HIT! (1973). HIT MAN. (1973). HOME OF THE BRAVE. (1949). HONEY BABY, HONEY BABY. (1974). HONKY. (1972). HOT POTATO. (1976). HUCKLEBERRY FINN. (1974). HUMAN TORNADO. (1976). HURRY SUNDOWN. (1967). HUSTLE. (1975). I CROSSED THE COLOR LINE. (1966). I ESCAPED FROM DEVIL’S ISLAND. (1973). I PASSED FOR WHITE. (1960). IF HE HOLLERS, LET HIM GO. (1968). IMITATION OF LIFE. (1959). IN GOD WE TRUST. (1980). IN OLD KENTUCKY. (1935). IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT. (1967). INCIDENT, THE. (1967). ISLAND IN THE SUN. (1957). IT WON’T RUB OFF, BABY! (1967). ITALIAN CONNECTION. (1973). IT’S GOOD TO BE ALIVE. (1974). J.D.’S REVENGE. (1976). JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. (1973). JOE LOUIS STORY. (1953). JUST AN OLD SWEET SONG. (1976). KENNER. (1968). KILLER FORCE. (1975). KING SOLOMON’S MINES. (1937). KLANSMAN, THE. (1974). LADY SINGS THE BLUES. (1972). LANDLORD, THE. (1970). LAST ANGRY MAN, THE. (1959). LAST OF THE MOBILE HOT SHOTS. (1970). LAW OF THE JUNGLE. (1942). LEADBELLY. (1976). LEARNING TREE, THE. (1969). LEGEND OF NIGGER CHARLEY. (1972). LET NO MAN WRITE MY EPITAPH. (1960). LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL. (1973). LET’S DO IT AGAIN. (1975). LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES. (1970). LILIES OF THE FIELD. (1963).     LONG SHIPS, THE. (1964). LORD SHANGO. (1975). LOST IN THE STARS. (1973). LOST MAN, THE. (1969). LOVE BUG, THE. (1919). MACK, THE. (1973). MAHOGANY. (1975). MALAGA. (1962). MALCOLM X. (1972). MAN, THE. (1972). MAN AND BOY. (1971). MANDINGO. (1975). MAN FRIDAY. (1975). MARK OF THE HAWK. (1957). MASTER GUNFIGHTER, THE. (1975). MAURIE. (1973) McMASTERS, THE. (1970). MEAN JOHNNY BARROWS. (1976). MEAN MOTHER. (1973). MELINDA. (1972). MESSENGER, THE. (1986). MILLION DOLLAR DIXIE DELIVERANCE, THE. (1979). MIRACLE IN HARLEM. (1948). MISS MELODY JONES. (1973). MOTHER, JUGS and SPEED. (1976). NATIVE SON. (1953). NEW ORLEANS. (1947). NIGHT OF THE QUARTER MOON. (1959). NO MERCY MAN. (1975). NO WAY OUT. (1950). NORMAN IS THAT YOU? (1976). NOTHING BUT A MAN. (1964). NUMBER ONE. (1969). ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW. (1959). ONE MORE TIME. (1970). ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO. (1964) ORGANIZATION, THE. (1971). PALS FIRST. (1926). PARIS BLUES. (1961). PART 2 SOUNDER. (1976). PATCH OF BLUE, A. (1965). PENNYWHISTLE BLUES. (1952). PETEY WHEATSTRAW.  (1977). PIECE OF THE ACTION, A. (1977). PIPE DREAMS. (1976). PORGY AND BESS. (1959). PRESIDENT’S ANALYST, THE. (1968). PRESSURE POINT. (1962). PROUD VALLEY. (1940). PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, THE. (1971). PUTNEY SWOPE. (1969). QUIET ONE, THE. (1948). RAGTIME. (1980). RAISIN IN THE SUN. (1961). REGENERATION. (1923). REIVERS, THE. (1969). REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER. (1975). REPRIEVE. (1962). REVENGERS, THE. (1972). RIO CONCHOS. (1964). RIOT. (1968). RIVER NIGER. (1976). ROAR OF THE CROWD. (1938). ROCKY. (1976). ROCKY 2. (1979). SALT AND PEPPER. (1968). SAM WHISKEY. (1969). SAPPHIRE. (1959). SATCHMO THE GREAT. (1957). SAVAGE SISTERS. (1974). SCALPHUNTERS, THE. (1968) SCAVENGER HUNT. (1980). SCOTT JOPLIN. (1977). SCREAM, BLACULA, SCREAM. (1973). SEPIA CINDERELLA. (1947). SERGEANTS 3. (1962). SHAFT. (1971). SHAFT’S BIG SCORE. (1972). SHAFT IN AFRICA. (1973). SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROCK. (1956). SHARKS’ TREASURE. (1975). SHEBA, BABY. (1975). SHOW BOAT. (1936). SIDEKICKS. (1974). SILVER STREAK. (1976). SISTERS. (1973). SKIN GAME. (1971). SLAMS, THE. (1973). SLAUGHTER. (1972). SLAUGHTER’S BIG RIP-OFF. (1973). SLENDER THREAD, THE.  (1965). SOMETHING OF VALUE. (1957). SONG OF THE SOUTH. (1946). SOUL OF NIGGER CHARLEY, THE. (1973). SOUL SOLDIER. (1970). SOUNDER. (1972). SPARKLE. (1976). SPLIT, THE. (1968). SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR. (1973). ST. LOUIS BLUES. (1958). STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE. (1979). STILETTO. (1969). STIR CRAZY. (1980). STORMY WEATHER. (1943). STORY OF A 3 DAY PASS, THE. (1968). STUD BROWN. (1974). STUDENT TEACHERS. (1973). SUDDEN DEATH. (1977). “SUGAR CHILE” ROBINSON, BILLIE HOLIDAY, COUNT BASIE AND HIS SEXTET. (1951). SUGAR HILL. (1974). SUPER COPS. (1974). SUPER DUDE. (1975). SUPERFLY. (1972). SUPERFLY T.N.T. (1973). SWASHBUCKLER. (1979). SWEET CHARITY. (1969). SWEET JESUS, PREACHER MAN. (1973). SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG. (1971). TAKE, THE. (1974). TAKE A GIANT STEP. (1959). TAKE A HARD RIDE. (1975). TALL, TAN AND TERRIFIC. (1946). TAMANGO. (1959). TEENAGE MILLIONAIRE. (1961). THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY. (1978). THAT MAN BOLT. (1973). THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD. (1976). THEY CALL ME MISTER TIBBS. (1970). THING WITH TWO HEADS, THE. (1972). THOMASINE AND BUSHROD. (1974). THREE THE HARD WAY. (1974). THREE TOUGH GUYS. (1974). THREE YOUNG AMERICANS: In Search of Survival. (1969). THREEPENNY OPERA. (1962). TICK...TICK...TICK... (1970).         T.N.T. JACKSON. (1974). TO ALL MY FRIENDS ON SHORE. (1972). TO SIR, WITH LOVE. (1967). TOGETHER BROTHERS. (1974). TOP OF THE HEAP. (1972). TOUGH. (1974). TOWERING INFERNO. (1974). TRICK BABY. (1973). TROUBLE MAN. (1972). TRUCK TURNER. (1974). TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK. (1962). TWO GENTLEMEN SHARING. (1969). UPTIGHT. (1968). UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT. (1974). VARSITY SHOW. (1937). WARM DECEMBER, A. (1973). WATERMELON MAN. (1971). WATTSTAX. (1973). WELCOME HOME, BROTHER CHARLES. (1975). WHERE’S MY MAN TONIGHT? (1944). WHICH WAY IS UP? (1977). WHILE THOUSANDS CHEER. (1940). WHITE DAWN, THE. (1974). WILBY CONSPIRACY, THE. (1975). WILD IN THE SKY. (1972). WILLIE DYNAMITE. (1974). WILMA. (1977). WIZ, THE. (1978). WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL, THE. (1959). YOUNG ONE, THE. (1960). YOUNGBLOOD. (1978). ZEBRA KILLER. (1974)