Within Our Gates

Within Our Gates is a 1919 silent film about an African-American who goes North and helps a minister in the Deep South raise money to keep a school for poor Black children open. Directed by novelist Oscar Micheaux, it is the oldest known surviving film made by an African-American director. The film, which was written and directed by Micheaux, stars Evelyn Preer, Flo Clements, James D. Ruffin, Jack Chenault, William Smith and Charles D. Lucas.

Related Topics:
1919 - Silent film - African-American - Deep South - Oscar Micheaux - Evelyn Preer - Flo Clements - James D. Ruffin - Jack Chenault - William Smith - Charles D. Lucas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Not seen for seventy-five years, a single print of the film, entitled La Negra was found in Spain. A brief sequence in the middle of the film was lost, and only four of the original titles survived, the rest having been removed for translation. In 1993, the Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center restored this film as close to the original as possible. The Spanish titles were retranslated into English by Gene DeAnna, removing any explanatory material that was added and reproducing the style that Micheaux used in his books. The missing sequence was summarized with an intertitle frame.

Related Topics:
Spain - 1993 - Library of Congress - Spanish

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~