Oscar Micheaux | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (1884-01-02)January 2, 1884 |
| Died | March 25, 1951(1951-03-25) (aged 67) |
| Occupation(s) | Director, writer |
| Spouse | Alice B. Russell (1892–1984) |
| Awards | Directors Guild of America Awards 1986 Golden Jubilee Special Award Hollywood Walk of Fame 6721 Hollywood Boulevard |
Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (2 January 1884 – 25 March 1951) was anAmericanwriter,moviedirector and independentproducer of more than 44 movies. He is regarded as the first major African-American moviemaker, and the most successful African-American moviemaker of the first half of the twentieth century.[1] Micheaux was the most prominent producer ofrace movies. He produced bothsilent movies and "talkies".
Micheaux was born to formerslaves on January 2, 1884, in Metropolis,Illinois. He passed most of his early years in Great Bend,Kansas. He moved toChicago when he was 17. He worked as a Pullmanporter (railroad baggage handler). In 1906, he bought land inSouth Dakota. Hehomesteaded among white neighbors for eight years.
He began to write stories. In 1913, he self-published his first novel,The Conquest: The Story of a Negro Pioneer. In 1915, he had money troubles and lost his land. He moved toSioux City, Iowa where he ran his own publishing company. In 1917, he rewroteThe Conquest and published it asThe Homesteader. He sold the book door-to-door in small towns.
An African American movie company wanted to make a movie ofThe Homesteader. The company however did not want Micheaux to direct it. They would not agree to a budget that met his expectations. The deal was dropped.
Micheaux then turned his publishing company into the Micheaux Film and Book Company. He soldstock in the company to raise money for his own movie ofThe Homesteader, and shooting began. It was the first feature-length movie made by an African American. It was released inChicago in 1919, and was a great success.
Micheaux's second movie wasWithin Our Gates. This was his response toD. W. Griffith'sBirth of a Nation. Griffith's movie was about theKu Klux Klan. It was one of the most popular movies of the day. The movie challenged Griffith's message by showing that whites were more likely to harm blacks than the other way around.
Micheaux would make more than 40 movies over the next 30 years. In 1931, his movieThe Exile became the first full-length sound feature by an African American. His last movieThe Betrayal (1948) was the first movie produced by an African American to open in white theaters.[2]
Micheaux died on 25 March 1951 inCharlotte, North Carolina. He is buried in the Great Bend Cemetery in Great Bend, Kansas. Hisgravestone reads, "A Man Ahead of His Time."
In 1986, the Directors Guild of America posthumously granted Micheaux the Golden Jubilee Special Directorial Award. In 1987, he received a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame.