Dudley Murphy

A musical short film written and directed by Dudley Murphy, set during the Harlem Renaissance. It was the first film to feature Duke Ellington and His Orchestra performing as a jazz band, and the film debut of actress Fredi Washington. The plot follows a couple in the performing arts: Duke's girlfriend Fredi, a dancer with a heart condition, collapses on stage while performing with the band. The Ellington Orchestra plays "The Duke Steps Out," "Black Beauty," "Cotton Club Storm," "Hot Feet," and the title piece "Black and Tan Fantasy." As a work published before 1930, the film is in the public domain.

Music · Drama

A two-reel short film directed by Dudley Murphy and the only known film appearance of Bessie Smith, the "Empress of the Blues." Smith plays a woman abandoned by her roving lover (Jimmy Mordecai) for a younger woman (Isabel Washington). In a speakeasy during Prohibition, she sings the W. C. Handy standard "St. Louis Blues" accompanied by James P. Johnson on piano and the Hall Johnson Choir. The film features an entirely Black cast and was selected for the National Film Registry. As a work published before 1930, it is in the public domain.

Music · Drama

A Pullman porter who escapes from prison makes his way to a Caribbean island and, through bluff and bravado, talks and fights his way to becoming its emperor, until his regime begins to crumble. Paul Robeson repeats his stage role in this adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's play. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Drama