Black Shadows on a Silver Screen (1975)

Black Shadows on a Silver Screen is a 1975 documentary film about African American cinema. It was distributed by Lucerne Films. Steven York directed and edited the film. Ossie Davis narrates. The history of "race films" is presented from the earliest days of silents to the genre's gradual demise after World War II. These generally low budget films were designed to be seen by segregated black audiences. Although many of them were cheaply and crudely made, they are a record of the hopes and aspirations of the contemporary black community. The careers of such pioneering black filmmakers as Oscar…