“Oscar Micheaux” Documentary Film Review & Historical Commentary

“Oscar Micheaux -The Superhero of Black Film Making” is a useful contribution to the library of Black History subjects placing Micheaux into the pantheon of individuals who contributed to the rise of twentieth century African American culture and ultimately, in a more “woke” sense, to the fabric of American culture as a whole.

Micheaux lived off-and-on in Chicago for decades. In 1918 he opened a film office in the South Loop. His first film, “The Homesteader” was made, at the then recently abandoned Selig-Polyscope studio on Chicago’s north side and became phenomenally successful with African American audiences leading him to become a mini-mogul in the flourishing Chicago silent film scene.

His last film “The Betrayal” produced in 1948, which has sadly been lost, was also produced in Chicago, shooting scenes throughout the South Side and on farms in Wisconsin and southern Michigan.

The documentary film, “Oscar Micheaux – The Superhero of Black Cinema” directed by Francesco Zippel had its North American premiere as part of the 2021 Chicago International Film Festival.

After listening to our podcast you might be interested to see some movies by Oscar Micheaux.