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Gangsters On The Loose
''Bargain with Bullets'' is a 1937 American film. The first film produced by Million Dollar Productions, it features an African American cast of actors and performers. The gangster film is about the Harlem underworld. It was described as the first Hollywood "all-Negro" film. The film features several musical performances. Toddy Pictures Company acquired Million Dollar Productions and re-released the film as ''Gangsters on the Loose''. The gangster themed film drew scrutiny from film censorship boards in the U.S. requiring extensive editing of the film. Cast *Ralph Cooper as Mugsy "Killer" Moore *Theresa Harris *Frances Turham *Lawrence Criner * Clarence Brooks See also *''Dark Manhattan ''Dark Manhattan'' is a black and white American film produced in 1937 by a partnership of African Americans Ralph Cooper and George Randol. Harry Fraser directed the film, which was written by Randol who was also the executive producer. The ...'' References External links * 1937 f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Million Dollar Productions
Million Dollar Productions was a movie studio in the United States active from 1937 until 1940. It was established to produce films with African American casts. It was a partnership between Harry M. Popkin, Leo C. Popkin and Ralph Cooper. History Ralph Cooper was an experienced black actor nicknamed "Dark Gable" who was also a singer, dancer, comedian and emcee at the Apollo Theatre Amateur Night in Harlem. While contracted to 20th Century Fox, Cooper learned film making skills. Together with George Randol, he formed Cooper-Randol Productions to produce ''Dark Manhattan'' (1937). Using the experience he went into partnership with the Popkin brothers, Harry and Leo to form Million Dollar Productions. Harry Popkin owned and managed a chain of Circle Theatres in Los Angeles. One of these was the Million Dollar Theatre that catered to a black clientele. The production company made several fast moving genre pictures with budgets, despite its name, of approximately $8,000 to $10,000 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toddy Pictures Company
Toddy Pictures Company was a film distribution and production company. It was founded by in 1941 by Ted Toddy (1900-1983) in a consolidation of his film businesses under the new name. The film company specialized in African-American films. Toddy was born in Russia. He worked for more than a decade at major studios before establishing Dixie National Pictures in Atlanta. He was involved in efforts to distribute the 1936 film ''Polygamy'' which ran into censorship hurdles and Joseph Breen. He added Million Dollar Productions to his business in 1940. Toddy re-released Million Dollar Productions films with new titles and marketing. Toddy marketed light comedies with outdoor scenes and plenty of musical performances to Black audiences. Filmography *''Harlem on the Prairie (1937), distributor of a Sack Amusements film *'' Polygamy (film)'' (1939), distributor for the Unusual Pictures film *''Up Jumped the Devil'' (1940), a Dixie National Pictures production *'' Prison Bait'' (1940), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ralph Cooper
Ralph Cooper (January 16, 1908 – August 4, 1992), was an American actor, screenwriter, dancer and choreographer. Cooper is best known as the original master of ceremonies and founder of amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City in 1935. He wrote, produced, directed and acted in ten motion pictures. Titles include, ''The Duke Is Tops'', ''Dark Manhattan'', '' Gangsters on the Loose'' and '' Gang War''. Because of his debonair good looks, he was known as "dark Gable" in the 1930s. Biography Cooper was born on January 16, 1908 in Harlem, New York City. He worked as a dancer in small downtown clubs near New York University, which he attended with plans of becoming a medical doctor. In July 1935, Cooper began the Apollo's Amateur Night which ran every Wednesday night. In 1937, Cooper formed Cooper-Randol Productions with black actor George Randol and soon afterwards Million Dollar Productions with white producers Harry Popkin and his brother Leo Popkin to p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theresa Harris
Theresa Harris (December 31, 1906 – October 8, 1985) was an American television and film actress, singer and dancer. Early life Harris was born on New Year's Eve 1906 (some sources indicate 1909) in Houston, Texas, to Isaiah and Mable Harris, both of whom were former sharecroppers from Louisiana. Harris' family relocated to Southern California when she was 11 years old. After graduating Jefferson High School, she studied at the UCLA Conservatory of Music and Zoellner's Conservatory of Music. She then joined the Lafayette Players, an African American musical comedy theatre troupe. Career She made her film debut in 1929 in ''Thunderbolt'', singing the song "Daddy Won't You Please Come Home". As she entered the 1930s, she played, often without credit, maids to characters acted by Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis, Sylvia Sidney, Frances Dee, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Thelma Todd, Kay Francis, and Barbara Stanwyck. She also floated around studios doing bit-parts, usually at Warner Br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frances Turham
Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the Franks who were named for the francisca, the axe they used in battle. https://nameberry.com/babyname/frances Notable people and characters with the name include: People * Frances, Countess of Périgord (died 1481) * Frances (musician) (born 1993), British singer and songwriter * Frances Estill Beauchamp (1860-1923), American temperance activist, social reformer, lecturer * Frances Burke, Countess of Clanricarde (1567–1633), English noblewoman and Irish countess * Frances E. Burns (1866-1937), American social leader and business executive * Frances Carr, Countess of Somerset (1590–1632), central figure in a famous scandal and murder * Frances Lewis Brackett Damon (1857–1939), American poet, writer * Frances Davidson, Viscountess Davi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lawrence Criner
Laurence Criner (19 July 1898 - 8 March 1965) born John Laurence Criner, occasionally credited as J. Lawrence Criner, was an actor in the United States. An African-American, he had numerous film roles including as the male lead and star. He was a member of the Lafayette Players and worked at Norman Studios in Jacksonville, Florida where he starred in two of their race films. He later worked at African American studio Million Dollar Productionshttp://normanstudios.org/films-stars/norman-players/laurence-criner/ The Smithsonian Institution has a lobby card for '' The Flying Ace''. The Library of Congress has a movie poster of '' Life Goes On'' that features an insetimage of Criner. The National Museum of African American History has a herald for ''Flying Ace''. Theater *''Meek Mose'' (1928), credited as J. Lawrence Criner Filmography *'' The Flying Ace'' (1926) as Capt. Blly Stokes *'' The Millionaire (1927 film)'' *'' Black Gold (1928 film)'' *'' Black Moon'' (1934), as hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clarence Brooks (actor)
Clarence Ahart Brooks (1896–1969) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films including in starring roles. With Noble Johnson and James Thomas Smith he formed Lincoln Motion Picture Company in 1916. He starred in the 1921 film ''By Right of Birth''. He is featured in the 1989 documentary film ''That's Black Entertainment''. Filmography *''The Realization of a Negro's Ambition'' (1916) *''The Trooper of Company K'' (1916) *''The Law of Nature'' (1916) *''A Man's Duty'' (1919) *''By Right of Birth'' (1921) *''Absent'' (1928) *''Georgia Rose'' (1930) *'' Arrowsmith'' (1931) *''Murder in Harlem'' (1935), also released as ''Lem Hawkins' Confession'' *''Dark Manhattan (1937) *''Two-Gun Man from Harlem'' (1938) *''Harlem Rides the Range'' (1939) *''The Bronze Buckaroo'' (1939) *''Up Jumped the Devil ''Up Jumped the Devil'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Mantan Moreland. Plot Washington and Jefferson are two criminals who are jus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dark Manhattan
''Dark Manhattan'' is a black and white American film produced in 1937 by a partnership of African Americans Ralph Cooper and George Randol. Harry Fraser directed the film, which was written by Randol who was also the executive producer. The film was the only one made by Randol-Cooper Productions. The film opens with a dedication to R. B. Harrison, Bert Williams, and Florence Mills "and all the pioneer Negro actors who by their many sacrifces paved the way for this presentation." Music was by Ellison & Brooks (Ben Ellison and Harvey O. Brooks). Ben Rinaldo was associate producer. The film stars Cooper, and focuses on an up-and-coming youngster ruthlessly taking control of the numbers racket from the ailing former boss. The film is discussed in the book ''Making a Promised Land''. Cast * Ralph Cooper as Curly Thorpe * Cleo Herndon as Flo Gray * Clarence Brooks as Larry Lee *Jess Lee Brooks Jess Lee Brooks (June 10, 1894 – December 13, 1944), also known as Jesse Brooks, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1937 Films
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first American full-length animated film, ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1937 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events * January 29 – ''The Good Earth'' premieres in the U.S. * April 16 – '' Way Out West'' premieres in the US. * May 7 – ''Shall We Dance'' premieres in the US. * May 11 – ''Captains Courageous'' premieres in New York. The film is released nationwide on June 25. * Monogram Pictures, who had merged with Republic Pictures two years earlier, decide to separate and distribute their own films again. * June 7 – Jean Harlow, one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the decade, dies aged 26 at Good Samaratan Hospital in Los Angeles. The official cause of death is listed as cerebral edema, a complication of kidney failure. * June 11 – '' A Day at the Races'' premieres in the U.S. * July ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Gangster Films
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports teams Soccer * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Black-and-white Films
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports teams Soccer * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Race Films
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or social relations * Racing, a competition of speed Rapid movement * The Race (yachting race) * Mill race, millrace, or millrun, the current of water that turns a water wheel, or the channel (sluice) conducting water to or from a water wheel * Tidal race, a fast-moving tide passing through a constriction Acronyms * RACE encoding, a syntax for encoding non-ASCII characters in ASCII * Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, in the US, established in 1952 for wartime use * Rapid amplification of cDNA ends, a technique in molecular biology * RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), a robotics development center in the UK * RACE Racing Academy and Centre of Education, a jockey and horse-racing industry training centre in Kildare t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
