Alice B. Russell
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Alice Burton Russell (June 30, 1889 – January 1, 1985) was an African-American actress, producer, and the wife of director
Oscar Micheaux Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (; January 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was an author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films. Although the short-lived Lincoln Motion Picture Company was the first movie company owned and controlled ...
. She appeared in several films directed by her husband.


Biography

She was born in 1889 in
Maxton, North Carolina Maxton is a town in Robeson and Scotland counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,426 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. History The Maxton area was first settled in the 18th century. The community was incorporated in 1874 ...
. Her parents were M. J. Russell and Robert Russell, who was a prominent newspaper editor, publisher, and politician. Regester, Charlene. "Emerging from the Shadows: Alice Burton Russell-African American Film Producer, Actress, and Screenwriter." 2020.''Film History'' 32 (1): 127-155. Russell and Micheaux married on March 20, 1926, in
Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As ...
. She began her acting career in silent film, starring in her husband's '' The Broken Violin'' (1928). She continued to act after talkies predominated. She was mentioned often as A. Burton Russell in credits. In the 1930s, she produced three films by her husband and worked as miscellaneous crew in two films. Living nearly 100 years, she died in
New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...
. She was buried in an unmarked grave in Greenwood Cemetery in
Rye, New York Rye is a coastal suburb of New York City in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the Town of Rye, which has more land area than the city. The City of Rye, formerly the Village of Rye, was part of the Town until it r ...
. Her gravesite is now marked with a stone honoring her achievements in the entertainment industry.


Filmography

As actress: * '' The Broken Violin'' (1928) * ''
Wages of Sin ''Wages of Sin'' is the fourth studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. It is the first Arch Enemy album to feature the vocals of Angela Gossow. It is also the first album they use Standard-C tuning, which they still use ...
'' (
1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
) * ''When Men Betray'' (1929) * ''
Easy Street Easy Street may refer to: Film * ''Easy Street'' (1917 film), a Charlie Chaplin comedy * Easy Street (1930 film), by Oscar Micheaux, US * ''Easy Street'' (TV series), 1986–87 US sitcom Music *Easy Street (band), UK, 1970s **''Easy Street'', ...
'' (
1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...
) *''
A Daughter of the Congo ''A Daughter of the Congo'' is a 1930 race film directed, written and produced by Oscar Micheaux. The film is loosely based on the novel ''The American Cavalryman'' (1917), by African-American novelist and playwright Henry Francis Downing. It i ...
'' (1930) *''
Veiled Aristocrats ''Veiled Aristocrats'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code race film written, directed, produced and distributed by Oscar Micheaux. The film deals with the theme of " passing" by mixed-race African Americans to avoid racial discrimination. It is a rem ...
'' (1932) *''
Ten Minutes to Live ''Ten Minutes to Live'' is a 1932 American film directed by Oscar Micheaux and starring Lawrence Chenault, A. B. DeComathiere, Laura Bowman, Willor Lee Guilford, and Tressie Mitchell. One of the characters is deaf and much of the dialogue was ...
'' (1932) *''
The Girl from Chicago ''The Girl from Chicago'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film produced and directed by Oscar Micheaux, with an all-African-American cast including lead actors Grace Smith and Carl Mahon. The story concerns a federal agent who falls in love ...
'' (1932) *''
Harlem After Midnight ''Harlem After Midnight'' (1934) is a black-and-white silent film directed by author and director Oscar Micheaux. A drama film, it featured an "all-colored cast". As in most of the films created by Micheaux there is an all-black casting for the d ...
'' (1934) * ''
Murder in Harlem ''Murder in Harlem'' (also released as ''Lem Hawkins Confession'' and ''Brand of Cain'') is a 1935 American race film written, produced and directed by Oscar Micheaux, who also appears in the film. He remade his 1921 silent film ''The Gunsaulus M ...
'' (
1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...
) * ''
God's Step Children ''God's Step Children'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Oscar Micheaux and starring Jacqueline Lewis. The film is inspired by a combination of elements shared from two previously released Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood production ...
'' (
1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...
) *''
Birthright Birthright is the concept of things being due to a person upon or by fact of their birth, or due to the order of their birth. These may include rights of citizenship based on the place where the person was born or the citizenship of their paren ...
'' (1939) * ''
The Betrayal "The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom '' Seinfeld''. This was the eighth episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997. In this episode, Jerry betrays George by having sex with his girlfriend Nina, right be ...
'' (
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
) As producer: * '' Darktown Revue'' (
1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...
) * ''
Murder in Harlem ''Murder in Harlem'' (also released as ''Lem Hawkins Confession'' and ''Brand of Cain'') is a 1935 American race film written, produced and directed by Oscar Micheaux, who also appears in the film. He remade his 1921 silent film ''The Gunsaulus M ...
'' (
1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...
) * ''
Birthright Birthright is the concept of things being due to a person upon or by fact of their birth, or due to the order of their birth. These may include rights of citizenship based on the place where the person was born or the citizenship of their paren ...
'' (
1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...
) As miscellaneous crew: * ''
Ten Minutes to Live ''Ten Minutes to Live'' is a 1932 American film directed by Oscar Micheaux and starring Lawrence Chenault, A. B. DeComathiere, Laura Bowman, Willor Lee Guilford, and Tressie Mitchell. One of the characters is deaf and much of the dialogue was ...
'' (
1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
) * ''
Swing! ''Swing!'' is a musical conceived by Paul Kelly with music by various artists. It celebrates the music of the Swing era of jazz (1930s–1946), including many well-known tunes by artists like Duke Ellington, William "Count" Basie, Benny Goodma ...
'' (
1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...
)


See also

*
Oscar Micheaux Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (; January 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was an author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films. Although the short-lived Lincoln Motion Picture Company was the first movie company owned and controlled ...


References


External links

*
Alice B. Russell
at the Women Film Pioneers Project
Alice B. Russell Micheaux
at Find a Grave 1880s births 1984 deaths People from Maxton, North Carolina American silent film actresses Film producers from New York (state) Actresses from New Rochelle, New York 20th-century American actresses American film actresses African-American actresses Women film pioneers American women film producers African-American film producers 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people {{US-film-actor-1890s-stub