''Murder in Harlem'' (also released as ''Lem Hawkins Confession'' and ''Brand of Cain'') is a 1935 American

race film The race film or race movie was a genre of film produced in the United States between about 1915 and the early 1950s, consisting of films produced for black audiences, and featuring black casts. Approximately five hundred race films were produce ...

written, produced and directed by

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 ...

, who also appears in the film. He remade his 1921

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

The Gunsaulus Mystery ''The Gunsaulus Mystery'' is a 1921 American silent race film directed, produced, and written by Oscar Micheaux. The film was inspired by events and figures in the 1913-1915 trial of Leo Frank for the murder of Mary Phagan. The film is now beli ...

''. Basing the works on the 1913 trial of

Leo Frank Leo Max Frank (April 17, 1884August 17, 1915) was an American factory superintendent who was convicted in 1913 of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in Atlanta, Georgia. His trial, conviction, and appeals attracted national at ...

for the murder of Mary Phagan, Micheaux used the detective genre to introduce different voices and conflicting accounts by his characters. In July 2021, the film was shown in the Cannes Classics section at the

2021 Cannes Film Festival The 74th annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 6 to 17 July 2021, after having been originally scheduled from 11 to 22 May 2021. American director Spike Lee was invited to be the head of the jury for the festival for a second time, after t ...

Plot

An African-American man is framed of the murder of a white woman, but a white man is found to be responsible. Author-turned-attorney Henry Glory is hired by the accused man's sister to defend him. Glory pieces the crime together, and the white killer is revealed. The film is loosely based on the real life case of Leo Frank. However, it changes the titular aspect of the real case, in that it was highly prejudicial due to Frank being a non-white Jewish man in rural Georgia. Unlike in the film, Frank's guilt is often viewed with great skepticism due to him never receiving a fair trial. Another difference between this film and the real life case it was inspired by, is that Frank's film character is portrayed as white and played by a white actor, whereas the real Frank was racially Jewish. J. Ronald Green
''Straight Lick: The Cinema of Oscar Micheaux''
Indiana University Press, 2000, p. 174.

Cast

* Clarence Brooks as Henry Glory *

Dorothy Van Engle Dorothy Van Engle (August 14, 1910 – May 10, 2004) was an American actress who performed throughout the 1930s. She starred in Oscar Micheaux films, including ''Murder in Harlem'' and ''Swing!''. History Early life Born Donessa Dorothy Van En ...

as Claudia Vance *

Andrew S. Bishop Andrew S. Bishop (1894–1959) was an actor on stage and screen. He and Cleo Desmond drew adoring fans to their theatrical performances. He starred in several of Oscar Michaux's African American films. He was part of the Anita Bush stock compan ...

as Anthony Brisbane *Alec Lovejoy as Lem Hawkins *

Laura Bowman Laura Bowman (October 3, 1881 – March 29, 1957) was an American stage, radio, and film actress.Tanner, Jo A."Bowman, Laura" In Hine, Darlene Clark, ed. ''Black Women in America: Theater Arts and Entertainment'', Encyclopedia of Black Women in A ...

as Mrs. Epps *Bee Freeman as The Catbird *

Alice B. Russell Alice Burton Russell (June 30, 1889 – January 1, 1985) was an African-American actress, producer, and the wife of director Oscar Micheaux. She appeared in several films directed by her husband. Biography She was born in 1889 in Maxton, ...

as Mrs. Vance * Eunice Wilson as Singer *Lorenzo McClane as Arthur Vance * David Hanna as Undetermined Role *"Slick" Chester as Detective

Soundtrack

*"Harlem Rhythm Dance" (Music and lyrics by Clarence Williams) *"Ants in My Pants" (Music and lyrics by Clarence Williams)

References

External links

* * 1935 films 1935 drama films 1930s mystery drama films American black-and-white films Films based on American novels Films directed by Oscar Micheaux Films set in Harlem Race films Sound film remakes of silent films Remakes of American films American mystery drama films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Soundtrack

See also

References

External links