''Hearts in Dixie'' (1929) starring

Stepin Fetchit Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry (May 30, 1902 – November 19, 1985), better known by the stage name Stepin Fetchit, was an American vaudevillian, comedian, and film actor of Jamaican and Bahamian descent, considered to be the first black a ...

was one of the first all- "talkie", big-studio productions to boast a predominantly African-American cast. A musical, the film celebrates African-American music and dance. It was released by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

just months before the release of '' Hallelujah!'', another all-black musical by competitor

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

. The director of ''Hearts in Dixie'' was

Paul Sloane Paul Sloane (April 19, 1893 November 15, 1963) was an American screenwriter and film director who directed 26 films from 1925 to 1952, and wrote or co-wrote 35 films. His movies include ''Hearts in Dixie'' (1929) with Stepin Fetchit, ''The Wom ...

. Walter Weems wrote the screenplay, and William Fox was producer.

Synopsis

There is no overarching storyline. The film is a series of unconnected scenes celebrating the advent of sound technology in the context of "black music". ''Hearts in Dixie'' unfolds as a series of sketches of life among American blacks. Although the characters are not slaves they are nevertheless racial stereotypes in terms of the contemporary white images of the period. One plot focuses on Grandfather Nappus (

Clarence Muse Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a film, 1929's ''Hearts in Dixie''. He acted for ...

), his daughter, Chloe (Bernice Pilot), her young son, Chinaquapin (

Eugene Jackson Eugene W. Jackson II (December 25, 1916 – October 26, 2001) was an American child actor who was a regular of the '' Our Gang'' short series during the silent Pathé era. Career When he joined the gang, Jackson replaced the series' firs ...

), and her husband, Gummy (

). In order to make certain that his grandson Chinaquapin does not end up like his father or become tainted by the superstitions that dominate the community, the grandfather decides to send the boy away. One particularly tender scene shows Nappus's love for his grandson, whom he sends North for schooling. The film ends with the youngster's departure aboard a riverboat.Langman, Larry. ''Hollywood's Image of the South: A Century of Southern Films'', Greenwood Press, 2001 -

Cast

: Gummy *

: Nappus *

: Chinquapin * Bernice Pilot: Chloe *Clifford Ingram: Rammey * Mildred Washington: Trallia * Zack Williams: Deacon * Gertrude Howard: Emmy * Dorothy Morrison: Melia *Vivian Smith: Violet * A.C.H. Bilbrew: Voodoo Woman * Richard Carlyle: White Doctor *The Billbrew Chorus

References

External links

* * * 1929 films 1920s musical drama films American musical drama films American black-and-white films Fox Film films 1929 drama films Films directed by Paul Sloane 1920s English-language films 1920s American films {{musical-drama-film-stub