Paul Robeson : portraits of the artist.
Title:
Paul Robeson : portraits of the artist.
Publication Information:
[Irvington, NY] : Criterion Collection, [2007]
Physical Description:
4 videodiscs (approximately 586 min.) : sound, black and white ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet (75 pages, illustrations).
ISBN:
9781934121191
9781934121207
9781934121214
9781934121221
9781934121238
Series:
General Note:
Collective title from container.
'Jericho' released in the U.S. as 'Dark sands.'
Originally released as motion pictures and documentary films 1925-1979.
Full screen (1.33:1).
Special features: [Disc 1]: audio commentary for 'The Emperor Jones' by historian Jeffrey C. Stewart; "Our Paul: remembering Paul Robeson," a new video program with filmmaker William Greaves and actors Ruby Dee and James Earl Jones; "Robeson on Robeson," a new video interview with Paul Robeson Jr. [Disc 2]: audio commentary for 'Body and soul' by Oscar Micheaux historian Pearl Bowser. [Disc 3]: "True pioneer: the British films of Paul Robeson," a new video program with Paul Robeson Jr. and film historians Stephen Bourne and Ian Christie. [Disc 4]: "The story of 'Native land'," a new video interview with cinematographer Tom Hurwitz, son of 'Native land' codirector Leo Hurwitz; Pacifica Radio interview with Paul Robeson from 1958.
Booklet includes essays by Paul Robeson, Hilton Als, Charles Burnett, Ian Christie, Geraldyn dismond, Charles Musser, Clement Alexander Price, and Deborah Willis and a note from Pete Seeger.
Abstract:
"All-American athlete, scholar, renowned baritone, stage actor, and social activist, Paul Robeson ... the son of an escaped slave, managed to become a top-billed movie star during the time of Jim Crow America ... his film legacy lives on and continues to speak eloquently of the long and difficult journey of a courageous and outspoken African-American."--Container.
The Emperor Jones: Unscrupulously ambitious Brutus Jones escapes from jail after killing a guard and through bluff and bravado finds himself the emperor of a Caribbean island.
Paul Robeson, tribute to an artist: Traces Robeson's career through his activism and his socially charged performances of his signature song, "Ol' man river."
Body and soul: A minister is malevolent and sinister behind his righteous facade. He consorts with, and later extorts from, the owner of a gambling house, and betrays an honest girl, eventually driving them both to ruin.
Borderline: A Negro woman having an adulterous affair with a white man causes his wife to go mad and re-enforces the towns-folk's prejudice against Negroes.
Sanders of the river: A British District Officer in Nigeria in the 1930s rules his area strictly but justly. He struggles with gun-runners and slavers with the aid of a loyal native chief.
Jericho: During WWI, action hero Robeson escapes an unjust death sentence to ramble around Arabia.
The proud valley: In a Welsh coal mining valley, a young man with a beautiful singing voice is called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice when a pit disaster threatens.
Native land: Paul Robeson narrates a mix of dramatizations and archival footage which expose violations of Americans' civil liberties and is a call to action for exploited workers around the country.
Reading Level:
Not rated.
Subject Term:
Genre:
Added Author:
Added Corporate Author:
Added Title Contained Works:
Icon.
Outsider.
Pioneer.
Citizen of the world.
Dark sands.
Added Uniform Title Contained Work:
Container of (work): Emperor Jones (Motion picture)
Container of (work): Paul Robeson, tribute to an artist (Motion picture)
Container of (work): Body and soul (Motion picture : 1925)
Container of (work): Borderline (Motion picture : 1930)
Container of (work): Sanders of the river (Motion picture)
Container of (work): Jericho (Motion picture : 1937)
Container of (work): Proud valley (Motion picture)
Container of (work): Native land (Motion picture : 1942)
Restrictions on Access:
For private home use only.
Contents:
Disc [1], Icon. The Emperor Jones / restored by Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center ; National Film Preservation Foundation ; preserved through Treasures of American Film Archives ; John Krimsky and Gifford Cochran present ; released by United Artists Corporation ; based upon the play by Eugene O'Neill ; directed by Dudley Murphy ; screen play by Du-Bose Heyward ; incidental music composed and directed by Frank Tours ; photography, Ernest Haller ; art direction, Herman Rosse ; film editor, Grant Whytock (cast: Paul Robeson, Dudley Digges, Frank Wilson, Fredi Washington, Ruby Elzy, George Stamper) (1933, 76 min.) -- Paul Robeson: Tribute to an artist / a Janus Films production ; written and directed by Saul J. Turell ; narrated by Sidney Poitier ; film editor, Donald P. Finamore (1979, 29 min.).
Disc [2], Outsider. Body and soul / restored by George Eastman House ; musical score (2000) by Wycliffe Gordon ; a Micheaux production ; [directed, written, and produced by Oscar Micheaux] (cast: Paul Robeson, Marshall Rodgers, Lawrence Chenault, Chester A. Alexander, Walter Cornick, Lillian Johnson, Madame Robinson, [Julia Theresa Russell, Mercedes Gilbert]) (silent film with musical score, 1925, 79 min.) -- Borderline / restored by George Eastman House ; British Film Institute ; a Pool film ; written & directed by Kenneth Macpherson ; original music composed by Courtney Pine in 2006 (cast: Paul Robeson, Eslanda Robeson, Helga Doorn, Gavin Arthur, Charlotte Arthur, Blanche Lewin) (silent film with musical score, 1930, 75 min.).
Disc [3], Pioneer. Sanders of the river / Anglo-American Film Corporation, Ltd. presents ; a London Film production ; [based on stories] by Edgar Wallace ; scenario, continuity & dialogue by Lajos Biro and Jeffrey Dell ; produced by Alexander Korda ; directed by Zoltan Korda ; lyrics, Arthur Wimperis ; musical compositions, Michael Spolianski ; photography, Georges Perinal, Osmond Borrodaile, Louis Page ; film editor, Charles Crichton ; musical director, Muir Mathieson (cast: Paul Robeson, Leslie Banks, Nina Mae McKinney, Robert Cochrane, Martin Walker, Richard Grey, Tony Wane, Marquis de Portago, Eric Maturin, Allan Jeayes, Charles Carson) (1935, 87 min.) -- Jericho / Max Schach presents a Buckingham film ; produced by Walter Futter ; directed by Thornton Freeland ; original story by Walter Futter ; adaptation by Robert N. Lee and Peter Ruric ; scenario by George Barraud ; photography, John W. Boyle ; art direction, Edward Carrick ; original songs by Michael Carr & Jimmy Kennedy ; musical direction by Van Phillips (cast: Paul Robeson, Henry Wilcoxon, Wallace Ford, Princess Kouka, John Laurie, James Carew, Lawrence Brown, Rufus Fennell, Ike Hatch, Frank Cram, Frank Cochrane, George Barraud, Frederick Cooper, Henry Aubin) (1937, 75 min.).
Disc [4], Citizen of the world. The proud valley / Janus Films ; Studio Canal ; CAPAD presents ; produced & recorded at Ealing Studios Ltd. London ; produced by Michael Balcon ; directed by Pen Tennyson ; screen play, Pen Tennyson, Jack Jones, Louis Golding ; based on the story by Herbert Marshall and Alfredda Brilliant ; photography, Glen Macwilliams, Roy Kellino ; art director, Wilfrid Shingleton ; editor, Ray Pitt ; music arranged & directed by Ernest Irving (cast: Paul Robeson, Edward Chapman, Edward Rigby, Simon Lack, Janet Johnson, Rachel Thomas, Charles Williams, Dilys Thomas, Jack Jones, Dilys Davies, Clifford Evans, Alan Jeayes, George Merritt, Edward Lexy) (1940, 77 min.) -- Native land / Frontier Films presents ; commentary by David Wolff ; script by David Wolff, Leo Hurwitz, Paul Strand ; directed by Leo Hurwitz, Paul Strand ; narrated by Paul Robeson ; photography, Paul Strand ; editor, Leo Hurwitz ; music, Marc Blitzstein (cast: Fred Johnson, Mary George, John Rennick, Amelia Romano, Housely Stevens, Louis Grant, James Hanney, Howard Da Sylva, Art Smith, Bert Conway, Richard Bishop, Charles Jordan, Vaughn King, Robert Strauss, Dolores Cornell, John Marlieb, Tom Connors, Harry Wilson, Rev. Charles Webber, Virginia Stevens, Clancy Cooper, Tom Pedi) (1942, 88 min.).
Credits:
The Emperor Jones: incidental music composed and directed by Frank Tours ; art direction, Herman Rosse ; film editor, Grant Whytock. Paul Robeson: film editor, Donald P. Finamore. Our Paul: video editor, Tara Young ; online editor, Chris Ramey ; camera, Nicholas Blair, Mead Hunt. Robeson on Robeson: video editor, Mark Ring ; online editor, Chris Ramey ; camera, Mead Hunt.
Performer:
Paul Robeson.
Technical Details:
DVD, NTSC; region 1, Dolby digital 1.0 mono, Dolby digital 2.0 stereo.
Language:
English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH).