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African-American Actresses During the Silent Era (the 1920s)
The silent era actresses were paving the way for African-American actresses to come. Many actresses during this period had short careers. Still, others were fortunate enough to be a part of trailblazing studio companies such as Lincoln Motion Picture Company, Micheaux Productions, Reol Productions, and Norman Film Manufacturing Company. These companies were employing African-American actresses in roles that were non-stereotypical for them. Josephine Baker did not appear in Race Films but was a prolific actress in a few French films. Evelyn Preer was probably most known as she did both Race films and a few films in Hollywood.
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Flo Clements
Within Our Gates (1920)
Mercedes Gilbert
Body & Soul (1925)
Iris Hall
The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920)
Orine Johnson
Eleven P.M. (1928)
Kathryn Boyd
The Flying Ace (1926)
Lucia Lynn Moses
The Scar of Shame (1927)
Stella Mayo
Regeneration (1923)
Evelyn Preer
Within Our Gates (1920)
Theresa Julia Russell
Body & Soul (1925)
Ann Kennedy
The Scar of Shame (1927)
Pearl McCormack
The Scar of Shame (1927)
Unknown Actress - character: May, in Eleven P.M. (1928)
Ethel Smith
Ten Nights in a Barroom (1928)
Josephine Baker
Siren of the Tropics (1927)
Arline Mickey
Ten Nights in a Barroom (1928)
Myra Burwell
Ten Nights in a Barroom (1928)
Anita Thompson
By Right of Birth (1921)
Anita Bush
The Crimson Skull (1922)
Edna Morton
The Secret Sorrow (1921)
Roberta Hyson
Oft in the Silly Night (1929)
Isabel Washington
St. Louis Blues (1929)
Bessie Smith
St. Louis Blues (1929)
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African-American Actresses During the 1930s
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Dorothy Van Engle
Swing! (1938)
Ethel Moses
Birthright (1938)
Eunice Brooks
The Exile (1931)
Grace Smith
The Girl From Chicago (1932)
Laura Bowmen
The Veiled Aristocrats (1932)
Lucile Lewis
The Veiled Aristocrats (1932)
Starr Calloway
The Girl From Chicago (1932)
Tressie Mitchell
Ten Minutes To Live (1932)
Willor Lee Guilford
Ten Minutes To Live (1932)
Hazel Diaz
Birthright (1938)
Louis Beavers
Imitations of Life (1934)
Edna Mae Harris
Lying Lips (1939)
Consuelo Harris
Harlem on the Prairie (1937)
Gloria Press
God's Step Children (1938)
Nina Mae McKinney
The Black Network (1936)
Lena Horne
The Duke is Tops (1938)
Fredi Washington
Imitations of Life (1934)
Jeni Le Gon
Double Deal (1939)
Frances Redd
Midnight Shadow (1939)
Amanda Randolph
The Black Network (1933)
Alice B. Russell
God's Step Children (1938)
Bee Freeman
Murder in Harlem (1935)
Ida James
The Devil's Daughter (1939)
Trixie Smith
Birthright (1938)
Vivianne Baber
The Black King (1932)
Mary Jane Watkins
The Black King (1932)
Eslanda Robeson
Borderline (1930)
Theresa Harris
Baby Face (1933)
Cleo Herndon
Dark Manhattan (1937)
Elisabeth Welch
Song of Freedom (1936)
Mae Turner
Spirit of Youth (1938)
Mae E. Johnson
Keep Punching (1939)
Rosalie Lincoln
Two-Man Gun From Harlem (1938)
Marguerite Whitten
Two-Man Gun From Harlem (1938)
Francis E. Williams
Lying Lips (1939)
Louise Cook
The Exile (1931)
Alma Smith
Harlem in Heaven (1932)
Anise Boyer
Harlem in Heaven (1932)
Elyoce Gist
Heaven-Bound Travelers (1935)
Izinetta Wilcox
Moon Over Harlem (1939)
Artie Young
Bronze Buckaroo (1939)
Bernardine Mason
Veiled Aristocrats (1932)
Mabel Garrett
Veiled Aristocrats (1932)
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African-American Actresses During the 1940s
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Billie Holiday
New Orleans (1947)
Cathryn Caviness
The Blood of Jesus (1941)
Juanita Riley
The Blood of Jesus (1941)
Reather Hardeman
The Blood of Jesus (1941)
Marie Cooke
Boarding House Blues (1948)
Moms Mabley
Boarding House Blues (1948)
Betti Mays
Boy! What A Girl! (1947)
Sybil Lewis
Boy! What A Girl! (1947)
Shelia Guyse
Sepia Cinderella (1947)
Geraldine Brock
The Girl in Room 20 (1946)
Francine Everett
Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. (1946)
Katherine Moore
Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. (1946)
Gladys Snyder
Gang War (1940)
Suzette Harbin
Look-Out Sister (1947)
Myra D. Hemmings
Go Down, Death! (1945)
Montgne McCormy
Go Down, Death! (1945)
Mrs. F.D. Benson
The Girl From Room 20 (1946)
Margery Moore
The Girl From Room 20 (1946)
Norma Johnson
Go Down, Death! (1945)
Irene Campbell
Go Down, Death! (1945)
Unknown Actress
Go Down, Death! (1945) & The Girl From Room 20 (1946)
Vera Burelle
The Notorious Elinor Lee (1940)
Hadda Brooks
Boogie Wooogie Blues (1948)
Helen Lewis
One Round Jones (1941)
Billie Allen
Souls of Sin (1949)
Louise Jackson
Souls of Sin (1949)
Savannah Churchill
Miracle in Harlem (1948)
Myra Johnson
Ain't Misbehavin' (1941)
Roxie Joynes
Reet, Petite, and Gone (1947)
June Richmond
Reet, Petite, and Gone (1947)
Bea Griffith
Reet, Petite, and Gone (1947)
Vanita Smythe
Ebony Parade (1947)
Mable Lee
Reet, Petite, and Gone (1947)
Tommie Moore
Mystery in Swing (1940)
Valerie Black
Beware(1946)
Nellie Hill
Murder With Music(1941)
Ruth Cobbs
Murder With Music(1941)
Mauryne Brent
Come On, Cowboy! (1948)
Florence O'Brien
Lucky Ghost (1942)
Winnie Johnson
Take Me Back, Baby (1941)
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African-American Actresses During the 1950s
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Dorothy Dandrige
Carmen Jones (1954)
Ruby Dee
St. Louis Blues (1958)
Pearl Bailey
Carmen Jones (1954)
Eartha Kitt
St. Louis Blues (1958)
Marpessa Dawn
Black Orpheus (1959)
Lourdes de Oliveira
Black Orpheus (1959)
Beah Richards
Take A Giant Step (1959)
Estelle Hemsley
Take A Giant Step (1959)
Paulene Myers
Take A Giant Step (1959)
Royce Wallace
Take A Giant Step (1959)
Ellen Holly
Take A Giant Step (1959)
Carmen De Lavallade
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
Cicely Tyson
Carib Gold (1957)
Diahann Carroll
Carmen Jones (1954)
Kim Hamilton
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
Mildred Joanne Smith
No Way Out (1950)
Olga James
Carmen Jones (1954)
Carolle Drake
Band of Angels (1957)
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