The Spider's Web (1927) [Lost Film]

The New York Age
New York, New York, New York
Sat, Jan 08, 1927 · Page 6

The Pittsburgh Courier
Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Sat, Nov 06, 1926 · Page 6

The Evening Journal
Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware
Wed, Mar 02, 1927 · Page 11

The New York Age
New York, New York, New York
Sat, Jan 08, 1927 · Page 6

The New York Age
New York, New York, New York
Sat, Jan 08, 1927 · Page 6

 The Pittsburgh Courier
Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Sat, Jan 15, 1927 · Page 9

Starring:

• Evelyn Preer
• Lorenzo McClane 
• Edward Thompson 
• Henrietta Loveless 
• Grace Smith 
• Zaidee Jackson 
• Marshall Rogers 
• Billy Gulfport 

Storyline
Mary Austin, a widow dwelling in a small Southern delta town, is visited by her neice, Norma of New York. At the depot Norma meets and makes a date with Ballinger for later that night. Meanwhile, Elmer Harris, a detective with the U.S. Secret Service, has come from Chicago looking for a criminal. When Harris comes to Mary's house that night, he recognizes Ballinger as the man he's seeking. Ballinger's associates force Norma and Mary to return. Despondent, Mary takes up gambling; when she hits big and tries to collect her money she is framed for murder. Harris and Norma unravel the mystery and find the persons who committed the crime which leads to Mary's release from prison. 

*** This film is considered lost until notified otherwise. ***

Broken Violin (1927) [Lost Film]

The Pittsburgh Courier

Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania

Sat, Sep 15, 1928 · Page 14

Starring:

• William A. Clayton Jr.
• Ardelle Dabney
• Salem Tutt Whitney
• J. Homer Tutt
• Alice B. Russell
• Ethel Smith
• Ike Paul
• Daisy Foster
• W. Hill
• Gertrude Snelson

Storyline
Lelia Cooper, a young washwoman with a proficiency for the violin, is unfortunately involved with an abusive father. In an argument with her mother, the father smashes Lelia's violin over her mom's head. Her younger brother tries to come to the mother's rescue, but one thing leads to another and the film culminates in a chase resulting in the father being hit by a truck.

*** This film is considered lost until notified otherwise. ***

The House Behind the Cedars (1927) [Lost Film]

The Pittsburgh Courier

Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania

Sat, Apr 04, 1925 · Page 4

The Pittsburgh Courier

Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania

Sat, Dec 19, 1925 · Page 9

The Evening Journal

Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware

Wed, Mar 25, 1925 · Page 12

Starring:

• Shingzie Howard
• Andrew Bishop
• Lawrence Chenault
• Alma Sewell
• William Crowell
• Douglas Griffin
• Oliver Hill

Storyline
Rena ( Shingzie Howard ), a beautiful mulatto woman, who passes as white, receives a proposal from an aristocratic white millionaire who has fallen in love with her. Rena accepts without revealing the secret of her racial background. Unhappy, Rena returns to her former lover, Frank Fowler, a black man, who has risen to power despite his color. She tells him that although she has fooled the public, she has not fooled herself.

*** This film is considered lost until notified otherwise. ***

The Millionaire (1927) [Lost Film]

Starring:

• Grace Smith
• Laurence Criner 
• Lionel Monagas 
• Cleo Desmond 
• William Edmonson 
• Vera Bracker 
• S.T. Jacks 
• E.G. Tatum 

Storyline
"The Millionaire" deals with the adventures of Pelham Gustry, a Negro Soldier of Fortune; a mans who, as a youth, possessed great initiative and a definite objective, hies himself far from the haunts of his race—thousands of miles away to South America. There, upon the wild, billowy plains of The Argentine, he becomes a sort of "Wild Bull Of The Pampas." Fifteen years fly by—and, having amassed a huge fortune, he returns to America, his heart anxious and hungry for that most infinite of all things—women! In New York, he meets Celia Wellington, the siren—but unworthy creature; the concubine of the "Lizard," most notorious underworld character in all New York, who, in league with Brock, king of the underworld, seek to inveigle him into marriage with the vampire. What follows makes up the story on chock full of action, thrills, romance and intrigue until it will keep you grasping the seat and catching your breath in a never ending stem of excitement and interest. 

**This film is considered lost until notified otherwise**

La sirène des tropiques [a.k.a. Siren of the Tropics] (1927)

Starring:

• Josephine Baker 
• Pierre Batcheff 
• Régina Dalthy

Storyline
Marquis Sévéro, a rich, lazy Parisian, wants to divorce his wife so that he can marry his own goddaughter Denise. But Denise herself loves André Berval, an engineer employed by the marquis. Filled with jealousy, the marquis sends André to the Antilles, to prospect some land he has just acquired. He promises André that he can marry Denise if he is successful in the tropics, but he then writes to Alvarez, his manager at the site, asking him to prevent André from ever returning to France. The brutal Alvarez forms an instant hatred for André when the engineer breaks up Alvarez's attempt to rape Papitou, a beautiful native girl. Papitou becomes devoted to André, and protects him against Alvarez's schemes. But she faces a crisis herself when she learns that André plans to marry Denise.

Reverend S. S. Jones - Home Movies [1924-1928]

Reverend Solomon Sir Jones documented African-American life, culture, and success in Oklahoma a few years after the Tulsa Race Riots. His films demonstrate the nuance and diversity of the Black community during the period. His camera captures children, deacons, young professionals, homemakers, businessmen, community leaders, landowners, field workers, students, and neighbors. Some of his subjects included formerly enslaved men and women and their descendants who built these thriving towns. Together, these communities worked, worshiped, played celebrated, loved and mourned together. Jones takes considerable care to illustrate how they built something special - self-sustaining and self-determined societies.

-Mary N. Elliot, Museum Specialist at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture

This film was restored by Kino Lorber which was archived in the Library of Congress and released in a 5 disc box set: Pioneers of African American Cinema.

The Scar of Shame (1927)

The Pittsburgh Courier 

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

20 Apr 1929, Sat • Page 15

The Pittsburgh Courier 

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

04 May 1929, Sat • Page 18

The New York Age 

(New York, New York)

15 Jun 1929, Sat • Page 6

The Pittsburgh Courier 

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

27 Apr 1929, Sat • Page 15

The Pittsburgh Courier 

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

27 Apr 1929, Sat • Page 9

The New York Age 

(New York, New York)

13 Apr 1929, Sat • Page 6

Starring:

• Lucia Lynn Moses
• Harry Henderson 
• Norman Johnstone
• Ann Kennedy
• William E. Pettus
• Lawrence Chenault
• Pearl McCormack
• Charles Giplin

Storyline
Lucia Lynn Moses stars as Louise, a young woman who is protected from an abusive stepfather (Norman Johnstone) by Alvin, an ambitious young composer (Harry Henderson). Although Louise is obviously beneath his social station, Alvin secretly marries her. With the help of a street hoodlum named Spike (William E. Pettus), the stepfather hatches a plan to regain control of his daughter. Louise comes to believe Alvin is ashamed of her, so she welcomes the life of vice, wealth and disgrace they propose. Alvin confronts them, shots are fired, and Louise receives a wound in her neck, a powerful symbol of her moral corruption.