Midnight Ramble (film)

Midnight Ramble (film)

Midnight Ramble is a 1994 documentary about Black Hollywood movies from the period between 1910 and 1950, which were commonly known as "race movies". This documentary is a tribute to a film genre that lasted for more than forty years, produced over 500 movies, and created a foundation for contemporary films from directors such as Spike Lee and Tyler Perry. James Avery narrates this exploration of the early black film industry, which began largely in reaction to D. W. Griffith's 1915 The Birth of a Nation, and served to counteract Hollywood stereotypes within the American black community. The film focuses especially on the work of Oscar Micheaux, a controversial filmmaker who wrote, produced, and directed over 40 features, and who tackled difficult social issues in Black America. It includes clips from films by a number of African-American directors of the period, which is very helpful since many of these films are difficult to find or unavailable. There are two versions of the title of the documentary, both referring to the same work. It was released as Midnight Ramble: The Story of the Black Film Industry by PBS although the film's producer titles it as Midnight Ramble: Oscar Micheaux & the Story of Race Movies