Husband and wife Oscar Micheaux and Alice B. Russell were prominent figures in the film world during the Harlem Renaissance. Micheaux was the first African American independent film producer. Russell was an actress, writer, and producer. Their work was notable for dealing with contemporary issues facing African Americans at the time while also being entertaining. One specific aspect about their work that stood out was the diverse character types that they included in their film. At the time, most African American characters in film were racist caricatures presented by white filmmakers. Micheaux presented wealthy, as well as working class, African Americans and represented many different stock types (ingénue, hero, etc.) that had not necessarily been seen in film with African American actors in those roles.37
Oscar Micheaux was born in 1884 near Murphysboro, Illinois. When Micheaux turned 17, he moved to Chicago where he had a number of jobs in fields which included the steel and meatpacking industries. The position with the most profound impact on starting the journey of his life’s work in film was his job as a train porter. In this position, Micheaux was able to interact with people of all walks of life, including the wealthy, while also able to save up money of his own. With the money he saved, Micheaux moved to South Dakota in 1904 where he was a homesteader near the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, but he faced hardships such as racial discrimination and the failure of his first marriage.38
In 1913, Oscar Micheaux published The Conquest: The Story of a Black Pioneer¸ his first novel based on autobiographical experiences of living in South Dakota. Micheaux would go on to write seven novels all together. Soon, a film production company sought to adapt Micheaux’s work into a film. The company, though, wasn’t keen on Micheaux’s desire to be involved in the production. Due to their refusal, Micheaux decided to set up his own production company and released the film himself in 1919 as The Homesteader.39 Another important work by Micheaux was Within Our Gates, which responded to a popular film, The Birth of a Nation. Micheaux’s film emphasized the dangers of white supremacy in contract to the previous film which had glorified the Ku Klux Klan. Micheaux would go on to produce 44 films in the course of three decades. Often, the films he produced were formulaic detective tales, but the African American audience was thrilled to see themselves represented in film that the repetition didn’t harm Micheaux commercially.40
In 1951, Micheaux passed away at the age of 67. After his death, Micheaux was recognized for his contribution to film by the Directors Guild of America and the Black Filmmakers’ Hall of Fame.41
Due to the treatment of women of color, less is known about Alice B. Russell, the wife and creative collaborator of Micheaux. It is assumed that her birthdate is June 30, 1889 based on the 1900 U.S. Census. Russell was the daughter of a newspaper editor, who showed her own interest in writing with short stories such as Naomi, Negress, and her work on the films her husband was producing.42
By 1926, Russell had met Oscar Micheaux and married him in Montclair, New Jersey. In 1928, Russell began to act in motion pictures. Soon, Russell became involved professionally with Micheaux, who in 1928 produced Darktown Review, a film made of shorts where Russell appeared as an extra. In film, Russell often played women who had achieved a college education and were still devoted maternal figures that provided a strong role model for African Americans. Russell continued to work with her husband by writing and producing films alongside him, often going uncredited, but her work was recognized by those who worked with her.43
Alice Burton Russell died January 1, 1985.44
