Myra Hemmings (Aunt Caroline), the one in the movie who helped raise the Spence's character, has an interesting biography. She was born between 1887 and 1895 ( conflicting dates) til 1968. School teacher, community actress, NAACP member... Spence Williams (1893 -1969) went to the army by choice as a 15 year old and served in in wwi. He put his acting interest on the shelf, got out of the army in his latter 30s, picked the acting and movie writing interest back up, and stayed busy in that field. These are examples of self made careers
@@blackisbeautiful5398 during the segregation era they were the only show's for black people. I love and support all black movie's that our ancestors made in the past present and the future! #BlackLove!🖤
I've only watched the beginning and I must say it is fantastic...shows us now how different it was back in the 1940s...people seemed much more unlaxed..the people dancing is truly wonderful to see .I'd love to travel back for a while!!
The 'hell' scenes were from a silent Italian production of Dante's Inferno. They get a new lease on life and a new power here, with our main character Jim running off into the wilderness like Judas Iscariot himself, driven by his own conscience, full of guilt, shame, the sick flowers of evil blooming within. And as the wastelands subside, the Outer Darkness approaches. Powerful stuff.
I have learned to skim these movies as opposed to watching to get an idea of wether its something I want in my memory..so...upon skimming I thought..I might actually make time to watch this...I noticed the movie was entirely black, had serious overtones and characters, and my favorite of all...The devil is white, lives in a cave and eats melanated peoples...liars, murders and thieves according to him...but Im sure he will anyone who wanders to close...Thanks reelback!
@@trobolt1 wow...thats interesting I just watched a guy on the BURN WHITE JESUS challenge burn that very pic ...thanks for pointing it out..nothing happens by accident on camera..perhaps the director was highliting the religious influence of our ancestors during death...good observation fam
@@trobolt1 Warner Sallman's "Head of Christ" was about the only "picture" of Jesus one could find in 1944. The picture itself having been painted in 1940, that thing sold like hotcakes and was widely distributed in the American South. If the "Burn White Jesus Challenge" folks were to collect all the copies of that painting and burn them, it would probably keep them busy for eternity!
I mean, that was appropriate for the time given the racial tension then. Any movie with mostly black people were credited as such since most at the time didn't have them at all or barely as a central focus. Deal with it.
I find it odd, that the actress who played Jim's mother (Myra Hemmings) was two years younger than Jim's actor (Spencer Williams). Never thought they'd be so close in age range let alone the parent being younger than the child! -_-
A written foreword appears in the film following the opening credits: "This story of love and simple faith and the triumph of good over evil was inspired by the poem 'Go Down, Death!' from the pen of the celebrated Negro author James Weldon Johnson, now of sainted memory." Publicity material relating to the film lists the title as "Go Down Death! The Story of Jesus and the Devil." No contemporary reviews have been located for the film. It was approved for release with eliminations by NYSA (New York State Archives) in December 1947, and, according to information contained in the MPAA/PCA (Motion Picture Association of America/Production Code Administration) Collection at the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences) Library, the film was completed by July 1946 when it was submitted for certification. The PCA file also reveals that regional censorship boards in Ohio and Maryland ordered a number of eliminations from the film, including scenes depicting Hell, the exposure of a naked breast and the scene in which "Mabel" pulls up her dress while talking to the preacher. In 1948, Ohio censors demanded the elimination of the sequence in which the devil is seen "chewing" a man. Modern sources list the running time as 54 minutes and indicate that it was made in 1944.
@@reelblack There were a couple of edits demanded by some state censors: one involving a brief flash of a bare breast when the Devil rips at her dress, and another of the Devil eating a man.
The image of Satan devouring a victim is based on "Saturn Devouring His Son", a painting by Spanish artist Goya, painted 1820-23. (As already noted, it was spliced in from a much earlier Italian film, DANTE'S INFERNO.) I recall a child at the Thalia, a NYC theater, pleased by the tranquil BLOOD OF JESUS, screaming in trauma after the end of this. IMO, this is a far inferior film. Williams never made a film to equal BLOOD OF JESUS.
Myra Hemmings (Aunt Caroline), the one in the movie who helped raise the Spence's character, has an interesting biography. She was born between 1887 and 1895 ( conflicting dates) til 1968. School teacher, community actress, NAACP member... Spence Williams (1893 -1969) went to the army by choice as a 15 year old and served in in wwi. He put his acting interest on the shelf, got out of the army in his latter 30s, picked the acting and movie writing interest back up, and stayed busy in that field. These are examples of self made careers
Thank you for everything! And showing proof of my family's history alive!
African American ..You’re right..also Myra Hemmings was the founder of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, I recently found that out.
Thnx for this channel great movies with great actors 🖤🌟🖤🌟🖤🌟
I love these movies.
I love Spencer Williams. He played Andy Brown in the sitcom "Amos and Andy! Spencer Williams was also a film and movie director back in those days.✊
Why would you watch those shows? They were so degrading to our race🤦🏽♀️
@@blackisbeautiful5398 during the segregation era they were the only show's for black people. I love and support all black movie's that our ancestors made in the past present and the future! #BlackLove!🖤
I've only watched the beginning and I must say it is fantastic...shows us now how different it was back in the 1940s...people seemed much more unlaxed..the people dancing is truly wonderful to see .I'd love to travel back for a while!!
So proud that these rare films were not only all the cast was Black. Spencer Williams wrote and directed many of them..😅
The 'hell' scenes were from a silent Italian production of Dante's Inferno. They get a new lease on life and a new power here, with our main character Jim running off into the wilderness like Judas Iscariot himself, driven by his own conscience, full of guilt, shame, the sick flowers of evil blooming within. And as the wastelands subside, the Outer Darkness approaches. Powerful stuff.
Wow! I love this, I subbed.
Thank u
This is a film I read about in high school many years ago. Thank you.
"A Harlemwood Studios Production". ✊
Instead of Hollywood, I just caught that, thx.
I have learned to skim these movies as opposed to watching to get an idea of wether its something I want in my memory..so...upon skimming I thought..I might actually make time to watch this...I noticed the movie was entirely black, had serious overtones and characters, and my favorite of all...The devil is white, lives in a cave and eats melanated peoples...liars, murders and thieves according to him...but Im sure he will anyone who wanders to close...Thanks reelback!
33:18 min mark....Spanish White jesus..
@@trobolt1 wow...thats interesting I just watched a guy on the BURN WHITE JESUS challenge burn that very pic ...thanks for pointing it out..nothing happens by accident on camera..perhaps the director was highliting the religious influence of our ancestors during death...good observation fam
@@benyaminyisrael4634 Burn White Jesus challenge? Is that real?😂
@@sheranda77 absolutely , search youtube for it and by all means take the challenge
@@trobolt1 Warner Sallman's "Head of Christ" was about the only "picture" of Jesus one could find in 1944. The picture itself having been painted in 1940, that thing sold like hotcakes and was widely distributed in the American South. If the "Burn White Jesus Challenge" folks were to collect all the copies of that painting and burn them, it would probably keep them busy for eternity!
Wow my grandmother was 10 when this came out and now she’s 86 🙂
"all colored cast" - wow
I mean, that was appropriate for the time given the racial tension then. Any movie with mostly black people were credited as such since most at the time didn't have them at all or barely as a central focus. Deal with it.
I love you channel ❤️ 💓 💕
Spencer Williams favors Windel Pierce🤔😂
He sure did. I was thinking he resembled "Michael!" from Waiting to Exhale.
@@sheranda77 that's him 🤣
He also played in Amos and Andy
True...
😂I had to look twice 👀
😵that girl was doing "George Jefferson's" move!😂
I wish I could get all three movies look at our people Jackie in North fl
Was this filmed in Savannah?
It was set in Savannah, but filmed in Dallas
I find it odd, that the actress who played Jim's mother (Myra Hemmings) was two years younger than Jim's actor (Spencer Williams). Never thought they'd be so close in age range let alone the parent being younger than the child! -_-
Does anybody know the names of the dancers at 23:10?
A written foreword appears in the film following the opening credits: "This story of love and simple faith and the triumph of good over evil was inspired by the poem 'Go Down, Death!' from the pen of the celebrated Negro author James Weldon Johnson, now of sainted memory." Publicity material relating to the film lists the title as "Go Down Death! The Story of Jesus and the Devil." No contemporary reviews have been located for the film. It was approved for release with eliminations by NYSA (New York State Archives) in December 1947, and, according to information contained in the MPAA/PCA (Motion Picture Association of America/Production Code Administration) Collection at the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences) Library, the film was completed by July 1946 when it was submitted for certification. The PCA file also reveals that regional censorship boards in Ohio and Maryland ordered a number of eliminations from the film, including scenes depicting Hell, the exposure of a naked breast and the scene in which "Mabel" pulls up her dress while talking to the preacher. In 1948, Ohio censors demanded the elimination of the sequence in which the devil is seen "chewing" a man. Modern sources list the running time as 54 minutes and indicate that it was made in 1944.
I recognize their part in history, but 1930s-40s AfAm films actually support the stereotypes. I wish I liked them better.
Blackxactly!!!!!
Heavy Gratitude .
Is there a full version of it
This might be cut. But Most independent black cast features ran no more than1hoir
@@reelblack There were a couple of edits demanded by some state censors: one involving a brief flash of a bare breast when the Devil rips at her dress, and another of the Devil eating a man.
Take a look at the 33 18-minute Mark see who's image they Flash
Haven't researched, I'm Skeptical.
I love you
The image of Satan devouring a victim is based on "Saturn Devouring His Son", a painting by Spanish artist Goya, painted 1820-23. (As already noted, it was spliced in from a much earlier Italian film, DANTE'S INFERNO.) I recall a child at the Thalia, a NYC theater, pleased by the tranquil BLOOD OF JESUS, screaming in trauma after the end of this. IMO, this is a far inferior film. Williams never made a film to equal BLOOD OF JESUS.
This wasn't in all black cast since there was a "White Jesus" hanging on the wall🤷🏽♀️
Blackxactly!!!!!!!!!
4:04 he said "fly chicks"...