Charles W. Chesnutt to Robert Levy, 12 March 1921
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March 12, 1921.
Mr. Robert Levy,
Reol Productions Corporation,1
126-130 West 46th Street,
New York City.
Dear Mr. Levy:-
I have not heard anything further from you in reference to contract for the motion picture rights in "The Marrow of Tradition", since my letter of February 18th.2 What is the trouble?
Yours very truly,Correspondent: Robert Levy (1888–1959) was a producer and director in Black theater and film in the 1920s. He was the manager of the Lafayette Theater in Harlem from 1916 until 1919, and founded REOL Productions, a film company dedicated to making films for Black audiences. A White Jewish immigrant from Britain, he was at times criticized for not making space for Black leadership in his theater and films.
1. REOL Productions was a film company founded by Robert Levy (1888–1959). Like the Micheaux Film Corporation, its direct rival, REOL sought to produce films based on the writings of Black writers and aimed at Black audiences. The company was incorporated in May of 1920 and released twelve silent films in 1921 and 1922, before being dissolved in 1924. Negotiations over the film rights to Chesnutt's The Marrow of Tradition did not ultimately result in a contract. [back]
2. Chesnutt's February 18th letter to Levy had specified a contract stipulation that Houghton Mifflin be acknowledged as the book's publisher. [back]
