Swan E. Micheaux to Charles W. Chesnutt, 17 June 1921
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MICHEAUX FILM CORPORATION1
PRODUCERS & DISTRIBUTORS OF
HIGH CLASS NEGRO PHOTOPLAYS
538 SOUTH DEARBORN STREET
CHICAGO
FOREIGN DISTRIBUTION BY JOSEPH P. LAMY
NEW YORK LONDON PARIS
OSCAR MICHEAUX, PRES.
W. R. COWAN, VICE PRES.
S. E. MICHEAUX, SECY. & TREAS
6/17/21
Mr Charles W. Chesnut,
Cleveland Ohio,
Dear Sir;
No doubt that you probally think that we have passed out of existence. But due to the depression in business thro-out the country we were unable to comply with the terms of your contract.2 But we still wish to produce the story. We hate to ask you to draw up another contract, but we have in veiw, a object that will add so much prestiage to the story, that we wish your consent and allso a clause in contract to cover. This will add you more money to the contract.
First before we produce this story we are inconection with a colored paper3 that will run this as a serial story in there paper, and when they have run a portion of the same they will run adds for people to purchase the book, as The MICHEAUX FILM CORP. have decided to produce this masterpiece, which they have purchased from you at a very large figure, etc, make it snappy, not only adding prestiage to all your writtings, but we assure you that we will purchase other stories from you wrote for the screen.
If you will hand us a contract, for these writxxxx rights, we can pay as much as seven hundred (700.00) dollars for the motion picture and serial in only one colored paper.4 We can best pay you in this maner. We will pay $100 down on signing the contract, and $100 each month until the full contract is paid. We will spare no cost in making this the most perfect produced Negro Drama ever showing on the screen. And to go farther, we will arrange to have you at our Studio during the time of production.
Trusting that you will give me a early reply to this and allso your contract, we will start payment without delay.
Very truly Swan E. Micheaux. bCorrespondent: Swan Emerson Micheaux (1896–1975) was Oscar Micheaux's younger brother and served as secretary, treasurer, and booking manager of the Micheaux Film Corporation from 1920 to 1927. He was suspected of financial mismanagement and forced to resign in 1928.
1. The Micheaux Film Corporation began in 1919 as the Micheaux Book and Film Company. Founded by Black novelist, film director, and film producer Oscar Micheaux (1884–1951), it was based in Chicago, with offices in New York City and Roanoke, Virginia, and became the most successful Black-owned film company of the 20th century. In the 1920s and 30s, Micheaux produced at least three dozen films featuring Black actors and themes he believed to be of particular interest to Black audiences, three of them based loosely on Chesnutt's work. In 1928, the company voluntarily filed for bankruptcy, reorganized, and survived until 1940. Most of the films are lost. [back]
2. Between January and September 1921, Oscar Micheaux negotiated with Chesnutt to pay $500 in five installments for the film rights to Chesnutt's novel The House Behind the Cedars. This was a low sum for movie rights to a novel, but Chesnutt likely took into account that Black-produced films had low budgets. Ultimately, 25% (rather than the originally suggested 33%) of the money received went to Chesnutt's publisher, Houghton Mifflin Company. Several of the payments were delayed, and Chesnutt never received the final installment. Micheaux's film adaptation was released in December 1924. [back]
3. Micheaux is likely referring to the weekly Chicago Defender, which approached Chesnutt about serializing The House Behind the Cedars around this time. [back]
4. Chesnutt ultimately decided on a separate contract with the Chicago Defender for the serialization rights of The House Behind the Cedars. [back]
