Oscar Micheaux to Charles W. Chesnutt, 7 October 1922
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MICHEAUX FILM CORPORATION1
PRODUCERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF HIGH CLASS
NEGRO FEATURE PHOTOPLAYS
EXECUTIVE OFFICES — 3457 S. STATE ST.
CHICAGO — ILLINOIS2
October 7, "22
Mr. Chas W. Chesnutt,
Cleveland, Ohio.
Dear sir:
Your letter of September 25, has been forwarded to me, in reply to which will say that we started production of your "THE HOUSE BEHIND THE CEDARS"3 three days ago and expect to have it completed in about four weeks, a portion of it, viz: the reception to Rena at Mrs. Newberry's and the storm scenes, will be filmed in New York.4 We have, as in most books, been compelled for the convenience of our resources to make certain changes, the largest one being to bring it down to the present day which was not as diificult as it might seem. The point being that it is an intricate task, not to say a most expensive one, to film periods gone by. It either has to be done almost entirely in a Studio where all stores, buildings, etc, must be erected in accordance with the period, or out in the wildwoods where no modern civilization may confuse that period. We are not financially to do that — but in my opinion, it will be more appreciated as I am doing it. As soon as it is complete, I will notify you and you may have it screened at an exchange in Cleveland, or come to Chicago and see it. I am going to make first, an effort to have this distributed by one of the large white distributing concerns, if unsuccessful, then by personal distribution to white house on my own part.5 In the meantime I cannot pay that note until I have completed this6
very[?] Oscar MicheauxCorrespondent: Oscar Micheaux (1884–1951) was a Black American writer and film director known for his films about race and racism. Originally from Illinois, he began his career as a novelist and later founded the Micheaux Film and Book Company (ultimately renamed Micheaux Film Corporation) in 1919. He first adapted his early novel The Homesteader to film, and directed and produced over three dozen films in the 1920s and 30s, typically writing the scripts as well as overseeing the low-budget production and distribution of the films. Several of his films were loosely based on the works of Black authors, including Chesnutt. After the demise of his company in 1940, Micheaux founded a publishing business and wrote several more novels.
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. For readability, the remainder of the letterhead is not transcribed in the body of the letter but is included in this footnote as unformatted text. The letterhead can be seen in its entirety in the accompanying image of the letter. The text of the remainder of the letterhead is as follows: "MICHEAUX PRODUCTIONS SPECIAL FEATURES ONLY DRAMA MYSTERY THRILLS EASTERN DISTRIBUTORS CONGO FILM SERVICE C. Tiffany Toliver, W. B. F. Crowell Hampton Theatre, Roanoke, Va. ROANOKE, VA. PRODUCTIONS IN THE ORDER OF RELEASE 'THE HOMESTEADER' 7 Reels With Evelyn Preer & Chas D. Lucas. 'WITHIN OUR GATES' 7 Reels with Evelny Preer. 'THE BRUTE' 7 Reels With Evelyn Preer & All Star Cast. 'SYMBOLS OF THE UNCONQUERED' 7 Reels With All Star Cast. 'GUNSAULUS MYSTERY' 7 Reel With Evelyn Preer & All Star Cast. 'THE DUNGEON' 7 Reels with Wm. E. Fountaine & All Star Cast. FORTHCOMING. 'VIRGIN OF SEMINOLE' 7 Reels With Wm. E. Fountaine & Shingzie Howard. 'THE HOUSE BEHIND THE CEDARS' 8 Reels By Chas. W. Chesnutt 'A FOOLS ERRAND' 7 Reels With Wm. E. Fountaine & Shingzie Howard. 'JASPER LANDRY'S WILL' 6 Reels With Wm. E. Fountaine & Shingzie Howard. 'THE HYPOCRITE' 7 Reels With Evelyn Preer, Cleo Desmond & All Star Cast. 'HOOKER'S BEND' 7 Reels With All Star Cast. GREAT STORIES - FAMOUS STARS - SUPERB DIRECTION! BOOK THEM ALL!" The films mentioned as productions were released between February 1919 and May 1922. Of the forthcoming movies,The Virgin of the Seminole was released in December 1922, The Hypocrite became part of Deceit, released in February 1923. Hooker's Bend was the working title for Birthright, released in January of 1924, and seen by Chesnutt at that time. The film version of his The House Behind the Cedars was not released until December 1924. A Fools Errand" (possibly based on the novel of Albion Tourgée of the same title) and Jasper Landry's Will, also Uncle Jasper's Will, a sequel to the 1920 Within Our Gates were most likely never made. [back]
3. The House Behind the Cedars (Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1900) was Chesnutt's first published novel. House evolved over more than a decade from a short story, "Rena Walden," first drafted in the late 1880s. It was the only novel by Chesnutt to be serialized, once in 1900-1901 in the monthly Self Culture and again in 1921-1922 in the Black weekly Chicago Defender. House was also his only novel to be adapted to film (1924 and 1932). [back]
4. The lost 1924 silent film version of The House Behind the Cedars, produced by the Micheaux Film Corporation with a script by Oscar Micheaux (1884–1951), was very loosely based on Chesnutt's novel. It was filmed in 1923 in Roanoke, Virginia, and New York City, starring the Black actors Shingzie Howard (1902–1992) as Rena, Lawrence Chenault (1877–1943) as her White suitor, and Douglass Griffin as Frank Fowler. It premiered at Philadelphia’s Royal Theater in December 1924 and was shown in the spring of 1925 in Black movie theaters nationwide. Chesnutt saw it, but it is not known when. Micheaux later remade the film with sound under the title Veiled Aristocrats (1932) without notifying Chesnutt. [back]
5. Ever since the founding of his movie company, Oscar Micheaux (1884–1951) was actively involved in the distribution of his films in the U.S. and internationally; almost all distribution in the U.S. was to the roughly three hundred Black movie theaters of the time. It is unlikely that the (now lost) movie adaptation of The House Behind the Cedars (1924) was shown in the "white house." Newspaper notices document showings in Black theaters across the nation primarily between January and May 1925. [back]
6. 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]
