WEBVTT 1 00:00:09.040 --> 00:00:10.440 You 2 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:58.040 You 3 00:00:58.040 --> 00:01:05.440 Surprise didn't I at Ebony I sailed through the air found their mark on startled faces 4 00:01:06.280 --> 00:01:10.240 The laughter started small but began to roll over the whole nation 5 00:01:10.860 --> 00:01:16.480 Did you see the latest Ebony comedy if you like to laugh go see it? 6 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:18.420 That's what folks told each other 7 00:01:18.420 --> 00:01:26.240 There was never anything like Ebony the first black film company 8 00:01:31.860 --> 00:01:38.920 Ebony the first motion picture company specializing in all black comedies began its operations in 1916 9 00:01:40.780 --> 00:01:47.620 Located on California Avenue in Chicago the Ebony studios are still standing in rickety splendor a 10 00:01:47.620 --> 00:01:51.920 reminder of the hilarious times gone by 11 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.660 He throws the custard pie 12 00:01:54.420 --> 00:02:01.140 Yeah, you duck and it hits Tatum then you slam your pie at Sam and they chase you 13 00:02:04.940 --> 00:02:12.980 And the man who knows more about the Ebony Film Corporation than anyone is Luther Pollard the founder I was born in 14 00:02:14.320 --> 00:02:17.180 Mexico, Missouri January 4 15 00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:21.400 One 16 00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:24.560 Eight seven eight 17 00:02:26.100 --> 00:02:29.320 By 1908 Pollard was a successful advertising 18 00:02:30.020 --> 00:02:36.200 Copywriter in Chicago his ads helped create a huge market for home motion pictures in 19 00:02:37.420 --> 00:02:39.800 1916 he began his own film company 20 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:46.800 The Ebony comedians were friends of friends performers 21 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:54.320 But mostly they came to the studios because they'd seen Pollard's ads and wanted an opportunity to act in films I 22 00:02:58.200 --> 00:03:04.280 Had watched comedies and I saw that 23 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:05.340 Patamine 24 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:09.200 Was the thing that made 25 00:03:12.220 --> 00:03:13.180 Comedies 26 00:03:13.180 --> 00:03:20.920 Entertaining and I could see no reason why they could not excel as screen comedians 27 00:03:20.920 --> 00:03:28.840 And I finally decided to produce pictures with American Negro actors 28 00:03:29.660 --> 00:03:36.700 We were the first company that specialized in that a 29 00:03:36.700 --> 00:03:41.300 Parade of black actors and actresses joined Ebony Bill Starks 30 00:03:41.670 --> 00:03:43.730 Rudolph Tatum 31 00:03:43.730 --> 00:03:47.430 Sam Jacks Sam Robinson George Lewis 32 00:03:48.190 --> 00:03:49.570 Bert Murphy 33 00:03:49.570 --> 00:03:57.110 Yvonne jr. And a bevy of Ebony beauties all intent on making audiences split their sides laughing 34 00:04:01.210 --> 00:04:03.770 All of them were from Chicago 35 00:04:04.510 --> 00:04:09.550 Ebony the old ads proclaim the all-black comedies the funniest on earth 36 00:04:11.670 --> 00:04:17.330 The Ebony comedy we are playing pleases us continue to send one of them each Sunday 37 00:04:17.330 --> 00:04:21.730 Ebony who thought up the name? I 38 00:04:21.730 --> 00:04:23.230 Said to my wife 39 00:04:23.230 --> 00:04:27.650 Can you think of a name meaning black? 40 00:04:28.510 --> 00:04:33.730 That it doesn't say black so she said why not call 41 00:04:33.730 --> 00:04:36.510 your organization Ebony 42 00:04:46.150 --> 00:04:46.750 But 43 00:04:46.750 --> 00:04:52.410 It remained for someone else to preserve a few of the Ebony films Charles David 44 00:04:52.410 --> 00:04:57.730 Ten years younger than Pollard. He was employed by Ebony in the technical end of the business 45 00:04:57.730 --> 00:05:01.330 I started in the motion picture at a very early age 46 00:05:01.330 --> 00:05:05.510 And I've done everything under the Sun in the motion picture business lab expert 47 00:05:06.570 --> 00:05:07.170 cameraman 48 00:05:08.290 --> 00:05:08.890 director 49 00:05:09.650 --> 00:05:10.850 scenic artist 50 00:05:10.850 --> 00:05:12.430 script writer 51 00:05:13.370 --> 00:05:16.110 What have you I've done it and now 52 00:05:17.490 --> 00:05:23.050 They've talked me into being an actor and it's so much better be on the other side of the camera. You can't imagine 53 00:05:38.050 --> 00:05:44.310 For almost 60 years David saved the Ebony reels, but all the early films were on night trade 54 00:05:45.150 --> 00:05:48.110 One by one they disintegrated 55 00:05:48.110 --> 00:05:53.230 Five reels were transferred to safety film and there are a number of clear passages 56 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:53.230 57 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:53.230 58 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:53.230 59 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:53.230 60 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:53.230 61 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:56.390 Like this one from the comeback of Barnacle Bill 62 00:05:59.490 --> 00:06:03.470 It's a hazy drama the country boy in love with the country girl 63 00:06:13.530 --> 00:06:18.190 When her stern father also big in the stern played by Sam Jacks 64 00:06:48.610 --> 00:06:50.010 The 65 00:06:50.010 --> 00:06:57.090 Humor was universal in Ebony spies ala mode Sam Robinson believes there is a spy under every bed 66 00:06:57.090 --> 00:07:05.130 This film was produced during the last days of World War one when suspicion was high and a little slapstick helped ease the tension 67 00:07:08.230 --> 00:07:14.170 Detective Sam Robinson combs the headlines for clues his dreams of glory materialize 68 00:07:53.470 --> 00:08:00.350 When I was quite young but I was well pretty well around in the motion picture business and I run across a 69 00:08:00.350 --> 00:08:03.530 black man named Ruth Paulard and 70 00:08:03.530 --> 00:08:06.910 He impressed me right away as somebody that knew what he wanted 71 00:08:06.910 --> 00:08:13.250 Well, I first met Charles David. I think that was oh possibly 72 00:08:13.250 --> 00:08:14.510 19 73 00:08:14.510 --> 00:08:17.110 hundred and 74 00:08:17.110 --> 00:08:19.990 Twelve we got together almost immediately 75 00:08:19.990 --> 00:08:23.830 I liked him he liked me. He was rather a very 76 00:08:24.630 --> 00:08:29.550 Clever man and knew what he was talking about and he wanted to make motion pictures of 77 00:08:30.590 --> 00:08:33.730 Completely black characters for black and white theaters 78 00:08:33.730 --> 00:08:39.370 It wasn't made for propaganda or any other purpose, but wait completely for comedy 79 00:08:39.370 --> 00:08:45.790 I went to work for him and it was one of the happy days of my life because we've made pictures that were outstanding 80 00:08:53.330 --> 00:08:57.670 In the early years of filmmaking Chicago was an international film center 81 00:09:01.450 --> 00:09:08.910 Ebony was achieving distinction with its all-black comedies of the white studios S&A on the north side was the most famous 82 00:09:10.990 --> 00:09:13.950 Some of the most prominent of the early stars worked here 83 00:09:15.750 --> 00:09:22.150 Francis X Bushman Wallace Beery Ben Turpin Rod LaRocque 84 00:09:23.370 --> 00:09:25.830 Gloria Swanson Louis Stone 85 00:09:26.750 --> 00:09:28.950 HB Walpole 86 00:09:28.950 --> 00:09:30.650 Beverly Bain 87 00:09:30.650 --> 00:09:33.890 Charlie Chaplin Max Linda 88 00:09:34.870 --> 00:09:37.310 And the S&A mascot 89 00:09:38.310 --> 00:09:43.990 The studio was founded by George K Spoor and GM Anderson who was known as 90 00:09:44.810 --> 00:09:49.030 Bronco Billy the first screened cowboy hero 91 00:09:50.650 --> 00:09:56.950 And north of S&A was the American film manufacturing company the famous flying a 92 00:09:56.950 --> 00:10:01.950 Started in 1910 by Burt Hamilton former S&A studio manager 93 00:10:05.750 --> 00:10:11.710 The earliest of the Chicago studios was run by William Selig the Selig polyscope company 94 00:10:11.710 --> 00:10:19.670 It was operating as early as 1904 turning out melodrama after melodrama many of which starred Kathleen Williams 95 00:10:20.810 --> 00:10:27.390 But where was a black man a woman going to receive employment in motion pictures at Ebony 96 00:10:27.390 --> 00:10:31.930 Pictures were produced in a studio at 2330 97 00:10:33.210 --> 00:10:35.110 North California Avenue 98 00:10:35.110 --> 00:10:38.190 Some of the best ones were made in that studio 99 00:10:38.190 --> 00:10:43.290 At Ebony there was a rich outpouring of wildly funny slapstick comedies 100 00:10:43.870 --> 00:10:47.010 Some filmed out in the snow in front of the studios 101 00:10:56.030 --> 00:11:03.790 Sam Robinson spy detective working on his own for his country goes looking for German spies 102 00:11:03.790 --> 00:11:05.310 Sam Robinson spy detective working on his own for his country goes looking for German spies 103 00:11:05.310 --> 00:11:10.050 The name on the box is Schwartz probably a German spy 104 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:17.260 Schwartz again 105 00:11:54.400 --> 00:11:55.800 You 106 00:12:10.260 --> 00:12:10.300 You 107 00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:20.220 Wrong again 108 00:12:21.820 --> 00:12:26.860 Sam the eternal optimist is undaunted by bad luck and near misses 109 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:34.300 Pollard felt black should add their own view of the landscape of humor to the film industry 110 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:36.940 He was convinced 111 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:39.000 It was special 112 00:12:46.880 --> 00:12:47.740 Oh 113 00:13:02.920 --> 00:13:05.400 Over at the Ebony studios 114 00:13:05.400 --> 00:13:09.500 The black comedians were having the time of their lives 115 00:13:10.260 --> 00:13:16.780 In a field dominated by white studios. Ebony was a major miracle a 116 00:13:16.780 --> 00:13:24.400 thriving company of black actors and actresses working for the laughter of the human race and 117 00:13:24.400 --> 00:13:26.060 good paychecks to 118 00:13:29.680 --> 00:13:30.360 Bad 119 00:13:31.260 --> 00:13:38.780 Luther Pollard the founder of Ebony was born two years after the United States celebrated his centennial as a boy 120 00:13:38.780 --> 00:13:43.780 He saw no motion pictures the camera that could take them wasn't even invented 121 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:46.560 our father 122 00:13:47.580 --> 00:13:49.460 The owner 123 00:13:50.300 --> 00:13:52.300 Of a 10-chair 124 00:13:53.400 --> 00:13:56.820 Barber shop in the ring go house 125 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:01.140 In Mexico, Missouri where I was born 126 00:14:03.980 --> 00:14:08.540 He practically gave the business away and 127 00:14:08.540 --> 00:14:10.100 Came to 128 00:14:10.100 --> 00:14:11.620 Scorgo 129 00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:16.540 hoping to get in the vicinity of 130 00:14:16.540 --> 00:14:18.380 evidence because of 131 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:24.620 North worship and he was looking for a place to settle and open up a barbershop 132 00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:27.820 He came to 133 00:14:28.580 --> 00:14:30.000 Rogers Park 134 00:14:30.860 --> 00:14:35.300 I think that was about 1885 or 84. I 135 00:14:35.700 --> 00:14:40.480 Was a kid about six or seven years old I 136 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:47.000 first went to the district school in Rose Hill they call it its water now 137 00:14:48.500 --> 00:14:52.380 With a one-room affair big stove up in the middle 138 00:14:54.680 --> 00:14:58.460 And all classes were in that one room 139 00:15:02.310 --> 00:15:03.050 I 140 00:15:03.050 --> 00:15:06.250 Quite a number of the kids 141 00:15:07.530 --> 00:15:11.370 Your German descent I remember the teachers name 142 00:15:13.250 --> 00:15:15.110 McGuire miss McGuire 143 00:15:16.790 --> 00:15:21.170 Charles David who was one of Pollock's cameraman recalls his own childhood 144 00:15:21.170 --> 00:15:28.050 He worked as a very young man at the SNA studios with kids from a slum neighborhood called little hell 145 00:15:28.050 --> 00:15:34.510 They were employed in 1908 in the SNA laboratory. I 146 00:15:34.510 --> 00:15:37.650 Grew up in an ordinary neighborhood of mixed 147 00:15:38.330 --> 00:15:46.970 nationalities a little of everything but the kids that worked and in the technical crew up at SNA they were I 148 00:15:46.970 --> 00:15:54.250 Came out of little hell and boy they they were really little devils, but they were good at heart and good little mechanics 149 00:15:56.030 --> 00:15:56.730 In 150 00:15:56.730 --> 00:16:02.890 Chicago black children had no chance to learn any of the technical trades associated with filmmaking 151 00:16:02.890 --> 00:16:04.750 colored children didn't have 152 00:16:04.750 --> 00:16:06.750 opportunities and 153 00:16:06.750 --> 00:16:13.010 Little if any chance was given to black actors and actresses black roles were usually played by white people 154 00:16:14.490 --> 00:16:22.970 Even in a Civil War melodrama the black servant was white underneath the cork makeup. Oh they had no opportunities 155 00:16:24.090 --> 00:16:27.730 Occasionally a black maid was played by a black actress 156 00:16:28.850 --> 00:16:35.170 Or you might see genuine blacks is almost part of the scenery for years black parts were 157 00:16:35.870 --> 00:16:37.330 portrayed by white 158 00:16:37.330 --> 00:16:43.850 Actors and the white actors seemed to get a pleasure out of putting burnt cork on their face and doing the thing 159 00:16:43.850 --> 00:16:47.610 Kind of long came Luther Pollard with the idea that black Pollard was the first 160 00:16:47.850 --> 00:16:56.450 But one white film pioneer who overlooked prevailing fixed notions about who should and should not appear in films was the German immigrant 161 00:16:56.450 --> 00:16:57.670 Sigmund Lubin 162 00:16:57.670 --> 00:17:00.870 He ran the Lubin studios in Philadelphia 163 00:17:02.190 --> 00:17:04.830 His trademark was the Liberty Bell 164 00:17:05.510 --> 00:17:11.410 Lubin not only employed black actors and actresses he featured them in some of his slapstick comedies 165 00:17:12.690 --> 00:17:18.970 Maddie Edwards was one of his stars often portraying a rambunctious cyclone in the kitchen 166 00:17:19.750 --> 00:17:24.210 The team of John and Maddie Edwards appeared in many one real Lubin comedies 167 00:17:26.130 --> 00:17:32.990 The Lubin all-black comedies were no more far-fetched and outrageous than most of the comedies of the day 168 00:17:33.830 --> 00:17:39.990 But every time a filmmaker resorted to ridiculing a race nationality or an economic stratum of society 169 00:17:39.990 --> 00:17:42.150 He kept the pots of prejudice boiling 170 00:17:48.630 --> 00:17:53.150 In addition to John and Maddie Edwards Lubin introduced other silent comedians 171 00:17:54.510 --> 00:17:58.830 Oliver Hardy was known as babe Hardy when he appeared in Lubin comedies 172 00:18:00.230 --> 00:18:06.570 If you got tired of slapstick any one of the early studios could provide you with an Indian love story 173 00:18:06.570 --> 00:18:11.090 This is Lubin's legend of lovers leap I 174 00:18:12.630 --> 00:18:15.290 Can't recall of those pictures. I never liked 175 00:18:16.010 --> 00:18:20.010 Lubin's production either what it seems as though that 176 00:18:21.550 --> 00:18:24.630 They were properly handled 177 00:18:25.690 --> 00:18:27.490 Back in the olden days 178 00:18:27.490 --> 00:18:31.410 material for pictures were kind of hard to come by so we 179 00:18:31.410 --> 00:18:36.290 Naturally turned to the Swedes and the Irish and the Jews and over at S&A 180 00:18:36.290 --> 00:18:42.470 Wallace Beery played a Swedish maid as a dim-witted loomy the studio made a fortune from these comedies 181 00:18:43.350 --> 00:18:45.570 sweetie the swatter topsy-turvy 182 00:18:45.570 --> 00:18:46.290 sweetie 183 00:18:46.290 --> 00:18:48.670 sweetie and the double exposure 184 00:18:48.670 --> 00:18:53.410 Sweetie skate countess sweetie sweetie learns to ride 185 00:18:53.710 --> 00:19:00.030 Sweetie learns to swim sweetie in boardville sweetie and her dogs we dees hopeless love 186 00:19:00.030 --> 00:19:07.470 Sweetie's hero sweetie goes to college sweetie's finish sweetie and the Sultan's present sweetie at the fair sweetie and the hypnotist 187 00:19:07.470 --> 00:19:10.710 sweetie collects for charity sweetie the troublemaker 188 00:19:12.750 --> 00:19:18.870 In films the black man or woman was stereotyped to naive happy-go-lucky 189 00:19:19.390 --> 00:19:21.570 dangerously fond of chicken 190 00:19:23.710 --> 00:19:27.530 At S&A in Chicago few blacks were ever employed 191 00:19:27.530 --> 00:19:31.870 But the tradition of mixed animated characters was well established 192 00:19:32.690 --> 00:19:41.090 Model animators Howard Morse and Charles Bennis built and animated little dolls a white boy called funny face 193 00:19:41.630 --> 00:19:44.330 and a black child Mose 194 00:19:44.330 --> 00:19:47.750 They were good friends and comrades in many adventures 195 00:19:48.770 --> 00:19:51.070 Each doll had scores of faces 196 00:19:52.470 --> 00:19:56.270 Funny face and most could speak all of their silent lines 197 00:19:58.690 --> 00:20:02.390 The only integration at S&A occurred among the film puppets 198 00:20:03.570 --> 00:20:05.430 funny face and Mose 199 00:20:05.430 --> 00:20:07.290 friends and fun 200 00:20:07.290 --> 00:20:10.150 years before the our game comedies 201 00:20:23.030 --> 00:20:29.310 But Ebony had the last laugh when it borrowed from S&A's 1916 production of Sherlock Holmes 202 00:20:30.690 --> 00:20:33.670 Ebony's version was called the black Sherlock Holmes 203 00:20:46.070 --> 00:20:46.990 The S&A's 204 00:20:46.990 --> 00:20:54.090 William Gillette the famous actor played Holmes for S&A with a liberal amount of stagey ham 205 00:20:54.090 --> 00:21:00.270 The murderer cowering in the corner over there 206 00:21:01.270 --> 00:21:04.690 What a desperately crime moriarty 207 00:21:11.590 --> 00:21:18.590 Sam Robinson as Holmes wore his four-napped cap at a rakish angle as he lurched after criminals 208 00:21:18.590 --> 00:21:21.350 I believe Gillette's betrayal was haunting 209 00:21:26.170 --> 00:21:28.990 Sam Robinson played Holmes for Lads 210 00:21:31.750 --> 00:21:35.810 It was Pollard who brought real black film players together 211 00:21:35.810 --> 00:21:38.930 He had to dream Ebony up 212 00:21:38.930 --> 00:21:40.310 promote it 213 00:21:40.310 --> 00:21:42.050 get backers for it 214 00:21:42.050 --> 00:21:46.570 once the pictures were produced he had to overcome exhibit of prejudice 215 00:21:46.570 --> 00:21:48.850 There was just a feeling 216 00:21:48.850 --> 00:21:51.330 That they wouldn't be accepted 217 00:21:52.290 --> 00:21:54.450 We ran into that 218 00:21:54.450 --> 00:21:57.430 Exhibitors would turn them down 219 00:21:57.430 --> 00:21:59.110 Then they would 220 00:22:00.010 --> 00:22:03.090 And they booked one or two of them and there's nothing like them 221 00:22:05.230 --> 00:22:06.850 Well in charge the 222 00:22:08.030 --> 00:22:10.290 General film at New Orleans 223 00:22:10.970 --> 00:22:13.730 And he said at first 224 00:22:14.790 --> 00:22:16.390 These pictures 225 00:22:16.390 --> 00:22:20.530 Didn't go in New Orleans, but now they do 226 00:22:21.330 --> 00:22:29.110 The kids go wild about them adding a woman to me. That's all it's a question of good stuff 227 00:22:30.270 --> 00:22:32.730 The result was Ebony 228 00:22:32.730 --> 00:22:39.490 Gloriously nutty a little world a larger world of filmgoers began to love 229 00:22:40.950 --> 00:22:45.410 Ebony the first black film company 230 00:23:19.910 --> 00:23:21.310 Oh 231 00:23:46.070 --> 00:23:47.470 Oh 232 00:24:15.310 --> 00:24:16.710 Oh 233 00:24:29.430 --> 00:24:30.830 Oh 234 00:24:57.110 --> 00:24:58.510 You