Murder on Lenox Avenue

Murder on Lenox Avenue
Murder on Lenox Avenue
Directed by	Arthur Dreifuss
Written by	Frank Wilson (story); Vincent Valentini (writer) and; Bryna Ivens (writer)
Produced by	Arthur Dreifuss
Starring	See below
Cinematography	George Webber
Edited by
Music by	Donald Heywood
Release date	1941;
Running time	65 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Murder on Lenox Avenue is a 1941 American race film directed by Arthur Dreifuss.

Plot summary[]

In 1941 Harlem, New York City, someone gets framed for a murder while Pa Wilkins tries to replace the apartment building's former manager.

This is an iconic example of African American movies (also called “race films”) of the 1940s. The entire cast is Black, with the exception of Norman Ashwood (Mr. Marshall). Ashwood plays the corrupt head of a local business association. There is mutiny among the members, and a new leader is chosen. Most of the action takes place in a boarding house, where a lively dance band lives and practices, seemingly with no breaks. There are also several romantic subplots, one of which has a tragic end. Although the film presents a somewhat unflattering 1940s white view of African American behavior, the music – plus a (too) brief behind-a-screen undressing scene with one of the boarding house show girls – makes it worth the hour and five minutes it takes to watch.

Cast[]

Mamie Smith as Hattie
as Flivver Johnson
as Mr. Marshall
Augustus Smith as Pa Wilkins
as Mercedes
Edna Mae Harris as Singer
Sidney Easton as Speed Simmons
as Ola Wilkins
as Jim Bracton
as Gregory
as Lomax
as Montoute
as Rosalia
Emily Santos as Emily
as Flo
as Wahneta

Soundtrack[]

- "Hot Pies" (Written by Donald Heywood)
- "I'm Trying to Forget You" (Written by Donald Heywood)
Mamie Smith with Sidney Easton - "I'll Get Even With You" (Written by Donald Heywood)
Wahneta San with - "What You Know About That?" (Written by Donald Heywood)

External links[]

Murder on Lenox Avenue at IMDb
Murder on Lenox Avenue is available for free download at the Internet Archive

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