Body and Soul: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Reel two of a 1925 silent film with the title Body and Soul. It consists of a single reel of 16mm black-and-white polyester film without a sound track.

The film tells the story of an escaped prisoner on the run (played by Paul Robeson) who returns to his hometown, Tatesville, an African American town in the state of Georgia. Upon his return, the escapee assumes the identity of a clergyman, Reverend Isiah T. Jenkins, but continues attending the local juke joint surreptitiously, gambling and drinking with some frequency. On one occasion he happens upon Yellow-Curley Hinds (Lawrence Chenault), a former cellmate who recognizes him and the two conspire to rob some of the parishioners. Reverend Jenkins decides to rob Martha Jane (Mercedes Gilbert), one of the women in his congregation, of her life savings, while Martha Jane is intent on ensuring her daughter Isabelle (Julia Theresa Russell) marries the reverend. Isabelle, however, is not in love with Rev. Jenkins. Instead, her affection belongs to the reverend's estranged identical twin brother Sylvester (also played by Paul Robeson).

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1925
• Directed by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Written by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Produced by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Distributed by: Micheaux Film and Book Company, American, 1918 - 1940
• Subject of: Paul Robeson, American, 1898 - 1976
• Subject of: Lawrence Chenault, American, 1877 - 1943
• Subject of: Mercedes Gilbert, American, 1894 - 1952
• Created by: Julia Theresa Russell, American, 1898 - 2000
• Type: silent films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: polyester film
• Dimensions: Duration: 33 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1200 Feet
• Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Georgia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Race films
• Topic: Religion
• Object number: 2017.55.80.1a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.