Juke Joint: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A 16mm release print of the feature film Juke Joint. It consists of two reels of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film with variable-area optical sound.

It opens as the protagonists Bad News Johnson (Spencer Williams) and July Jones (also known as “Cornbread Green” in the film) deboard an automobile in Dallas, Texas. Both men thank their driver and after the vehicle pulls away Johnson tells Jones, “Well, here we are. Mr. Jones, you are now in the great South West.” In response to one of Jones’ question about where they will be headed next, Johnson states “Mr. Jones, we are following the advice of Horace Greeley. Mr. Greely said, ‘go west young man, and do your best; then come east and spend your grease.’” Jones later reminds Johnson that they only have twenty-five cents with them.

The rest of the film chronicles how the two men pass themselves off as beauty pageant coaches in exchange for free room and board in the home of Mrs. Louella "Mama Lou" Holiday (Inez Newell). The final scene takes place in a juke joint were Mama Lou discovers her daughters celebrating winning the pageant.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1947
• Directed by: Spencer Williams, American, 1893-1969
• Written by: True T. Thompson, American, 1896 - 1973
• Produced by: Alfred N. Sack, American, 1898 - 1969
• Produced by: Inez Newell
• Distributed by: Sack Amusement Enterprises, American, 1920 - 1979
• Subject of: July Jones, American
• Subject of: Spencer Williams, American, 1893-1969
• Subject of: Inez Newell
• Type: sound films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: release prints (motion pictures)
• Type: feature films
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: acetate film
• Dimensions: Duration: 68 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film Reel 1): 1175 Feet
• Dimensions: Length (Film Reel 2): 1175 Feet
• Place filmed: Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, United States, North and Central America
• Place filmed: San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: American South
• Topic: Comedy
• Topic: Domestic life
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Race films
• Object number: 2015.167.10.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Randall and Sam Nieman
• 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: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.