Murder in Harlem: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A dramatic film with the title Murder in Harlem. It consists of three (3) reels of 16mm black-and-white polyester film with optical sound.

The film tells the story of a black watchman at a chemical factory who discovers a dead white woman in his factory's basement and informs his supervisors but is eventually accused of the murder. His sister Claudine (Dorothy Van Engle) ventures to Washington, DC and happens upon longtime admirer Henry Glory (Clarence Brooks), who is now a prosperous lawyer, and enlists his services to exonerate her brother.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1935
• Directed by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Written by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Produced by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Subject of: Clarence Brooks, American, 1896 - 1969
• Subject of: Dorothy Van Engle, American, 1910 - 2004
• Subject of: Andrew S. Bishop, American, 1894 - 1959
• Subject of: Alec Lovejoy, American, 1893 - 1946
• Subject of: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Type: sound films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: feature films
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: polyester film
• Dimensions: Duration (Reel 1): 22 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 800 Feet
• Dimensions: Duration (Reel 2): 30 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1100 Feet
• Dimensions: Duration (Reel 3): 31 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1150 Feet
• Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Harlem, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Race films
• Object number: 2017.55.71.1abc
• 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.