Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: Museum Object and Cultural History
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: Date: 1978. Directed by: Jack Smight, American, 1925 - 2003. Subject of: Claudia McNeil, American, 1917 - 1993.
The object in the museum catalogue
A dramatic film with the title Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It consists of three (3) reels of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
Set in Mississippi in 1933, the film follows Cassie Logan (Lark Ruffin) who tells the story of the racial discrimination her family faced during the Great Depression and their attempts to retain the land that has been in their family for three generations. In the opening scenes, Cassie narrates some of the Logans’ family history, including her grandfather purchasing their land which was previously part of the Granger plantation and Mr. Granger's desire to buy the land back from the Logans. She also describes her mother convincing other African Americans in the neighborhood to boycott a store owned by the Wallaces, a hostile white family, and the Wallaces’ violent retaliation.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: 1978
- Directed by: Jack Smight, American, 1925 - 2003
- Subject of: Claudia McNeil, American, 1917 - 1993
- Subject of: Janet MacLachlan, American, 1933 - 2010
- Subject of: Robert Christian, American, 1939 - 1983
- Subject of: Larry B. Scott, American, born 1961
- Subject of: Morgan Freeman, American, born 1937
- Subject of: Lark Ruffin, American
- Owned by: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
- Type: sound films
- Type: color films (visual works)
- Type: feature films
- Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
- Medium: acetate film
- Dimensions: Duration (Reel 1): 37 Minutes
- Dimensions: Length (Film): 1300 Feet
- Dimensions: Duration (Reel 2): 35 Minutes
- Dimensions: Length (Film): 1250 Feet
- Dimensions: Duration (Reel 3): 33 Minutes
- Dimensions: Length (Film): 1200 Feet
- Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted: Mississippi, United States, North and Central America
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Actors
- Topic: American South
- Topic: Families
- Topic: Film
- Topic: Race discrimination
- Object number: 2017.55.106.1abc
- 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.
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