Thank You M'am: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A short film with the title Thank You M'am. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm polyester film with optical sound.

The film, based on an eponymous short story by Langston Hughes, captures the interactions between a young boy named Roger (Eric Jones) and a nurse named Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones (Rosetta LeNoire). In the opening scene, Mrs. Jones can be seen leaving her place of work, wearing a nurses' uniform and a light coat. Later in the film, Roger tries to rob her of her pocketbook, but she defends herself and her possessions and forcibly takes him back to her home, cleans him up, feeds him and offers him some advice before sending him off.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1976
• Directed by: Andrew Sugerman, American
• Written by: Langston Hughes, American, 1902 - 1967
• Produced by: Andrew Sugerman, American
• Subject of: Rosetta LeNoire, American, 1911 - 2002
• Subject of: Eric Jones
• Owned by: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
• Type: sound films
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: short subjects
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: polyester film
• Dimensions: Duration: 11 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 400 Feet
• Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Literature
• Object number: 2017.55.45.1a
• 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.