The Boy King: Museum Object and Cultural History
The Boy King: Date: 1986. Directed by: Billy J. Parrott. Subject of: Rev. Martin Luther King Sr, American, 1899 - 1984.
The object in the museum catalogue
A biographical docudrama about Martin Luther King Jr. with the title The Boy King. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm polyester film with bilateral variable area optical sound.
The film dramatizes the life of young Martin Luther King Jr. (Fred Perron) and teenage Martin Luther King Jr. (Walter Franks) by focusing on his early encounters with bigotry and the role members of his family, especially his father, Martin Luther King Sr. (Howard E. Rollins Jr.) and grandmother (Georgia Allen), played in helping him become a starch opponent to racial segregation and a leader within the civil rights movement.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: 1986
- Directed by: Billy J. Parrott
- Subject of: Rev. Martin Luther King Sr, American, 1899 - 1984
- Subject of: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., American, 1929 - 1968
- Written by: Rand Hopkins, American
- Subject of: Howard E. Rollins Jr., American, 1950 - 1996
- Subject of: Candice Afia, American
- Subject of: Walter Franks, American
- Subject of: Fred Perrin
- Type: sound films
- Type: color films (visual works)
- Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
- Medium: polyester film
- Dimensions: Duration: 32 min., 30 sec.
- Dimensions: Physical extent (film): 1000 ft
- Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place filmed: Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Civil Rights
- Topic: Film
- Topic: Men
- Topic: Oratory
- Topic: Segregation
- Topic: Youth
- Object number: 2017.55.9.1a
- 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.
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