Underworld: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A motion picture film with the title Underworld. It consists of two (2) reels of 16mm black-and-white acetate film with optical sound (2012.79.1.33.1a and 2012.79.1.33.1b). When recent college graduate Paul Bronson (Sol Johnson) moves from the South to Chicago, he becomes involved with Leroy Giles (Alfred 'Slick' Chester), a local gambler. He also begins dating Dinah Jackson (Bee Freeman), a singer who is seeing Leroy although she is married to Sam Brown (Oscar Polk), a nightclub owner. While living in Chicago, Paul reconnects with Evelyn Martin (Ethel Moses), a beauty parlor owner and acquaintance from his college days. One day, Leroy spots the duo having lunch and informs Evelyn, who instructs Leroy to drug and rob Paul and to kill Sam. Just as Dinah walks into the room, Paul wakes up to Sam's dead body and the murder weapon beside him; she accuses him of the murder. Paul is however acquitted when an eyewitness comes forward with an exculpatory testimony. He reunites with Evelyn and the couple relocates to Oklahoma together.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1937
• Directed by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Written by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Produced by: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
• Subject of: Bee Freeman, American, 1899 - 1986
• Subject of: Sol Johnson, American, 1905 - 1964
• Subject of: Alfred George Chester, American, 1900 - 1978
• Subject of: Ethel Moses, American, 1904 - 1982
• Subject of: Oscar Polk, American, 1899 - 1949
• Type: sound films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: feature films
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: acetate film
• Dimensions: Physical extent (film) (a): 1250 ft
• Dimensions: Physical extent (film) (b): 1300 ft
• Dimensions: Duration: 70 min.
• Place filmed: Harlem, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: American South
• Topic: Business
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Nightlife
• Topic: Race films
• Topic: Urban life
• Topic: Violence
• Object number: 2012.79.1.33.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser
• 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: Public Domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.