Film poster for Gang Smashers: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This poster for the film "Gang Smashers" depicts a young woman holding a gun. Shown from the waist up, she wears a dark dress with a fur collar. Her hair is pulled back on her head and she gazes directly at the viewer. From her waist up, the background is orange. Superimposed over her image are the words [Gang Smashers] in large orange letters. Below the title, within a white circle, are the words [with Nina Mae McKinney / All colored cast / Lawrence Criner --Monte Hawley / Reginald Fenderson --Mantan Moreland / Directed by Leo C. Popkin, Original story by Ralph Cooper / A Million Dollar Picture]. Below this white circle are two images; on the left is a woman in an evening dress leading a band. On the right side is a scene of three individuals, two men and a woman.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1938
• Printed by: Continental Lithograph Corporation, American, founded 1925
• Subject of: Ralph Cooper, American, 1908 - 1992
• Subject of: Harry M. Popkin, American, 1906 - 1991
• Subject of: Nina Mae McKinney, American, 1912 - 1967
• Subject of: John L. Criner, American, 1898 - 1965
• Subject of: Monte Hawley, American, 1901 - 1950
• Subject of: Reginald Fenderson, American, 1911 - 1986
• Subject of: Mantan Moreland, American, 1902 - 1973
• Type: posters
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W: 41 1/4 × 27 in. (104.8 × 68.6 cm)
• Place depicted: Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Race films
• Object number: 2013.118.35
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• 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 displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: Public Domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.