User:MBlackstone/Lincoln

The Lincoln Motion Picture Company was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1915, for the purpose of producing films for African-American audiences. Among the first organized black filmmakers, it became the first producer of so-called "race movies". The stated purpose of the film company was to make films to "encourage black pride" while upholding the social order of the period. The goals of many of the early black film companies were to correct the distortions portrayed in white films while accurately depicting black reality and fostering a positive black image. Lincoln Motion Picture Company, although confined to three shorts and two feature-length films, produced mostly family-oriented pictures.

History

The founders were Noble Johnson, an actor with Universal Pictures; Dr. James T. Smith, a wealthy Los Angeles druggist; Clarence A. Brooks; Dudley A. Brooks (brother of Clarence); Lee Shumway, an actor; and Harry A. Gant, director and cameraman. Lincoln Films quickly built a reputation for making films that showcased African-American talent in dramatic stories, rather than the stereotypes and slapstick comedies that were usually seen in films.

On 20 January 1917, the state of California issued an incorporation certificate of the Lincoln Motion Picture Company for a capitalization of $75,000. At the time of incorporation the officers of the company were Noble M. Johnson, president, Dr. James T. Smith, who was the vice-president and treasurer, Clarence A. Brooks, secretary, Dudley A. Brooks, assistant secretary, and Willes O. Tyler, attorney. The only white member of the organization was Harry Gant, cameraman, who was a personal friend of Noble Johnson and had worked with him at Universal; Gant and Johnson had been cowboys together in Colorado and Wyoming before either had entered the movie business. Noble Johnson kept his job at Universal and operated Lincoln on the side.

In 1916, as the first films found good acceptance in local showings, George P. Johnson, Noble's brother, was asked to organize the distribution and exhibition of the films. Working primarily from Omaha, Nebraska, he set up a distribution network with agents across the country.

In 1918, Noble Johnson was faced with an ultimatum from Universal. They had found that when theaters showed a Lincoln film to black audiences, starring Johnson, the audience would not go to a nearby theater showing a Universal film featuring Johnson. They forced him to choose between working for Universal, with a promising career, or casting his lot with Lincoln, with slight chance for success. He reluctantly resigned as an active member of the company, but retained his financial interest. Dr. James T. Smith became president of Lincoln.

With the departure of Noble Johnson, Clarence Brooks stepped into the lead actor role for their 1919 release, A Man's Duty, and continued in the 1921 release By Right of Birth.

Films

"The Realization of a Negro's Ambition"

Lincoln's first two-reel feature film release was The Realization of a Negro's Ambition (1916), Drama; following is the storyline:

"James Burton, is a Tuskegee graduate who leaves his father's farm and his girlfriend. Burton's departure allows him to seek his fortune out West on the California oil fields. When he arrives in California, Burton is denied an oil drilling job because he is black. The denial of an opportunity to work for the oil company becomes his major conflict. Nevertheless, Burton surmounts this obstacle by saving the life of a wealthy, white oilman's daughter and is rewarded with a job from her father. Later, the owner discovers that Burton has a degree in civil engineering and makes Burton the head of an oil expedition. Through a series of discoveries, Burton realizes that the geological features of his father's farm resemble those of the California oil fields. He returns home, becomes wealthy through his discovery of oil, and weds his hometown sweetheart."

The actor who played Burton was the already popular Noble M. Johnson. The supporting cast included Beulah Hall, Lottie Boles, Clarence Books, Gertrude Chrisman, Bessie Mathews, and George W. Reed.

"A Trooper of Troop K"

The great success of the first film resulted in constantly increasing demand for another Lincoln film, and preparations were begun for a larger and better second production. At the time, 1916, the public's attention was focused upon the "Carrizal Incident" which occurred during the Mexican Expedition. The incident involved a battle in which Troops K and C of the "famous fighting 10th" United States all-black cavalry were nearly wiped out. In order to take advantage of the built-in publicity factor, Lincoln decided that its next release would be based on that famous battle.

A Trooper of Troop K (1917), a Western Adventure, was the second Lincoln release. For the production of this film, Lincoln was able to hire a number of ex-cavalry troopers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry. From the firms in Hollywood, who made it a business to supply the big film companies, Lincoln was able to rent guns, uniforms, and cannons. Over 300 extras were used in the production. Noble Johnson (Joe), Beulah Hall (Clara), and Jimmy Smith (Jimmie) starred in the film. Following is the storyline:

"Shiftless" Joe spends his last cent for flowers to give to Clara, a high school girl of a good family who, because of a kind, humane act of Joe's, has taken a sisterly and charitable interest in him, and at every opportunity upbraids him for his shiftlessness and advises him on ways to better his condition. Jimmy, an ardent admirer and friend of Clara, is afforded good clothes and spending money by his mother's untiring efforts over the washtub, and is quite a favorite among his sporty class of friends. Jimmy is not pleased with Clara's unselfish, broadminded interest in Joe. Although he tolerates it, he ignores Joe. Clara induces Joe to secure a job, but his deep love and sympathy for animals causes him to be late to work. He finds the foreman very angry when he arrives and, being unfamiliar with this line of work and anxious to make good, Joe becomes excited and makes a botch of the whole affair, to the humiliation of the foreman and the other workmen. Joe, after being kicked off the job, seeks Clara to tell her of his ill luck. Clara is at home with Jimmy when Joe arrives and tells of his experience. Clara is a little disappointed with Joe, while Jimmy is thoroughly disgusted. Clara gets an idea from seeing her little brother playing soldier in the yard that the Army, with its regularity, discipline and training, would be a good thing for Joe. Joe, being assured that he would get plenty to eat in the Army, straightaway enlists, which is not at all displeasing to Jimmy.

Several months later, Joe is seen doing duty with Troop K of the Tenth Cavalry near Casas Grandes, Mexico, while Jimmy at home is finding it not so very clear sailing with Clara. Although Joe is still a little crude and shiftless, he has won the heart of his Captain by his constant good nature and love and care of his horse. Through workings of the Army, Troop K and Troop C are drawn into a fight with Mexican troops at Carrizal. Joe distinguishes himself by heroic deeds during the fight, rescuing his wounded Captain and making good their escape. Clara, reading in the papers of Joe's deeds and experiences, denounces Jimmy for his false accusations. Joe is decorated for bravery and recommended for promotion. He arrives home on leave and is welcomed by Clara with open arms."

A Trooper of Troop K opened its first engagement at the all black theatre, the New Angelus, in Los Angeles in 1917, with a week's run to a near capacity house. It played to capacity houses from Chicago to Oakland. In New Orleans it broke all records and was even shown to mixed audiences at the New Ivy and People's Theatres, two white theaters which had never before shown a film produced by and featuring blacks.

Business Environment

The Lincoln company was not able to engage the support of the distribution networks used by white-owned movie studios. This meant that the same people who were making the films had to stop production work and work on distribution themselves, severely limiting the rate at which they could make films. Rather than getting an advance from a distributor on exhibition receipts to support the next film, as most film companies could do, They had to collect enough capital for studio rental and film stock from months of showing the films they had already made. The operation was always near bankruptcy.

According to George P. Johnson, the ultimate blow came when many theaters were closed during an influenza outbreak, drying up receipts from ticket sales.

Closure

In 1923, the company announced that its next production would be The Heart of a Negro, and that it would feature Clarence Brooks, Edna Morton, and Lawrence Chenault. A few weeks after this announcement, Lincoln Motion Picture Company discontinued operations. George P. Johnson completed 37 years as a postal employee and compiled an extensive collection of information pertaining to blacks in the movie business, now in the UCLA Research Library.

Legacy

Noble Johnson continued his acting career in over 140 movies from 1915–1950.

Although Lincoln had a relatively short life, it demonstrated to audiences and businessmen that it was possible to make serious films for the black audience. Others soon followed, prominent among them Oscar Michieaux.

George P. Johnson remained actively interested in black entertainment. In the late 1960s he donated his extensive collection of material related to Lincoln and other black entertainment to the UCLA Young Research Library; it is now the George P. Johnson Negro Film Collection. He also participated in the UCLA Oral History Program. Johnson says that the negatives for all of Lincoln's films were lost in a fire, and the prints (typically about five for each film) were gradually lost or damaged. One can of film was returned to him, partly decomposed. UCLA has a "safety print" of fragments of By Right of Birth, which was probably made from this damaged print. It is in all likelihood the last remaining legacy of the Lincoln Motion Picture Company.

Filmography

• The Realization of a Negro's Ambition (1916)
• A Trooper of Company K (1917)
• The Law of Nature (1917)
• A Man's Duty (1919)
• By Right of Birth (1921)