The Betrayal (1948 film)
The Betrayal | |
---|---|
Directed by | Oscar Micheaux |
Written by | Oscar Micheaux |
Produced by | Oscar Micheaux |
Starring | Leroy Collins Verlie Cowan Myra Stanton |
Cinematography | Marvin W. Spoor |
Distributed by | Astor Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 183 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English language |
The Betrayal is a 1948 race film written, produced, and directed by Oscar Micheaux. He adapted it from his 1943 novel The Wind From Nowhere.
Plot
Martin Eden is a successful
Cast
- William Byrd as Jack Stewart
- Leroy Collins as Martin Eden
- Verlie Cowan as Linda
- Frances De Young as Mrs. Bowles
- Vernon B. Duncan as Duval
- Edward Fraction as Nelson Boudreaux
- Harris Gaines as Dr. Lee
- Jessie Johnson as Preble
- Barbara Lee as Jessie
- Yvonne Machen as Terry
- Arthur McCoo as Joe Bowles
- Vernetties Moore as Eunice
- Alice B. Russell as Aunt Mary
- Myra Stanton as Deborah
- Lou Vernon as Ned Washington
Production
The Betrayal was adapted by Micheaux from his novel The Wind From Nowhere (1943), although the plot regarding racial identities in rural South Dakota was borrowed from The Homesteader (1919), Micheaux’s first film.[1] The Betrayal marked Micheaux’s return to filmmaking after an eight-year absence following the release of The Notorious Elinor Lee (1940).[2]
Micheaux shot The Betrayal at a studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey,[3] with location filming in Chicago.[4]
Micheaux named his male lead Martin Eden in honor of the eponymous hero of the Jack London novel. Leroy Collins, a non-professional actor, was cast in the role when he came to the Chicago set seeking work as a stagehand and was spotted by one of Micheaux’s assistants. This was Collins’ first and only film appearance.[4] Collins is now a retired Chicago Public Schools administrator.[5]
Myra Stanton, who played the role of Deborah Stewart, had modeled since the age of five. She had appeared in Ebony magazine in her teenage years and had only acted in school plays when Micheaux's wife, Alice B. Russell, called Stanton's mother with an invitation to audition for the film. Collins and Stanton fell in love during the filming and married soon after the film was done. The couple divorced four years later. Stanton is now a retired teacher.[5]
The Betrayal was self-financed by Micheaux,[4] and the director’s cut ran 195 minutes. Twelve minutes were cut for the film’s commercial release.[1]
Release
The Betrayal was the first
Preservation status
The Betrayal was the last film directed by Micheaux, who died in 1951. No print of The Betrayal is known to exist, and it is considered a lost film, although the script can be found in the New York State Archives (Motion Picture Scripts Collection) in Albany, New York.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Gevinson, Alan, Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911–1960, American Film Institute, 1997, p. 86.
- ^ "Oscar Micheaux Biography" Archived 2008-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, Producers Guild of America.
- ^ "Before Hollywood, There Was Fort Lee...", Fort Lee Film Commission.
- ^ a b c d McGilligan, Patrick, "A memorable summer school", Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2003.
- ^ a b Borrelli, Christopher (February 6, 2013). "Oscar Micheaux: A legend's links". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ T. M. P., "First All-Negro Film at Mansfield", The New York Times, June 26, 1948.
- ^ "The Betrayal", Box Office, August 28, 1948.
- ^ JSTOR 1512202. (HighBream subscription required)
External links
- The Betrayal at IMDb
- Review of film at Variety