A Daughter of the Congo
Encyclopedia
A Daughter of the Congo is a 1930
race film directed, written and produced by Oscar Micheaux
. The film is loosely based on the novel The American Cavalryman (1917), by African American novelist and playwright Henry Francis Downing
.
A Daughter of the Congo is presumed to be a lost film
.
girl who was stolen at birth and raised by a hostile tribe. She is designated to marry a tribal chief, but on her way to the wedding she is abducted by Arab slave traders. Before she is sold into slavery
, she is rescued by an African American
military battalion under the command of Captain Paul Dale (Lorenzo Tucker
). Dale brings Lupelta to a mission school, where she is successfully acquainted with Western-style civilization. However, she never completely loses touch with the tribal customs and influences that shaped her formative years.
Noisette had previously starred in Micheaux’s 1929 When Men Betray and worked for him again in his first sound film, The Exile
(1931). Tucker, who also appeared in Micheaux’s films, was promoted as a “black Valentino” because of his good looks and dashing on-screen persona.
. Lewis called Micheaux to task for his presentation of African society and for perceived racism in the cast through his selection of actors by skin color. Lewis wrote: "The scene is laid in a not so mythical republic in Africa. Half of the characters wear European clothes and are supposed to be civilized, while the other half wear their birthday suits and some feathers and are supposed to be savages. All the noble characters are high yellows; all the ignoble ones are black. It is based on a false assumption that has no connection with the realities of life."
1930 in film
-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
race film directed, written and produced by Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Devereaux Micheaux was an American author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films...
. The film is loosely based on the novel The American Cavalryman (1917), by African American novelist and playwright Henry Francis Downing
Henry Francis Downing
Henry Francis Downing , , was an African American sailor, politician, dramatist and novelist. He served in the U.S. Navy . In 1887, Grover Cleveland appointed him consul to Luanda, Angola, but Downing resigned in 1888. In 1895, Downing traveled to London, where he remained until 1917...
.
A Daughter of the Congo is presumed to be a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Plot
Lupelta (Katherine Noisette) is a mixed race CongoleseKongo people
The Bakongo or the Kongo people , also sometimes referred to as Kongolese or Congolese, is a Bantu ethnic group which lives along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire to Luanda, Angola...
girl who was stolen at birth and raised by a hostile tribe. She is designated to marry a tribal chief, but on her way to the wedding she is abducted by Arab slave traders. Before she is sold into slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, she is rescued by an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
military battalion under the command of Captain Paul Dale (Lorenzo Tucker
Lorenzo Tucker
Lorenzo Tucker , known as the "Black Valentino," was an African-American stage and screen actor who played the romantic lead in the early black films of Oscar Micheaux.-Acting career:...
). Dale brings Lupelta to a mission school, where she is successfully acquainted with Western-style civilization. However, she never completely loses touch with the tribal customs and influences that shaped her formative years.
Cast
- Kathleen Noisette as Lupelta
- Loretta Tucker
- Salem Tutt Whitney as Kojo
- Willor Lee Guilford
- Roland C. Irving as Lt. Brown
- Joe Byrd as Whereaboe
- Wilhelmina Williams as Ressha
- Clarence Redd as Lodango
- Alice B. RussellAlice B. RussellAlice Burton Russell was an African-American actress and the wife of director Oscar Micheaux, who appeared in six films directed by her husband. She was born in Maxton, North Carolina and died in New Rochelle, New York. She was mentioned often as A. Burton Russell in credits...
as Miss Pattie - Charles R. MooreCharles R. MooreCharles R. Moore was an African-American actor who appeared in over 100 films in his acting career, and was sometimes credited as Charles Moore or Charlie Moore Moore played small parts such as servants, bootblacks, elevator operators, menial laborers, and, especially, railroad porters and Red Caps...
as John Calvert - Gertrude Snelson as Calvert's Sister
- Percy Verwayen as Pidgy Muffy
- Madame Robinson as Lobue
- Daisy Harding as Singer
- 'Speedy' Wilson as Mwamba
Production
A Daughter of the Congo was the last silent film created by Oscar Micheaux, one of the most prominent African American filmmakers of the race film genre. Since silent films were considered to have little commercial value in 1930, Micheaux released the film as a “talking, singing, dancing picture” – although it only contained a single short sound sequence that included a performance of the song “That Gets It” by Roland Irving and Earl B. Westfield.Noisette had previously starred in Micheaux’s 1929 When Men Betray and worked for him again in his first sound film, The Exile
The Exile (1931 film)
The Exile was a 1931 American film by Oscar Micheaux. A drama–romance of the race film genre, it was Micheaux's first feature-length talkie, and the first African American talkie...
(1931). Tucker, who also appeared in Micheaux’s films, was promoted as a “black Valentino” because of his good looks and dashing on-screen persona.
Criticism
A Daughter of the Congo received severe criticism from Theophilus Lewis, a columnist with the Amsterdam News, an African American weekly newspaper in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Lewis called Micheaux to task for his presentation of African society and for perceived racism in the cast through his selection of actors by skin color. Lewis wrote: "The scene is laid in a not so mythical republic in Africa. Half of the characters wear European clothes and are supposed to be civilized, while the other half wear their birthday suits and some feathers and are supposed to be savages. All the noble characters are high yellows; all the ignoble ones are black. It is based on a false assumption that has no connection with the realities of life."