Pioneers of African American Cinema: The Bronze Buckaroo (1939)
Director: Richard C. Kahn Run Time: 58 min. Rating: NR Release Year: 1939
Starring: Artie Young, F.E. Miller, Herb Jeffries, Lucius Brooks, Spencer Williams
Country: United States
Language: English
Thanks to the generous support of Donna and Larry James, Ingram White Castle Foundation, and Columbus City Council, Pioneers of African American Cinema returns for programming throughout 2024. On Sunday, September 8th, join us at the Film Center for the screening of Richard C. Kahn’s The Bronze Buckaroo (1939).
Additional financial support provided by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Tom and Mary Katzenmeyer, Amundsen Davis and the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority. Learn more about the program here.
Next in the series:
- Thursday, November 7, 2024, 7:00pm — Dirs. James and Eloyce Gist’s Hell-Bound Train (1930)
About the film:
Bob Blake and his sidekick and four singing cowboys arrive at the Jackson ranch where Bob learns from Betty Jackson that her brother, Joe, is missing. Bob investigates and learns that there is gold on the Jackson ranch, and the neighboring rancher has kidnapped Joe in order to get his land.
In the mid-1930s, singing cowboy films took over screens, however, they largely did not include black casts or crews. Herb Jeffries, who plays Bob Blake, was cast to be the pioneer in breaking down racial hurdles in Hollywood and later would work continually with all-black casts. His role as Bob Blake would then transcend to other films including Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938), and Harlem Rides the Range (1939).
About the filmmaker:
Richard C. Kahn was an American filmmaker, screenwriter and producer in the early 1930’s through the 50’s. His other prominent works include The Secret Menace (1931) and The Third Sex (1934).
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