SOURCE: "The Rediscovery of Oscar Micheaux, Black Film Pioneer," in Journal of Film and Video, Vol. 40, No. 1, Winter, 1988, pp. 40-8.

In the following essay, Grupenhoff provides a historical overview of Micheaux's life and career.

The stars on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard are dedicated to those who have achieved a measure of fame in the entertainment industry. But one of the most recent stars honors a film director few people have ever heard of, and even fewer have seen any of his films. Unveiled in February 1987, that new star belongs to Oscar Micheaux, a rather obscure and engimatic individual who was, nevertheless, the most prolific and consistent independent black filmmaker in the United States between 1918 and 1948. During that time he produced, directed, edited, and distributed approximately 40 feature-length black cast films for all-black audiences. Yet, for the past 40 years Micheaux's achievements (as well as the achievements of black independent...