Hundreds of "race movies"–films featuring all-black casts that were aimed specifically at the segregated theater market–were produced by independent film companies from the silent era thru the late 1940s. Despite the shoestring budgets and primitive filmmaking techniques, the race movies covered everything from musicals to westerns, and showcased talent that was largely ignored by the larger white-operated studios. Not many of these films have survived, so Outré Products is proud to offer some of the best and most representative examples of this historically important body of work.

BURLESQUE IN HARLEM (1954) With Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham, George Wilshire, Vivian Harris, Dick Barrow, JoJo Adams, Mabel Hunter. An all-black burlesque movie! Brown's Burlesque Show features blazing beauties, toe-tapping jazz numbers, and fat ladies singing the blues. The print used for this video transfer is very splicy, but that's all that survives on this ultra-rare race film. #4090

JAMMIN', JUMPIN', AND JIVIN' Volume One (1929-44) An amazing collection of short films featuring some of the greatest black entertainers of the century, including: Ethel Waters and 7-year-old Sammy Davis Jr. starring in "Rufus Jones for President," Lena Horne in "Boogie Woogie Dream," "Stepin Fetchit in "Slow Poke," Duke Ellington in "Black and Tan," Spencer Williams in "Music Hath Harm." Plus "Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho," and many more! #5937

JAMMIN', JUMPIN', AND JIVIN' Volume Two (1934-45) Another tune-packed volume of rare black-cast shorts including "Bubbling Over" with Ethel Waters, "Murder in Swingtime" with Les Hite and June Richmond, "Caldonia" with Louis Jordan, and "Jittering Jitter-Bugs" with Hamtree Harrington. Plus shorts featuring Herb Jeffries and Louis Armstrong, and a collection of rare trailers for black-cast films, including The Bronze Buckaroo, Dark Manhattan, Juke Joint, Birthright, and more! #6353

RHYTHM & BLUES REVIEW (1955) Filmed "live" in Harlem at the Apollo Theatre, this collection of R&B, big band jazz artists, tap dancers, and classic comedians features such stars as Lionel Hampton, Herb Jeffries, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Nat "King" Cole, Mantan Moreland, Cab Calloway, Big Joe Turner, The Delta Rhythm Boys, Nipsey Russell, and more! #5920

ROCK & ROLL REVIEW (1955) Originally produced by Ben Frye for the TV series "Harlem Variety Review," this is another rhythm-packed and star-studded cavalcade of impressive talent: Duke Ellington, The Clovers, Dinah Washington, Nat "King" Cole, Lionel Hampton, Little Buck, Martha Davis, Mantan Moreland, Nipsey Russell, Ruth Brown. #5921

BASIN STREET REVIEW (1955) Another feature made from footage for "Harlem Variety Review." Lionel Hampton performs "Ding Dong Baby," Cab Calloway sings "Calloway Boogie," Cole & Atkins do a song and dance routine, and Nipsey Russell and Mantan Moreland drum up some laughs. Plus numbers by Sarah Vaughn, Martha Davis, The Clovers, and more! #6350

BEWARE! (1946) With Louis Jordan, Valerie Black, Frank Wilson, Milton Woods. The one-and-only Louis Jordan ("Mr. Personality") stars in his first feature film. The slim plot is just an excuse for Jordan to sing a number of songs, including "Good Morning Heartache," "The Land of the Buffalo Nickel," "Today You Gotta Have the Beat," "Don't Worry About That Mule," "Long Legg'd Lizzie," "Salt Pork, West Virginia," and one of his signature tunes, "Beware, Brother, Beware!" #6177

REET, PETITE AND GONE (1947) With Louis Jordan, June Richmond, Bea Griffith, Milton Woods, Lorenzo Tucker. Here comes Mr. Jordan! Lovable Louis learns that he has to get married in order to collect a million dollar inheritance. Plenty of Jordan songs, including "Reet, Petite, and Gone," "The Texas and Pacific," "That Chick's Too Young to Fry," "The Green Grows Grows All Around," "Wham, Sam (Dig Them Gams)," "and "All For the Love of Lil." The vocal talent of June Richmond adds to the fun. #6180

LOOK OUT SISTER (1948) With Louis Jordan, Suzette Harbin, Monte Hawley, Bob Scott. The wild west gets wilder when "Two-Gun" Louis Jordan & His Jivin' Cowhands arrive at the H&H (Health & Happiness) Ranch for a little r&r. As usual, there's plenty of Jordan-style clowning and crooning. Hear such ditties as "Jack, You're Dead," "Don't Burn the Candle at Both Ends," "My Sweet Little Chick Comes Home," "We Can't Agree," "Boogie in the Barnyard," "You're Much Too Fat," and a brief rendition of "Caldonia." A must for Jordan fans! #6181

BOARDING HOUSE BLUES (1948) With Dusty Fletcher, Jackie "Moms" Mabley, Lucky Millinder & His Band, Una Mae Carlisle, Bull Moose Jackson, Stump & Stumpy, The Berry Brothers. The theater folk who reside down at Moms Mabley's Boarding House put on a big show to help get Moms out of debt. This film offers a marvelous array of black nightclub and vaudeville acts, with big band music from Lucky Millinder, singing from Una Mae Carlisle, comedy & music by Stump & Stumpy, dancing by the fabulous Berry Brothers, the comic antics of Dusty Fletcher, and Moms Mabley doing one of her trademark routines. And wait 'til you see Crip Heard, a one-legged, one-armed dancer! #6178

TWO GUN MAN FROM HARLEM (1938) With Herbert Jeffrey (Herb Jeffries), Clarence Brooks, Margaret Whitten, Mantan Moreland, Stymie Beard, Spencer Williams. In the late 1930s, big band singer Herb Jeffries became the movies' first African-American singing cowboy in a series of low-budget westerns. Our hero, Bob Blake (Jeffries), is wrongfully accused of murder and winds up in Harlem, where he meets the Deacon (Jeffries in a dual role), a preacher-turned-gangster. Bob assumes Deacon's identity, then infiltrates the gang that framed him. In supporting roles are such familiar faces as Mantan Moreland (Birmingham Brown in the "Charlie Chan" series), Stymie Beard (of "Our Gang"), and Spencer Williams (Andy in the "Amos 'n' Andy" TV series). #6185

THE BRONZE BUCKAROO (1938) With Herbert Jeffrey (Herb Jeffries), Spencer Williams, Clarence Brooks, Lucius Brooks, The Four Tones. Singing cowpoke Bob Blake (Jeffries) and his buddy Dusty (Lucius Brooks) ride to the rescue when some onery polecats try to seize an Arizona ranch. A roaring round-up of Western action, comedy, and songs! #6188

HARLEM RIDES THE RANGE (1939) With Herbert Jeffrey (Herb Jeffries), Spencer Williams, Clarence Brooks, Lucius Brooks,The Four Tones. In his final western adventure, Bob Blake (Jeffries) and his sidekick Dusty (Lucius Brooks) thwart a plot to cheat a homesteader out of his property. All the standard western elements are here, as Jeffries plays a classic cowboy hero in the tradition of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. #6184

THE DUKE IS TOPS (aka The Bronze Venus) With Ralph Cooper, Lena Horne, Lawrence Criner. Ralph Cooper stars as Duke Davis, a theatrical producer who gallantly puts aside his own success in order to boost the career of singer Ethel Andrews (Lena Horne). Horne is a standout in her first screen appearance. The Duke is Tops was reissued in 1943 as The Bronze Venus to capitalize on Horne's subsequent fame in Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. #6179

SPIRIT OF YOUTH (1938) With Joe Louis, Mantan Moreland, Clarence Muse, Edna Mae Harris, Mae Turner. Heavyweight champ Joe Louis appears in this fictionalized version of his early career. What Louis lacks in acting skills, he makes up for during the fight scenes. One of the rarest and most important race films ever produced. #6187

BIG TIMERS (1945) With Francine Everett, Duke Williams, Lou Swarz, Gertrude Saunders, Stepin Fetchit, Tarzana ("The Whoopie Dancer"). The fun begins when a poor singer borrows a luxury apartment to impress her fiancŽ and his family. This musical comedy features an all-girl band and other specialty numbers, including a song from Stepin Fetchit and an exotic hoochi-koo by Tarzana. #6190

DIRTY GERTIE FROM HARLEM, USA (1946) Directed by Spencer "Amos 'n' Andy" Williams. In this reworking of Somerset Maugham's "Rain," Harlem entertainer Gertie LaRue (Francine Everette) arrives in remote Rinidad Island, where she promptly stirs things up with the local menfolk. The local missionary (Alfred Hawkins) tries to stop Gertie from doing her striptease actÑwhile fending off his own desire for her. #6175

JIVIN' IN BE-BOP (1947) With Dizzy Gillespe, Ray Sneed, Sahji, Freddie Carter, Helen Humes, The Hubba Hubba Girls. Here's a film that's nothing but one fabulous jazz number after another, featuring the one-and-only Dizzy Gillespie! And Dizzy's band includes such greats as Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Kenny Hagood, and Mily Jackson. Hear such cool hits as "Salt Peanuts," "Bob a Lee'ba," "Oop Bop Sh'bam," and "Grosvenor Square." If you're a jazz fan, you can't pass this one up! #6352