All American News (1945) | Earl Fatha Hines C.A. Scott

The All-American News Company produced its first newsreels from headquarters in Chicago in the fall of 1942. A November 14, 1942, issue of the Motion Picture Herald reports that the new company was “headed by [Emmanuel] M. Glucksman, former Universal short subject producer and exhibitor” (p. 9) and were “some of the best and first consciously produced, positive images of black people” living their daily lives, contributing to the war effort, and making history (Reel Black Talk, p. 3-4).

The newsreels were shown in black theaters in addition to or in place of other newsreels, and the Motion Picture Herald, as well as other film trade magazines of the times, tells us that 150 black theaters around the country contracted to receive the weekly reels upon their debut.

Along with Hollywood veteran Emmanuel Glucksman, the newsreels were filmed and produced by two young black filmmakers, William Alexander and Claude Barnett. Alexander, who was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1995, also narrated and conducted man-on-the-street interviews for a number of the newsreels (Reel Black Talk, p. 3).

Shared for historical purposes. I do not own the rights.

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