The African American actor, writer, and director Spencer Williams, Jr. (1895–1969) has been the subject of a range of academic studies in recent years. Scholars have explored his pioneering work in early black film and his problematic role as “Andy Hogg Brown” in the television version of the Amos 'n' Andy radio program as a means of interpreting representations of black life within the confines of the Hollywood culture industry. This new scholarship, however, has reflected a limited and often inaccurate understanding of Williams' remarkable career. As will be discussed in this article, major events in Williams' life that have been unknown until now strongly influenced his filmmaking and his strategies to make the movie and television industries more racially inclusive. Most significantly, Williams was at different times a soldier in a segregated army unit, a convicted felon, and a committed artist and activist in Hollywood. These experiences helped to shape the themes and subject matter of his films, which ranged from religious dramas and singing cowboy westerns to backstage musicals and the first African American horror movie ever made.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Fall 2019
Research Article|
August 01 2019
“I Ought to Know How Negroes Talk”: A New Understanding of Spencer Williams, Jr.'s Life and Work in Film
Christopher M. Sterba
Christopher M. Sterba
christopher m. sterba is a Senior Lecturer in the Humanities Department at San Francisco State University.
Search for other works by this author on:
California History (2019) 96 (3): 48–76.
Citation
Christopher M. Sterba; “I Ought to Know How Negroes Talk”: A New Understanding of Spencer Williams, Jr.'s Life and Work in Film. California History 1 August 2019; 96 (3): 48–76. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/ch.2019.96.3.48
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.