# Paul Robeson filmography

Movies and documentaries in which Paul Robeson has either starred, narrated or been featured and those that were film projects he was involved.

## Films

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Producer |
| 1925 | Body and Soul | Reverend Isaiah T. Jenkins / His brother Sylvester | Oscar Micheaux | Micheaux Film Corporation |
| 1926 | Camille | Himself (cameo) | Ralph Barton | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 1930 | Borderline | Pete Varond, a Negro | Kenneth MacPherson | The Pool Group |
| 1933 | The Emperor Jones | Brutus Jones | Dudley Murphy | Gifford Cochran |
| 1935 | Sanders of the River | Bosambo | Zoltán Korda | Alexander Korda |
| 1936 | Showboat | Joe | James Whale | Carl Laemmle Jr. |
| 1936 | Song of Freedom | John Zinga | J. Elder Wills | H. Fraser Passmore |
| 1937 | Big Fella | Banjo | J. Elder Wills | British Lion Films Corporation |
| 1937 | King Solomon's Mines | King Umpoba | Robert Stevenson | Gaumont-British |
| 1937 | My Song Goes Forth | Himself (Narrator) | Joseph Best | Ambassador Films |
| 1937 | Jericho/Dark Sands | Jericho Jackson | Thornton Freeland | Capitol Films |
| 1938 | Canciones de Madrid | Himself (Documentary) | Juan Manuel Plaza | Estado Mayor, Comisariado del Ejército del Centro |
| 1940 | The Proud Valley | David Goliath | Pen Tennyson | Ealing Studios |
| 1942 | Tales of Manhattan | Luke | Julien Duvivier | Boris Morros |
| 1942 | Native Land | Narrator | Leo Hurwitz and Paul Strand | Leo Hurwitz and Paul Strand |
| 1954 | Das Lied der Ströme/The Song of the Rivers | Narrator/Song | Joris Ivens | DEFA (GDR) |

## Documentaries

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Producer |
| 1977 | The Tallest Tree in Our Forest | Himself | Gil Noble | Gil Noble |
| 1979 | Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist | Himself | Saul J. Turell | Jessica Berman and Saul J. Turell |
| 1998 | Paul Robeson: Speak of Me as I Am | Himself | Rachel Hermans | BBC Wales/New Jersey Public Television |
| 1999 | Paul Robeson: Here I Stand | Himself | St. Clair Bourne | Chris Schultz |

## Projects

| Year | Title | Involvement | Problem | Status |
| 1934 | Black Napoleon | Paul Robeson was reportedly attached to this 'historical drama' about Toussaint-Louverture, liberator of Colonial Haiti. | The film was to be directed by Sergei Eisenstein and he and Robeson discussed the idea at length during Robeson's first trip the Soviet Union in December 1934. Boris Shumyatsky, the Soviet head of film had it listed in the export catalogue of Intorgkino, the USSR's international film source. | film never made |
| 1936 | Oliver Law Film | Robeson wanted to do a bio-pic on the African American communist, labor organizer, and social activist, Oliver Law who fought with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade after hearing about his heroism during the Spanish Civil War. | Robeson was unable to find the financial backing saying that the "Motion Picture industry, and so refuse to allow such a story," preferring to profitable films of "mediocre entertainment." | film never made |
| 1958 | Othello Film | Robeson was reportedly going to finally bring his renowned portrayal of Othello to the big screen in a Soviet backed production. | Robeson fell ill before pre-production commenced and he had other artistic commitments to fulfill once he was well again.. | film never made |
| 1959 | The Blacks | Robeson was considered for the lead role in the film version of the comedy play The Blacks by the French dramatist Jean Genet. | Robeson and his wife/manager, Eslanda Cardozo Goode, reviewed the film script and declined. | film never made |