<I>Lying Lips</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1939
name: label: Directed by
content: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
label: Written by
content: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
label: Produced by
content: Oscar Micheaux, American, 1884 - 1951
label: Produced by
content: Alfred N. Sack, American, 1898 - 1969
label: Distributed by
content: Sack Amusement Enterprises, American, 1920 - 1979
label: Subject of
content: Edna Mae Harris, American, 1910 - 1997
label: Subject of
content: Carman Newsome, 1912 - 1974
label: Subject of
content: Robert Earl Jones, American, 1910 - 2006
label: Subject of
content: Frances Williams, American, 1908 - 1995
label: Subject of
content: Cherokee Thornton, Bahamian, 1880 - 1968
label: Subject of
content: Charles LaTorre, American, 1894 - 1990
label: Subject of
content: Robert Paquin, American, 1915 - 1982
label: Subject of
content: George Reynolds
label: Subject of
content: Amanda Randolph, American, 1896 - 1967
label: Subject of
content: Teddy Hale, American, 1926 - 1959
label: Subject of
content: Slim Thompson
label: Subject of
content: Gladys Williams, American
label: Subject of
content: Juano Hernández, 1896 - 1970
label: Subject of
content: Henry Gines
label: Subject of
content: Don De Leo, Italian, 1904 - 1979
notes: label: Description
content: A 16mm release print of the feature film Lying Lips. It consists of two reels of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film with variable-area optical sound.
label: Description
content: The film opens with the protagonist Elsie Bellwood (Edna Mae Harris) leading a group of people through a music parlor. She approaches a bandmember and asks him, “Will you play ‘Beautiful Baby’ for me?” Elsie then takes center screen and sings while the audience dances behind her. In the next scene, a woman called Elizabeth (Frances Williams) enters a room and hands Farina (Don De Leo) an object. Elizabeth and Farina, the owner of the club, engage in a conversation about Elsie’s responsibilities at the club. The rest of the film chronicles how Elsie is wrongfully convicted of murder. Benjamin (Carman Newsome), a detective with romantic motivations, sets out to prove her innocence.
place: label: Place filmed
content: New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Nightlife
label: Topic
content: Race films
label: Topic
content: Urban life
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Randall and Sam Nieman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.167.13.1ab
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: black-and-white films (visual works)
label: Type
content: release prints (motion pictures)
label: Type
content: feature films
label: Type
content: 35mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 56 Minutes
label: Dimensions
content: Length (Film Reel 1): 1100 Feet
label: Dimensions
content: Length (Film Reel 2): 1000 Feet