Exciting New Book for Movie Lovers and Movie Makers: “The Life and Work of Oscar Micheaux: Pioneer Black Author and Filmmaker 1884-1951
by Anonymous

San Francisco, California, March 7, 2003: This study examines the life and work of Oscar Micheaux from his birth in 1884 through 1931. Its primary focus is on Micheaux’s silent filmmaking career which began with a 1919 blockbuster, "The Homesteader", and ended with the production of his first talkie, "The Exile", in 1931. Micheaux’s film career was his writing career. Indeed, it was the adaptation of his own novel, "The Homesteader" (1917), which launched his film career. Many of his subsequent films were also based on his own novels or screenplays. Some were based on the writings of others, usually Black authors. His book sales provided some of the capital for his films throughout his career.

While attending Graduate School in Fresno as a journalism major, author Earl James Young, Jr. decided to make the life work of Oscar Micheaux the subject of his graduate thesis. Earl admired the spirit of the pioneer Black filmmaker and understood the pain and struggle of having the gift, but lacking the opportunity to derive the full benefits from one's chosen profession. Earl danced and acted with the Duncan Company for several years. After many good runs in several shows in San Francisco, the troupe went to New York to perform “Uhuru”, one of the Duncan Company's most successful shows. During the mid-1980s, after receiving his Master's Degree at California State University Fresno, Earl worked as a General Manager of Bay Cablevision. He also worked as an officer in the Entertainment Division of one of California’s largest banks. Prior to his death in 1993, Earl worked on an unpublished novel about his experiences with the entertainment industry in Hollywood.

"The Life and Work of Oscar Micheaux" is a must read for movie lovers, movie makers, and film historians interested in the full knowledge of African-American contributions in the early development of the motion picture industry in the United States. This book is now available for distribution and is listed on our websites at www.kmtpub.com and www.oscarmicheaux.com, as well as Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and other online book sellers: ISBN 0-9635645-7-9, U.S. price is $24.95, softcover, 6.5 x 9.5, 261 pages, includes notes, appendices, bibliography, index, and illustrations. For a better reading experience, this book is published and featured in "LARGE PRINT".

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