Murder on Lenox Avenue

In 1941 Harlem, New York City, someone gets framed for a murder while Pa Wilkins tries to replace the apartment building's former manager.

This is an iconic example of African American movies (also called “race films”) of the 1940s. The entire cast is Black, with the exception of Norman Ashwood (Mr. Marshall). Ashwood plays the corrupt head of a local business association. There is mutiny among the members, and a new leader is chosen. Most of the action takes place in a boarding house, where a lively dance band lives and practices, seemingly with no breaks. There are also several romantic subplots, one of which has a tragic end. Although the film presents a somewhat unflattering 1940s white view of African American behavior, the music – plus a (too) brief behind-a-screen undressing scene with one of the boarding house show girls – makes it worth the hour and five minutes it takes to watch.

• Mamie Smith as Hattie
• Alec Lovejoy as Flivver Johnson
• Norman Astwood as Mr. Marshall
• Augustus Smith as Pa Wilkins
• Alberta Perkins as Mercedes
• Edna Mae Harris as Singer
• Sidney Easton as Speed Simmons
• Dene Larry as Ola Wilkins
• Ernie Ransom as Jim Bracton
• Earl Sydnor as Gregory
• Herman Green as Lomax
• George Williams as Montoute
• Cristola Williams as Rosalia
• Emily Santos as Emily
• Flo Lee as Flo
• Wahneta San as Wahneta

• Alberta Perkins - "Hot Pies" (Written by Donald Heywood)
• Wahneta San - "I'm Trying to Forget You" (Written by Donald Heywood)
• Mamie Smith with Sidney Easton - "I'll Get Even With You" (Written by Donald Heywood)
• Wahneta San with Alec Lovejoy - "What You Know About That?" (Written by Donald Heywood)

• Murder on Lenox Avenue at IMDb
• Murder on Lenox Avenue is available for free download at the Internet Archive