This Month

Dark Manhattan (1937) was Hollywood's first "all black" gangster movie, and the first film aimed at black audiences that featured a modern story, setting and costumes. This influential example of its genre was highly successful and revived the black-produced film industry that had almost died off. Dark Manhattan broke all attendance records at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, causing overflow crowds to be shunted to another theater two blocks away. Since there was only one print, each reel had to be quickly rewound and transported to the other theater. The movie inspired a whole new cycle of films that offered black audiences an alternative to standard Hollywood fare.

Versatile Ralph Cooper, who also performed uncredited chores as co-producer, co-writer and co-director, stars in the movie. Following in the anti-hero footsteps of mainstream stars James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart, Cooper plays Curly, a small-time hood who fights his way to the top of the crime heap. A chaste chanteuse (Cleo Herndon, who sings "The Sweetest Moment of My Life") inspires Curly to go straight, but a rival gang begins muscling in on his territory, culminating in a violent climax. Dark Manhattan benefits from unusually good production values for this type of modestly budgeted "race" film.

Producer: Harry M. Popkin, George Randol (Executive Producer), Ben Rinaldo (Associate), Ralph Cooper (uncredited)
Director: Harry L. Fraser, Ralph Cooper (uncredited)
Screenplay: George Randol, Ralph Cooper (uncredited), from story by Randol
Cinematography: Arthur Reed
Original Music: Harvey Brooks, Ben Ellison
Editing: Arthur A. Brooks
Principal Cast: Ralph Cooper (James A. "Curly" Thorpe), Cleo Herndon (Flo "Babe" Gray), Clarence Brooks (Larry Lee), Jess Lee Brooks (Lieutenant Luke Ballot), Sam McDaniels (Jack Jackson).
BW-70m.