Body and Soul
Ticket Details
Detroit Film Theatre
Follow the signs for the Theater Entrance from the parking lot.
(USA/1925—directed by Oscar Micheaux)
The actor Paul Robeson (1898-1976) first rose to fame as an ensemble member of the Provincetown Players in New York City, starting in 1916. Robeson’s motion picture debut came in Oscar Micheaux’s silent feature Body and Soul as Reverend Isaiah Jenkins, an escaped prisoner masquerading as a clergyman in a rural Georgia church to exploit the most vulnerable members.
The Motion Picture Production Code censored the film, citing its “sacrilege” based on Jenkins' mental abuse of a single mother played by Mercedes Gilbert. Micheaux was able to appease the ruling by re-editing the film with fantasy scenes suggesting any resemblance between the situations in Body and Soul and real life was imaginary. (82 min.)
Presented with a live musical score composed and performed by Rodney Whitaker.
This program is part of a companion series of film and music events presented in celebration of Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971, on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts Feb. 4–June 23, 2024. Regeneration is organized by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Body and Soul
Ticket Details
Detroit Film Theatre
Follow the signs for the Theater Entrance from the parking lot.
Related Exhibition
Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898 – 1971
February 4 - June 23, 2024
Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898 – 1971 honors the legacy of African American filmmakers and actors from the dawn of cinema, through the golden age, and into the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement. Inspired by and named after an independent 1923 all-Black-cast movie, Regeneration seeks to revive lost or forgotten films, filmmakers, and performers for a contemporary audience.
Become a Member
Immerse yourself in unique history and culture and enjoy greater access, exclusive events, and more