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Catalog Data

Directed by:
Harry L. Fraser, American, 1889 - 1974  Search this
Written by:
Arthur Hoerl, American, 1891 - 1968  Search this
Subject of:
Joe Louis, American, 1914 - 1981  Search this
Edna Mae Harris, American, 1910 - 1997  Search this
Mantan Moreland, American, 1902 - 1973  Search this
Tom Southern, American, 1906 - 1980  Search this
Jess Lee Brooks, American, 1894 - 1944  Search this
Marguerite Whitten, American, 1913 - 1990  Search this
Clarence Brooks, American, 1896 - 1969  Search this
Mae Turner, American, 1908 - 1999  Search this
Clarence Muse, American, 1889 - 1979  Search this
Cleo Desmond, American, 1880 - 1958  Search this
Jewel Smith  Search this
The Plantation Chior  Search this
The Creole Chorus  Search this
The Big Apple Dancers  Search this
Medium:
acetate film
Dimensions:
Duration: 65 Minutes
Length (Film Reel 1): 1300 Feet
Length (Film Reel 2): 1100 Feet
Type:
sound films
black-and-white films (visual works)
release prints (motion pictures)
feature films
16mm (photographic film size)
Place filmed:
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
Place depicted:
Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, United States, North and Central America
New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1938
Description:
A 16mm release print of the feature film Spirit of Youth. It consists of two reels of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film with variable-area optical sound.
In the opening scene, children can be seen playing outside. Young Joe Thomas’s mother calls him inside to clean himself before his father’s arrival from work. However, when his father returns to the family home it is revealed that he was injured by a falling castor and probably will never walk again. The rest of the film is loosely based on the life of American heavyweight boxer Joe Louis. The lead character, adult Joe Thomas, is played by Joe Louis himself. The film closes with a boxing match between Joe and a fellow boxer.
Topic:
African American  Search this
Actors  Search this
Boxing  Search this
Families  Search this
Film  Search this
Race films  Search this
Sports  Search this
Credit Line:
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Randall and Sam Nieman
Object number:
2015.167.19.1ab
Restrictions & Rights:
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
See more items in:
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification:
Media Arts-Film and Video
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5bf4e5135-24a5-455c-9f43-3a89238779e2
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmaahc_2015.167.19.1ab