An American showgirl rocks the Caribbean in this memorable drama.
One of the few African American directors in the 1930s and 40s, Spencer Williams was a key producer of “race films”—low budget films targeted toward Black audiences in an era of segregated movie theaters. In Dirty Gertie, a celebrated showgirl from Harlem arrives on the fictional island of Rinidad to perform at a local nightclub. She melts the hearts of the local men, but also runs afoul of the local preacher who wants to shut her show down. Her troubled life in New York has followed her to Rinidad, leading to a shocking and tragic conclusion. Introducing the screening is Ohio State Professor Ryan Friedman (Department of English), who has written extensively on early African American films, including Dirty Gertie. (59 mins., 35mm)
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Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A.