The Emperor Jones

Pre-Code

At a Baptist prayer meeting, the preacher leads a prayer for Brutus Jones, who has just been hired as a Pullman porter. Jones proudly shows off his uniform to his girlfriend Dolly before joining the congregation for a spiritual. But Jones is quickly corrupted by the lures of the big city, taking up with fast women and gamblers.

One boisterous crap game leads to a fight in which he inadvertently stabs Jeff, the man who had introduced him to the fast life and from whom he had stolen the affections of the beautiful Undine.

Jones is imprisoned and sent to do hard labor on a chain gang. Jones escapes after striking a white guard who was torturing and beating another prisoner. Making his way home, he briefly receives the assistance of his girlfriend Dolly before taking a job stoking coal on a steamer headed for the Caribbean. One day, he catches sight of a remote island and jumps ship, swimming to the island.

The island is under the crude rule of a top-hatted black despot who receives merchandise from Smithers, the colonial merchant who is the sole white person on the island. Jones rises to become Smithers' partner and eventually "Emperor."

He dethrones his predecessor with a trick that allows him to survive what appears to be a fusillade of bullets, creating the myth that he can only be slain by a silver bullet. Jones's rule over the island involves increasing taxes on the poor natives and pocketing the proceeds.

Jones, hunted by natives in revolt, flees through the jungle and slowly disintegrates psychologically. Hysterical, he runs into the path of his pursuers. (Wikipedia)

Movie Info

Starring: Paul Robeson, Dudley Digges, Frank H. Wilson, Fredi Washington, Ruby Elzy
Directed by: Dudley Murphy
Screenplay by: DuBose Heyward
Based on: The Emperor Jones 1920 play by Eugene O'Neill

Produced by: Gifford A. Cochran, John Krimsky
Cinematography: Ernest Haller
Edited by: Grant Whytock

Music by: Rosamond Johnson, Frank Tours
Distributed by: United Artists
Release date: September 29, 1933

Running time: 80 minutes (Original cut), 73 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English

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