Pearl Bowser

Known for Acting

6/25/1931

Harlem, New York City, New York, USA

Biography

Black American author, collector, television director, film scholar, film director, producer, filmmaker, independent distributor and film archivist.

Known For (6 credits)

6.5

Movie

In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema

2007

This documentary captures the sounds and images of a nearly forgotten era in film history when African American filmmakers and studios created “race movies” exclusively for black audiences. The best of these films attempted to counter the demeaning stereotypes of black Americans prevalent in the popular culture of the day. About 500 films were produced, yet only about 100 still exist. Filmmaking pioneers like Oscar Micheaux, the Noble brothers, and Spencer Williams, Jr. left a lasting influence on black filmmakers, and inspired generations of audiences who finally saw their own lives reflected on the silver screen.

Secrets of New York

2005

Secrets of New York is the all time most recognized television program in the history of the New York Tri-State television market, having won 16 Emmy Awards since 2006 on top of over 50 Emmy nominations. It traditionally dominates the Emmys in the categories of writing, videography, editing and graphics, and to many television production professionals, the series has emerged as the new benchmark for local television production in the United States.

1.0

Movie

Women of Vision

1998

Documentary that highlights 18 women and covers a period of time from the 50's to the 90's. The women chosen were selected because they represent the real diversity within both feminism and independent film and video. They range in age from 65 to 25. They are black, white, Puerto Rican, Yugoslavian, Asian American, biracial. They are straight, gay and bisexual. What they share is a need to express their own interpretations of what American culture is and could be and a belief that this work is made particularly powerful through the media.

7.0

Movie

Midnight Ramble

1994

A documentary chronicling the pioneering efforts of black filmmaker William D. Foster in the early years of the industry and Oscar Micheaux's controversial impact on the subsequent "race movies".

Movie

Pearl Bowser Looks At Early Black Cinema: The Legacy of Oscar Micheaux

1984

Pearl Bowser (born 1931) is an author, television director, film director, producer, and film archivist. At the time of the program, she was the director of Chamba Educational Film Services. She is the author of a book on the first ten years of the career of Oscar Micheaux and is credited for having helped rediscover some of Oscar Micheaux's rare surviving films. She is the founder of African Diaspora Images, a collection of visual and oral histories that documents the history of African-American filmmaking.

Movie

Moses Sisters Interview

1978

An interview with biographer and filmmaker Pearl Bowser, whose work concerns the "race films" of 20th century American cinema.