The Trooper of Troop K

Last updated
Trooper of Troop K
Trooper of Troop K movie poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Harry Gant
Starring Noble Johnson
Jimmie Smith
Beulah Hall
Production
company
Distributed byLincoln Motion Picture Company
Release date
1917
Running time
3 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Trooper of Troop K is a Lincoln Motion Picture Company film produced in 1917, [1] directed by Harry A. Gant and starring Noble Johnson. It was the production company's second film. [2]

Contents

Set at the Battle of Carrizal, the film contains a battle scene with hundreds of extras, [3] depicting African American U.S. soldiers fighting Mexican soldiers. [4]

The film originally consisted of 3 reels of 35 mm movie film. [5] Most of this is now lost film. The small portion that survives is earliest extant fragment of Black-produced cinema. [6]

Synopsis

A frame from the small portion of the film that still exists. Hall and Smith are in the foreground; Noble in the upper-left iris shot was the key to the film's rediscovery in 2022. Trooper of Troop K frame.jpg
A frame from the small portion of the film that still exists. Hall and Smith are in the foreground; Noble in the upper-left iris shot was the key to the film's rediscovery in 2022.

Joe (Noble Johnson) is fond of Clara (Beulah Hall) but his inept romantic gestures do not impress her. Jimmy (Jimmie Smith) reacts with disgust to Joe's antics, and competes with Joe to win the affections of Clara. Joe joins the army because Clara suggests this will help Joe clean up his act. [7]

The army captain is delighted by Joe's kind-hearted nature and his skill with horses. Joe and other soldiers are dispatched to Mexico, and fight in the Battle of Carrizal. [7] The soldiers behave heroically against the superior firing power of Mexican Gatling guns. Joe saves the life of the white commanding officer of the 10th Cavalry Regiment. [3]

Reading of Joe's heroism in the newspaper, Clara dismisses Jimmie's criticisms of Joe. She welcomes Joe home "with open arms". [7]

Filming and distribution

The battle scene had a cast of 300, including Mexican cowboys and former troopers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry. This was a major undertaking for the young film industry of the time. [3]

The film was initially successful; the Lincoln Motion Picture Company created multiple print runs of the film to meet demand. Like most early Black documentaries or docudrama, the film had no means of distribution after its initial run and was largely forgotten. [3]

Rediscovery

The Trooper of Troop K was considered to be a wholly lost film until 2022, when a 15-second clip was rediscovered embedded within another film by the same company, By Right of Birth (1921). The rediscovery was possible because a film scholar identified Noble Johnson's face in a brief iris shot inset as a special effect in one corner of the film. Johnson had left the Lincoln Motion Picture Company in 1918, indicating the clip was older than 1921. [8] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Soldier</span> African-American regiments of the US Army created in 1866; the first black regulars in peacetime

Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in the Indian Wars. The term eventually became synonymous with all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Cavalry Regiment</span> United States Army cavalry regiment

The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air "Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 2nd Dragoons, is an active Stryker infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The Second Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army Europe and Africa, with its garrison at the Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany. It can trace its lineage back to the early part of the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Cavalry</span> Former U.S. Army division (1775–1950)

The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army by an act of Congress on 3 August 1861. This act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of dragoons, one regiment of mounted riflemen, and two regiments of cavalry into one branch of service. The cavalry branch transitioned to the Armored Forces with tanks in 1940, but the term "cavalry", e.g. "armored cavalry", remains in use in the U.S. Army for mounted reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) units based on their parent Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) regiment. Cavalry is also used in the name of the 1st Cavalry Division for heraldic/lineage/historical purposes. Some combined arms battalions are designated as armor formations, while others are designated as infantry organizations. These "branch" designations are again, heraldic/lineage/historical titles derived from the CARS regiments to which the battalions are assigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Cavalry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 3rd Cavalry Regiment, formerly 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army currently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Cavalry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 1st Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army regiment that has its antecedents in the early 19th century in the formation of the United States Regiment of Dragoons. To this day, the unit's special designation is "First Regiment of Dragoons". While they were the First Regiment of Dragoons another unit designated the 1st Cavalry Regiment was formed in 1855 and in 1861 was re-designated as the 4th Cavalry Regiment. The First Dragoons became the 1st Cavalry Regiment since they were the oldest mounted regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th Cavalry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 9th Cavalry Regiment is a parent cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It is not related to the 9th Kansas Cavalry Regiment of the Union Army. Historically, it was one of the Army's four segregated African-American regiments and was part of what was known as the Buffalo Soldiers. The regiment saw combat during the Indian and Spanish–American Wars. During Westward Expansion, the regiment provided escort for the early western settlers and maintained peace on the American frontier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Cavalry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 5th Cavalry Regiment is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service on August 3, 1861, when an act of Congress enacted "that the two regiments of dragoons, the regiment of mounted riflemen, and the two regiments of cavalry shall hereafter be known and recognized, as the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth regiments of cavalry respectively..." and continues in modified organizational format in the U.S. Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Carrizal</span>

The Battle of Carrizal occurred on June 21, 1916. It was a major skirmish between United States Army troops of General John J. Pershing's Punitive Expedition and Carrancista troops fought at the town of Carrizal in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Johnson (Buffalo Soldier)</span> Buffalo Soldier in the United States Army, recipient of the Medal of Honor

Henry Johnson was a Buffalo Soldier in the United States Army and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Indian Wars of the western United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10th Cavalry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 10th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. Formed as a segregated African-American unit, the 10th Cavalry was one of the original "Buffalo Soldier" regiments in the post–Civil War Regular Army. It served in combat during the Indian Wars in the western United States, the Spanish–American War in Cuba and in the Philippine–American War. The regiment was trained as a combat unit but later relegated to non-combat duty and served in that capacity in World War II until its deactivation in 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noble Johnson</span> American actor (1881–1978)

Noble Johnson, later known as Mark Noble, was an American actor and film producer. He appeared in films such as The Mummy (1932), The Most Dangerous Game (1932), King Kong (1933) and Son of Kong (1933).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry</span> Unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard

The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, also known as the First City Troop, is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. It is one of the oldest military units in the United States still in active service and is among the most decorated units in the U.S. Army. Accordingly, the Troop operates under a number of principles of self-governance unique in the U.S. military, including the election of unit members and officers, voluntarily forgoing pay for military service to the country, continuing to practice horse cavalry skills and tactics, and recruiting a high percentage of its members from veterans of prior active duty service across all branches, as well as older civilian mid-career professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Motion Picture Company</span> Defunct American film production company

The Lincoln Motion Picture Company was an American film production company founded in 1916 by Noble Johnson and George Perry Johnson. Noble Johnson was president of the company, and the secretary was actor Clarence A. Brooks. Dr. James T. Smith was treasurer, and Dudley A. Brooks was the assistant secretary. The company is known as the first producer of race movies. Established in Omaha, Nebraska, the company relocated to Los Angeles the following year. It remained in operation until 1923, closing shortly after announcing a final project, The Heart of a Negro. The point of the creation of Lincoln's was to eliminate the stereotypical roles of "slapstick comedy" in Hollywood at the time for Black actors and actresses. "best advertised and most widely known Race Corporation in the world" is the famous slogan for the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas M. Nolan</span>

Nicholas Merritt Nolan was a United States Army major. An Irish immigrant, he began his military career in New York on December 9, 1852 with the 4th Artillery, and subsequently served in New York's 2nd Dragoons. He enlisted as a private and rose through the ranks becoming a first sergeant. He was commissioned an officer in late 1862 in the Regular Army, while serving with the 6th U.S. Cavalry Regiment during the American Civil War. He participated in 16 campaigns with the 6th and most of its battles. He was slightly wounded at the Battle of Fairfield and seriously wounded at the Battle of Dinwiddie Court House. He was brevetted twice and noted at least twice for gallantry during combat. He was slightly wounded when captured at the end of March 1865, and was later paroled. After the Civil War, he served with the 10th U.S. Cavalry, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, for 14 years. Nolan is also noted for his pluses and minuses during the Buffalo Soldier tragedy of 1877 that made headlines in the Eastern United States. He was the commanding officer of Henry O. Flipper in 1878, the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He commanded several frontier forts before his untimely death in 1883.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victorio's War</span>

Victorio's War, or the Victorio Campaign, was an armed conflict between the Apache followers of Chief Victorio, the United States, and Mexico beginning in September 1879. Faced with arrest and forcible relocation from his homeland in New Mexico to San Carlos Indian Reservation in southeastern Arizona, Victorio led a guerrilla war across southern New Mexico, west Texas and northern Mexico. Victorio fought many battles and skirmishes with the United States Army and raided several settlements until the Mexican Army killed him and most of his warriors in October 1880 in the Battle of Tres Castillos. After Victorio's death, his lieutenant Nana led a raid in 1881.

William D. Foster, sometimes referred to as Bill Foster, was a pioneering African-American film producer who was an influential figure in the Black film industry in the early 20th century, along with others such as Oscar Micheaux. He was the first African American to found a film production company, establishing the Foster Photoplay Company in Chicago in 1910. Foster had a vision for the African-American community to portray themselves as they wanted to be seen, not as someone else depicted them. He was influenced by the black theater community and wanted to break the racial stereotyping of blacks in film. He was an actor and writer under the stage name Juli Jones, as well as an agent for numerous vaudeville stars. His film The Railroad Porter, released in 1912, is credited as being the world's first film with an entirely black cast and director. The film is also credited with being the first black newsreel, featuring images of a YMCA parade. Foster's company produced four films that were silent shorts.

Harry Arthur Gant was a cinematographer and film director whose work includes African American films. He directed for the Lincoln Motion Picture Company. He was the only white person at the film company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarence Brooks (actor)</span> American actor

Clarence Ahart Brooks (1896–1969) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films including in starring roles. With Noble Johnson and James Thomas Smith he formed Lincoln Motion Picture Company in 1916. He starred in the 1921 film By Right of Birth.

George Perry Johnson was a film producer, writer, and newsreel producer in the United States. He produced Lincoln Motion Picture Company films with his brother Noble Johnson and later produced newsreels for African American audiences.

References

  1. Michaels, Camille R. (July 15, 2017). African Americans in Film: Issues of Race in Hollywood. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. ISBN   9781534560819 via Google Books.
  2. Michaels, Camille R. (15 July 2017). African Americans in Film: Issues of Race in Hollywood. ISBN   9781534560819.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Klotman, Phyllis Rauch; Cutler, Janet K. (1999). Struggles for Representation: African American Documentary Film and Video. ISBN   0253213479.
  4. Marez, Curtis (November 19, 2019). University Babylon: Film and Race Politics on Campus. Univ of California Press. ISBN   9780520304574 via Google Books.
  5. "A Trooper of Troop K (1917) Technical Specifications". IMDB.
  6. Field, Allyson Nadia (October 4, 2022). O'Dell, Cary (ed.). "Looking (and Looking Again) at Black Film History". Library of Congress.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "The Trooper of Troop K: Rediscovering Footage from the Earliest Black Film Production Company". Black Film Center & Archive Blog. Indiana University Bloomington. October 4, 2022.
  8. Lee, Tori (Dec 6, 2022). "Piece of earliest known Black-produced film found hiding in plain sight". UChicago News.