Considered the earliest all-black horror movie by historians, She Devil is based on a stage play called Louisiana that ran on Broadway, produced by the Negro Theatre Guild and written by J. Augustus Smith (making it also the first film based on the work of an African-American playwright.) It was performed only eight times, as audiences found the subject matter objectionable. Laura Bowman, Morris McKenney, Edna Barr, A.B. DeComathiere, and author Smith all reprised their roles from the stage version. Director Arthur Hoerl also scripted the cult favorite Reefer Madness (1936) and the first big screen live-action adaptation of Superman (1948). Alternate titles for She Devil include Drums O' Voodoo and simply The Devil.
Note: Due to the age and rarity of this film, some picture anomalies exist.
BONUS: Woman's A Fool (1947): This short subject captures on film an all-black musical revue at the Rose Room in Dallas, Texas. It was banned by the Kansas Board of Review for "obscene jokes, a strip tease, indecent dancing and scantily clothed girls."
DVD Details
>Rated: NR
>Runtime: 1 hours, 10 minutes
>Video: 0
>Encoding: Region 1(US & Canada)
>Originally Released: 1/1/2025
>Label: Alpha Video
Starring: Laura Bowman