Alice Burton Russell (June 30, 1889 – January 1, 1985) was an African-American actress,[1] producer, and the wife of director Oscar Micheaux.[2] She appeared in several films directed by her husband.
Alice B. Russell | |
|---|---|
 Russell (at left) in The Betrayal (1948) | |
| Born | Alice Burton Russell June 30, 1889 Maxton, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 1, 1985 (aged 96) New Rochelle, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | A. Burton Russell |
| Years active | 1927–1948 |
| Spouse | (died 1951) |
Biography
editShe was born in 1889 in Maxton, North Carolina. Her parents were M. J. Russell and Robert Russell, who was a prominent newspaper editor, publisher, and politician.[3][4]
Russell and Micheaux married on March 20, 1926, in Montclair, New Jersey.[3]
She began her acting career in silent film, starring in her husband's The Broken Violin (1928). She continued to act after talkies predominated. She was mentioned often as A. Burton Russell in credits. In the 1930s, she produced three films by her husband and worked as miscellaneous crew in two films. She was also credited as a presenter for The Betrayal (1948). This would be the last film for her husband before his death and her final role as a feature film actress.
Living nearly 100 years, she died in New Rochelle, New York. She was buried in an unmarked grave in Greenwood Cemetery in Rye, New York.[4][5] Her gravesite is now marked with a stone honoring her achievements in the entertainment industry.[6]
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Filmography
editAs actress:
- The Broken Violin (1928)
- Wages of Sin (1929)
- When Men Betray (1929)
- Easy Street (1930)
- A Daughter of the Congo (1930)
- Veiled Aristocrats (1932)
- Ten Minutes to Live (1932)
- The Girl from Chicago (1932)
- Harlem After Midnight (1934)
- Murder in Harlem (1935)
- God's Step Children (1938)
- Birthright (1939)
- The Betrayal (1948)
As producer:
As miscellaneous crew:
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ T. M. P. (June 26, 1948). "The Betrayal (1948)". The New York Times.
- ^ "Alice B. Russell". Women Film Pioneers Project. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
- ^ a b Dismond, Mrs. H. Binga (April 3, 1926). "New York Society". The Pittsburgh Courier. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 7. Retrieved December 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Regester, Charlene. "Emerging from the Shadows: Alice Burton Russell-African American Film Producer, Actress, and Screenwriter." 2020.Film History 32 (1): 127–155.
- ^ McGilligan, Patrick. Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only: the Life of America's First Black Filmmaker. Harper Collins, 2009.
- ^ "Alice B. Russell Micheaux". Find a Grave. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ Welch, Dr Rosanne (November 17, 2021). "Alice Burton Russell Micheaux: "Breaking Barriers on Two Fronts"". Script Magazine. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
External links
edit
- Alice B. Russell at IMDb
- Alice B. Russell at the Women Film Pioneers Project
- Alice B. Russell Micheaux at Find a Grave
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