God's Step Children - Part 1

Before Rhoda Penmark in "The Bad Seed" there was Naomi. Well here it is fans, Part 1 of this wonderful 1938 movie directed by Oscar Micheaux that has a combination of elements from the movies "Imitation of Life" (1934) and "These Three" (1936). The story focuses on the young light skinned girl named Naomi who is dropped off by her black mother to black widow Mrs. Saunders who soon grows up to be a troublemaker towards everyone around her as a child, and later as an adult. This movie stars Jacqueline Lewis, Ethel Moses, Alice B. Russell, Gloria Press, and Carman Newsome.

There are eight parts in all so I hope you all enjoy this 70 minute classic that is the only known version of the movie at the moment. Certain scenes have been edited out shortly after it's release due to public reaction of them by black audiences that found them offensive. A few of these cut scenes however can still be seen in the film's opening preview trailer (Note: the woman holding baby Naomi in the opening trailer is Trixie Smith, not the woman that plays Naomi's real mother. That's Dorothy Van Engle who was unfortunately uncredited along with Cherokee Thornton who plays Clyde Wade later on in the movie).

Also, it took me seven hours to split the parts up in the right spots but it's all worked out perfectly. Remember, this was a low budget movie so it wasn't filmed as sharp as you may want it to look. The picture may be hard to see at times because of the lighting but that only happens a few times.

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People & Blogs

Tags:

• god's
• step
• children
• jacqueline
• lewis

[Dablkwid0w2008]

I would have been like you better get back here and take this baby

[harriettewinslow]

@Dablkwid0w2008 Dorkysmile390 said a similar statement about eight months ago. I find it weird how Naomi's mother have Mrs. Saunders take care of her child temporarily while she go finds a job but then quickly changes her mind and declares that she was never coming back and that Naomi was now Mrs. Saunders' responsibility. I assume she quickly realized Mrs. Saunders would make a better mother.

[kenybanez]

wow actors back then had bad acting..lol...

[harriettewinslow]

@kenybanez This was a low budget movie that didn't rely too much on retakes. That's why the acting here isn't as good as it should be. Movies made before this on bigger budgets and studios such as "Imitation of Life" (1934) looked more better in picture and acting because it had a much bigger budget and studio produced.

[RETROGEMS]

I've ALWAYS wanted to see this Micheaux movie ever since I saw it mentioned in the 90's documentary on his films called "Midnight Ramble".

[harriettewinslow]

@RETROGEMS Well now you have a chance to see it. I was very pleased to put it up here for everyone else interested in it as well. I was dying to see this too for quite some time and was lucky enough to find a torrent.

[SummerSunshine1988]

The acting in this is so bad it's good.

[MusicandDancing4Ever]

@needles1987 Don't stereotype black people, blacks come in an array of colors and features just like whites. What is exactly your stereotypical view of black? Dark skin, big nose, big lips? Even in African each tribe has their own looks.

[xiosmommy]

The term 'black' is not an indicator of skin color but of SOCIALLY based racial classification....especially in the United States.

[Synthee]

@MusicandDancing4Ever Stop spreading that false propoganda. Blacks come in only two colors: black and brown. Anyone else lighter than that is mixed or white. Lena Horne and Fredi Washington would vouch for that.

[MusicandDancing4Ever]

@Moionfire Dorothy Van Engle was a brown skin beauty, who Micheaux often lighten. In those days white was better and being close to white people's color was considered better. I think it still is. The black is beautiful movement is dead even now.

[MusicandDancing4Ever]

@Moionfire Lightskin may been perferred, but they went through their racism/prejudice as well. Lena Horne, Fredi Washington, Hilda Simms, were often turned down for parts for being too light skin or white looking. They may have been preferred in the black community, but whites often turned them down for parts. They got more work in these type of black cinema films. You have to understand blacks were lighten in these type films. Dont stereotype blacks, blacks come in various colors and features.

[Moionfire]

@needles1987

This is before the "black is beautiful" movement. Being mixed raced and/or light skinned was openly prefered.