Lincoln Motion Picture Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 1916 in Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
| Founder | Noble Johnson, George Perry Johnson |
| Defunct | 1921 |
| Headquarters | Omaha, Nebraska (1916–1917), Los Angeles, California (1917–1921) , United States |
Key people | Noble Johnson (president), Clarence A. Brooks (secretary), Dr. James T. Smith (treasurer), Dudley A. Brooks (assistant secretary) |
| Products | Race films |
The Lincoln Motion Picture Company was an American film production company established in 1916 by Noble Johnson and George Perry Johnson. Noble Johnson held the position of president, while actor Clarence A. Brooks acted as secretary, Dr. James T. Smith managed the treasury, and Dudley A. Brooks served as assistant secretary. Known as the inaugural producer of race movies, the company originated in Omaha, Nebraska before moving its operations to Los Angeles in 1917. It remained active until 1921, ceasing business shortly after announcing its last planned film, The Heart of a Negro.
The organization sought to challenge the prevalent "slapstick comedy" stereotypes imposed on Black performers in Hollywood during that era. Marketed as the "best advertised and most widely known Race Corporation in the world," Lincoln Motion Picture Company played a foundational role in African American filmmaking and production.
Background
During the early 1900s, mainstream film studios largely neglected African American audiences, which created a need for movies specifically catering to Black viewers and led to the rise of Black-owned film production companies.
Acknowledged as the first entirely Black-owned movie studio, Lincoln Motion Picture Company earned recognition for highlighting African American artistic talent. It produced and distributed five feature films, starting with The Realization of a Negro's Ambition (1916), which depicted aspects of the Black middle class. These productions were mainly screened in churches, educational institutions, and segregated "Colored Only" theaters, despite the Johnson brothers’ efforts to reach broader audiences. Financial constraints and poor commercial performance eventually forced a halt to further projects. Noble Johnson departed his presidency to pursue acting at Universal Pictures, with Dr. James T. Smith taking over leadership. Films starring Johnson reportedly achieved higher box office success than those released by white-owned Universal Studios at that time. The company continued operations until 1921.
Although its lifespan was brief, Lincoln Motion Picture Company left a lasting impact on African American cinema and encouraged the development of additional ethnic film enterprises.
Unreleased future projects
The studio intended to produce The Heart of a Negro, but this film remained unfinished due to the company’s closure following its relocation to Los Angeles. This project is now considered lost media. Throughout its five-year existence, the company faced numerous obstacles including insufficient funding, restricted access to diverse audiences, elevated production expenses, limited sales revenue, and segregation policies that barred many mainstream theaters from screening their films—often resulting in bans or unfavorable responses in "Whites Only" venues.
Filmography
- The Realization of a Negro's Ambition (1916)
- The Law of Nature (1916)
- The Trooper of Company K (1917)
- A Man's Duty (1919)
- By Right of Birth (1921)
See also
References
- Berry, S. Torriano. The 50 Most Influential Black Films: A Celebration of African-American Talent, Determination, Citadel Press, (2001) –
- Bowser, Pearl. Oscar Micheaux and His Circle: African-American Filmmaking and Race Cinema of the Silent Era, Indiana University Press, (2001) –
- Cripps, Thomas. Slow Fade to Black: The Negro in American Film, 1900-1942, Oxford University Press, (1977) -
- Jones, George William. Black Cinema Treasures: Lost and Found, University of North Texas Press, (1991) –
- “The Lincoln Motion Picture Company: Pioneers of Black Cinema.” The Lincoln Motion Picture Company: Pioneers of Black Cinema | Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, ccaha.org/news/lincoln-motion-picture-company-pioneers-black-cinema. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
- Reid, Mark A. Redefining Black Film, University of California Press, (1993) –
- Sampson, Henry T. Blacks in Black and White: A Source Book on Black Films, The Scarecrow Press, Inc., New Jersey, (1997) –
- Stewart, Jacqueline. Migrating to the Movies: Cinema and Black Urban Modernity, University of California Press, (2005) –
- McClure, Michelle (2000). Black Camera - A Micro Journal of Black Film Studies. United States: Black Film Center/Archive, Indiana University. pp. 1–8.
External links
- African-American cinema
- African-American history in Omaha, Nebraska
- African-American cultural history
- Universal Pictures
- Film production companies based in California
- 1916 establishments in Nebraska
- American companies disestablished in 1921
- American companies established in 1916
- 1921 disestablishments in California
- African-American history in Los Angeles
- Race films
- Defunct mass media in California
- Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles
- Film production companies based in Nebraska
- Defunct American film studios