HALLELUJAH! - Donald Bogle, Margaret Bodde & David Pierce

In today’s episode, we bring you audio from the recent world premiere screening of a new 35mm restoration of HALLELUJAH!, director King Vidor’s landmark all-Black feature, the opening event of our series Nina Mae McKinney, Hollywood’s First Black Star, on November 10. The evening began with a conversation between author and film historian Donald Bogle and Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum’s Repertory Program Director, talking about Nina Mae McKinney, King Vidor, HALLELUJAH!, and the Nicholas Brothers. Following the screening, Margaret Bodde of the Film Foundation and David Pierce of the Library of Congress talked about the new 35mm photochemical restoration of the film. You can follow along with the slides referenced in the episode here: https://bit.ly/3oNfhWg. Photo by Nivia Hernandez. Our Nina Mae McKinney series continues on November 23 with the 1935 British film SANDERS OF THE RIVER, starring Paul Robeson and Nina Mae McKinney, introduced by Robeson’s biographer — and granddaughter – Susan Robeson, plus the final reel of a rare British film featuring McKinney. On November 24, an added screening of the 35mm restoration of HALLELUJAH! discussed in this episode. And on November 30, Elia Kazan’s 1949 film PINKY, with Ethel Waters and the last Hollywood appearance of McKinney. It will be introduced by Maya Cade, founder of the Black Film Archive, plus an excerpt from the rare 1935 British short BBC: The Voice of Britain, featuring McKinney, introduced by Bruce Goldstein. For full details and tickets, please go to www.filmforum.org.