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We Work Again

We Work Again: African-Americans Great Depression (1937) 

A tribute to the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in their efforts to find jobs for African-Americans during the Great Depression of the 1930’s.  From IMDB. In the 1930’s, the economic depression has been especially hard on African-American families and communities. But the federal government’s Works Progress Administration now provides many new opportunities for employment and advancement. Both skilled and unskilled laborers are employed in many public works projects. Others find work in a wide range of fields, including education, medicine, and even music and the performing arts. Written by Snow Leopard.  Contains the last five minutes of the Federal Works Project production of “Voodoo Macbeth”, directed by Orson Welles.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Work_…  FDR Presidential Library, Video 352 and We Work Again.

images-1We Work Again is a 1937 ephemeral film produced by the Works Progress Administration to promote its efforts at finding work for African-Americans during the Great Depression. Various jobs are shown, including construction, demolition, “domestics”, school teaching, factory work and food preparation.

We Work Again has gained considerable attention because it includes the only known footage of the famous all-black version of Macbeth staged by Orson Welles in 1936. This footage consists of the last few minutes of the play.

A copy of the film is preserved by the National Archives and Records Administration. The film has also been released on DVD on the 4-disc box set Treasures from American Film Archives, compiled by the National Film Preservation Foundation. It is one of the very few films of its genre ever to be released on DVD or any other home format. The film is presumed to be in the public domain and as such has appeared on several websites, including the Internet Archive.

images-2Cast

  • Juanita Hall as Choir Director
  • Alma Dickson as Lady Macbeth
  • Bertram Holmes as Young Macduff
  • Zola King as Voodoo Macbeth Witch
  • Josephine Williams as Voodoo Macbeth Witch
  • Wilhelmina Williams as Voodoo Macbeth Witch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Work_Again

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