His Darker Self

His Darker Self
Directed by	John W. Noble
Written by	Ralph Spence
Based on	"Mammy's Boy" by Arthur Caesar
Produced by	Albert L. Grey
Starring	Lloyd Hamilton Tom Wilson Sally Long
Production company	G. & H. Pictures
Distributed by	Hodkinson Pictures
Release date	March 16, 1924 (1924-03-16)
Running time	50 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

His Darker Self is a 1924 American silent blackface comedy film directed by John W. Noble and starring Lloyd Hamilton, Tom Wilson, and Sally Long.^[1] The plot involves a self-taught small town detective who, after a Black friend is killed, goes undercover in blackface.

Plot

As described in a film magazine review,^[2] Uncle Eph, the old black servant of the Sappington family, hauls liquor at night to Bill Jackson's dancehall. Jackson in a fit of temper knocks out Eph and fatally stabs another man. Eph is blamed for the crime. Claude Sappington, in love with the Governor's daughter, but frowned upon by her father, blackens his face and visits Darktown in an attempt to discover the real murderer. After many wild adventures, he succeeds in making Jackson confess, saves old Eph, and marries the woman he loves.

Cast

• Lloyd Hamilton as Claude Sappington
• Tom Wilson as Bill Jackson
• Tom O'Malley as Uncle Eph
• Lucille La Verne as Aunt Lucy
• Irma Harrison as Darktown's Cleopatra
• Edna May Sperl as Bill Jackson's Sweetheart
• Sally Long as Claude's Sweetheart
• Kate Bruce as Claude's Mother
• Warren Cook as The Governor
• Jack Oakie (uncredited)

Production

Al Jolson was originally cast as the lead in His Darker Self, but he dropped out to protect his stage career.^[3] Lloyd Hamilton, a veteran of many comedy short films, replaced Jolson. Jolson would later use blackface while starring in the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer (1927).

References

1. Munden p. 351
2. Pardy, George T. (5 April 1924). "Box Office Reviews: His Darker Self". Exhibitors Trade Review. New York: Exhibitors Review Publishing Corporation: 28. Retrieved 3 November 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
3. Steinmetz p. 187, note 77

Bibliography

• Munden, Kenneth White (1997). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1. University of California Press.
• Steinmetz, Jay Douglas (2017). Beyond Free Speech and Propaganda: The Political Development of Hollywood, 1907–1927. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books. ISBN 978-1-4985-5681-1.

External links

• His Darker Self at IMDb
• Synopsis at AllMovie