Biography
Paul Robeson (April 9, 1898 - January 23, 1976) was an American concert bass-baritone, athlete, actor and political activist. Born in Princeton, New Jersey he was educated at Rutgers College and Columbia University Law School. After briefly practising as a lawyer he left the trade due to racism and instead pursued his acting and singing career.
Known For
Complete Filmography
The Real Charlie Chaplin
2021
A look at the life and work of Charlie Chaplin in his own words featuring an in-depth interview he gave to Life magazine in 1966.
Britain on Film: Black Britain
2017
as Self (segment "Mining Review 2nd Year No. 11")
Featuring footage spanning from 1901 to 1985, this little-seen footage has been found from all across the UK. This programme allows an exploration int...
Fred Baker - filmmaker
2007
The house he lived In: A conversation with Fred Baker (1932-2011) filmmaker , director , screenwriter , film producer, actor and jazz musician. A shin...
Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson
2007
as Self (archival footage)
A retrospective look at the career of Paul Robeson and his legacy as both an American and a citizen of the world.
Howard Zinn: Voices of a People's History of the United States
2006
as Self
An impressive roster of celebrities -- including Lili Taylor, Paul Robeson, Sarah Jones, Brian Jones, John Sayles and Wallace Shawn -- lend their voic...
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies
2004
as Joe
The top 100 songs of the past 100 years chosen by the American Film Institute are presented by host-actor John Travolta.
White Sings Robeson
2001
In this concert from Canterbury Cathedral, Willard White takes a musical journey through the life of the noted performer Paul Robeson.
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
1999
as Self
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand presents the life and achievements of an extraordinary man. Athlete, singer, and scholar, Robeson was also a charismatic ch...
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
1998
as Self (archive footage)
A look at the confluence of the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and blacklists with the post-war activism by African Americans seeking more and better roles o...
Paul Robeson: Speak of Me as I Am
1998
as Himself (archive footage)
A famed athlete, linguist, scholar, lawyer, actor, singer and activist, Paul Robeson left behind an irreplaceable legacy in American life. Friends, ar...
Paul Robeson: 20th Century Renaissance Man, Entertainer & Activist
1994
as Self (archive footage)
Paul Robeson was a celebrated African-American Actor, Athlete, Singer, Writer, and Civil Rights Activist. Robeson's many achievements are chronicled i...
The Great Concert of Nations, or The Breath of Cheyne-Stokes
1991
as Self (speaking in Russian) (uncredited) (archive footage)
A film about the destruction of the Jewish intelligentsia - from the defeat of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee to the “Doctors’ Plot.”
I’m a Negro, I’m an American – Paul Robeson
1990
Biographical notes on the American singer, actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson (1898-1976). At the height of his fame and skill, Robeson’s ca...
Musical Comedy Tonight III
1985
Sylvia Fine hosts this musical show featuring some great American singing and dancing stars, featuring music by Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart, Berlin and K...
Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist
1979
as Himself (archive footage)
This Academy Award-winning documentary short Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist, narrated by Sidney Poitier, traces the career of Paul Robeson through...
The Tallest Tree in Our Forest
1977
as Self
A detailed biography of famed singer, actor, athlete and activist Paul Robeson. Complete with several interviews and footage of concerts and film clip...
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American entertainment industry during the Great Depression.
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Ossie Davis narrates a history of "race films," films made before 1950 which catered to a primarily black audience.
Contradictory America. Faith, hope, love and hate. Film 2
1973
as Self/Cameo (archive footage)
In the second film, the author tells about the struggle of blacks for the right to feel equal with all US citizens. Commentary of the mayor of Cairo, ...
Song of the Rivers
1954
as Voice of Singer
An allegorical documentary about the workers of the world, whose common destinies and hopes for peace are symbolically united by the rivers that run t...
Song of the Rivers
1954
Writer
An allegorical documentary about the workers of the world, whose common destinies and hopes for peace are symbolically united by the rivers that run t...
South Africa Uncensored
1951
as Narrator
In 1951, the Council on African Affairs produced a twenty-two minute agitprop documentary film about apartheid in South Africa, narrated by Paul Robes...
Mining Review 2nd Year No. 11
1949
as Himself
The 23rd issue of the long running industry cinemagazine. Features the articles: 'Safety First', 'Paying For It' and ' A Star Drops In'.
Easy to Get
1947
as Self
U.S. Army training film about avoiding venereal disease, intended primarily for Black servicemen.
Tales of Manhattan
1942
as Luke
Ten screenwriters collaborated on this series of tales concerning the effect a tailcoat cursed by its tailor has on those who wear it. The video relea...
Native Land
1942
as Narrator
By the start of World War II, Paul Robeson had given up his lucrative mainstream work to participate in more socially progressive film and stage produ...
The Proud Valley
1940
as David Goliath
In a Welsh coal mining valley, a young man with a beautiful singing voice is called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice when a pit disaster threatens.
Big Fella
1938
as Joe
Singing Marseilles docker Joe is hired by wealthy English couple, the Oliphants, to find their missing son Gerald. When Joe finds him, he learns Geral...
Jericho
1937
as Cpl. Jericho Jackson
An unjustly condemned corporal flees to Africa, chased by the captain blamed for his escape.
King Solomon's Mines
1937
as Umbopa
White hunter Allan Quartermain and his enigmatic guide help a young Irish woman locate her missing father in unexplored Darkest Africa.
My Song Goes Forth
1937
as Self
Featuring Paul Robeson, this is the first documentary film to take a serious look at social conditions and race relations in South Africa.
Song of Freedom
1936
as John 'Johnny' Zinga
John Zinga, a descendent of slaves, has an ancient medallion around his neck and a fragment of song passed down generations. He is an English dockwork...
Show Boat
1936
as Joe
Despite her mother's objections, the naive young daughter of a show boat captain is thrust into the limelight as the company's new leading lady.
Sanders of the River
1935
as Bosambo
A British District Officer in Nigeria in the 1930s rules his area strictly but justly. He struggles with gun-runners and slavers with the aid of a loy...
Emperor Jones
1933
as Brutus Jones
Unscrupulously ambitious, Brutus Jones escapes from jail after killing a guard and, through bluff and bravado, finds himself the emperor of a Caribbea...
Black and White
1932
Music
The film addresses issues of racism in the Jim Crow American South. Themes of racial injustice, racial violence, working-class solidarity dominate the...
Borderline
1930
as Pete Varond
When a black couple vacations at a resort in Switzerland, an interracial affair stirs racial tensions among the townsfolk.
Camille: The Fate of a Coquette
1926
as Alexandre Dumas fils
A home movie version of the Dumas play. A young woman becomes a courtesan and tragedy befalls her. Appearances are made by many socialites of 1920s Pa...
Body and Soul
1925
as Reverend Isaiah T. Jenkins / His brother Sylvester
A minister is malevolent and sinister behind his righteous facade. He consorts with, and later extorts from, the owner of a gambling house, and betray...