The Blood of Jesus – The Glory Road (1941)

DVD: www.amazon.com thefilmarchived.blogspot.com The Blood of Jesus is a 1941 American film written, directed, and starring Spencer Williams. It was also released under the alternate title of The Glory Road. Cast * Cathryn Caviness as Sister Martha Ann Jackson * Spencer Williams as Ras Jackson * Juanita Riley as Sister Jenkins * Reather Hardeman as Sister Ellerby * Rogenia Goldthwaite as The Angel * James B. Jones as Satan * Frank H. McClennan as Judas Green * Eddie DeBase as Rufus Brown * Alva Fuller as Luke Williams The Blood of Jesus was the second film directed by Spencer Williams, who was one of the few African American directors of the 1940s. Williams began his career in the 1920s as an extra, and was later able to move up into writing scripts for all-black short comedies produced by the Al Christie studio. In 1928 he directed the silent film Tenderfeet, which was released by Midnight Productions. In 1939, he wrote two screenplays for the race film genre, the Western Harlem Rides the Range and the horror-comedy Son of Ingagi, and he also acted in these films. Williams was invited by Alfred N. Sack, president of the Dallas, Texas-based production/distribution company Sack Amusement Enterprises, to write and direct a series of all-black films that would be released to the US cinemas catering to African American audiences. The Blood of Jesus was produced in Texas on a budget of US00. To present the afterlife, Williams used scenes from a 1911 Italian film called L …