Collection | Special Collections | Major Motion Picture Collection

The Major Motion Picture Collection includes films produced by major Hollywood studios between 1929 and 1997. These 16mm/35mm prints were donated by DreamWorks, MGM/United Artists, Paramount, TriMark and Warner Brothers.

Cabin in the Sky
Hallelujah (MGM, 1929) was Hollywood's second successful black musical following Hearts in Dixie. Showcasing black musical talents, King Vidor's film reflects technical advancements made in film during the early history of sound.
The Green Pastures (Warner Brothers, 1936) was William Keighley's adaptation of Marc Connelly's Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical.
Cabin in the Sky (MGM, 1943), directed by Vincent Minnelli, stars film and musical greats Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, Eddie Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Polk, and Rex Ingram.
Intruder in the Dust (MGM, 1949) explores the lynch law mentality of a small southern town. Directed by Clarence Brown, the film was adapted from William Faulkner's novel.
The Defiant Ones
The Defiant Ones (United Artists, 1967) stars Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis as escaped chain gang prisoners.
In the Heat of the Night (United Artists, 1967), directed by Norman Jewison, stars Sidney Poitier as the smart northern detective solving a southern crime.
The Learning Tree, (Warner Brothers, 1969) documents the life of a black child growing up in a racist Kansas town. Directed by Gordon Parks, the film was adapted from his autobiography.
Cotton Comes to Harlem (United Artists, 1970), directed by Ossie Davis, stars Raymond St. Jacques and Godfrey Cambridge as two Harlem detectives.
Shaft (MGM, 1971) was directed by Gordon Parks and stars Richard Roundtree as a private eye hired to find the kidnapped daughter of an underworld boss played by Moses Gunn.
Lady Sings the Blues (Paramount, 1972) was directed by Sidney Furie and stars Diana Ross who was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Billie Holiday in this adaptation of Holiday's autobiography.
Leadbelly (Paramount, 1976), directed by Gordon Parks, stars Roger Mosley, Madge Sinclair, and Art Evans. The film dramatizes the life of blues guitarist Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Leadbelly.
The Color Purple (Warner Brothers, 1985), Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's novel features Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey.
Amistad (DreamWorks, 1997), Steven Speilberg's depiction of the slave ship mutiny led by Cinque aboard the Amistad (1839), features Djimon Hounsou, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins.
Eve's Bayou (TriMark, 35mm, 1997), Kasi Lemmons' depiction of a Louisiana aristocratic black family. Features Samuel L. Jackson and Lynn Whitfield.