Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 693

Hallelujah!

Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
English
This copy runs
99:55
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · King Vidor · Public domain

Synopsis

Zeke takes his family's cotton earnings into town and loses them in a rigged gambling game. A confrontation ends with his brother's death, and grief leads him to become a preacher. His desire for Chick, the dancer involved in the deception, continues to pull him away from the life of religious commitment he has promised to lead.

Cast

DirectorsKing Vidor

Historical context

Made at the beginning of the sound era, Hallelujah was among the first major Hollywood productions with an entirely African American cast. Spirituals, work songs and revival meetings are central to its dramatic and musical design.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Audience rating

Loading ratings…