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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 137

The Emperor Jones

193380 minUnited States

Video edition: YouTube
Original language: English
This copy runs: 72:57
Subtitles: English

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Synopsis

A railway porter drawn into gambling and violence begins a journey away from his former life. His appetite for power leads toward a precarious new authority. The drama traces the ambitions and fears surrounding Brutus Jones, played by Paul Robeson.

Cast

Paul Robeson

– Brutus Jones

Dudley Digges

– Smithers

Frank H. Wilson

– Jeff

Fredi Washington

– Undine

DirectorsDudley Murphy

Inspirations

Robeson had already played the title role in Eugene O'Neill's drama on stage. The independently financed film adds an extended backstory and new characters before reaching material from the play, substantially changing its structure.

Sources and availability

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Wikipedia Internet Archive

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

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Availability checked on September 10, 2026.

Photograph credit

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

Paul Robeson — Gordon Parks , Office of War Information; cropped by Beyond My Ken ( talk ) 07:13, 3 February 2011 (UTC) · Public domain
Dudley Digges — Theatre Arts Inc., photograph by Francis Bruguiere · Public domain
Frank H. Wilson — Florence Vandamm, photographer · Public domain
Fredi Washington — Universal Pictures · Public domain

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