Historical Cinematic Film For The Weekenders: “Within Our Gates”, a 1920 Silent Film Starring Evelyn Preer

 Within Our Gates

The film opens with Sylvia Landry (Evelyn
Preer), a young African-American woman, visiting her cousin Alma in the
North. Landry is waiting for the return of Conrad as they plan to marry. Alma
also loves Conrad. Larry, Alma's step brother, attempts to woo Sylvia but is
rebuffed. Larry kills a professional gambler after cheating during a game of poker. Alma arranges
for Sylvia to be caught in a seemingly compromising situation by Conrad when he
returns. Conrad begins to strangle Sylvia but is stopped by Alma. Conrad leaves
for Brazil.
Sylvia returns to the South. 

Sylvia meets Rev. Jacobs, a minister who runs a rural school for black
children called Piney Woods School. The school is overcrowded, and Rev. Jacobs
cannot continue on the small amount offered to blacks for education by the
state. With the school facing closure, Sylvia volunteers to return to the North
to try to raise $5,000.

Sylvia's purse is stolen in Boston. A man named Dr. Vivian chases after the
thief and recovers the purse. After running into the street to save a child
from being run over, Sylvia is hit by the car herself. As she recovers in the
hospital, she meets the owner of the car - Elena Warwick, a wealthy
philanthropist. Learning of Sylvia's mission, Elena decides to give her the
needed money. When her Southern friend Mrs. Stratton tries to discourage her,
Warwick increases her donation to $50,000. This amount will save the school,
and Sylvia returns to the South. 

Rev. Jacobs asks for Sylvia's hand in marriage, but Sylvia, now in love with
Dr. Vivian, refuses. Larry, on the run from the police, runs into Sylvia and
attempts blackmail with secrets of Sylvia's past. Instead of stealing from the
school on Larry's behalf, Sylvia runs away in the night and heads north.

Later, Dr. Vivian searches for Sylvia. Larry, who has run out of money and
returned to Alma, is fatally shot during an attempted bank robbery. Dr. Vivian
by chance ends up treating Larry and meets Alma. Alma tells Dr. Vivian about
Sylvia's past: these flashback scenes are portrayed in the film. Sylvia was
adopted and raised by a poor black family, the Landrys, who managed to provide
her with an education.

During her youth, the senior Landry was wrongfully accused of the murder of
an unpopular but wealthy white landlord, Gridlestone. A white mob attacked the
Landry family, lynching
the parents and hunting down their son, who escaped after nearly being shot.
The mob also lynched Efrem, a servant of Gridlestone, despite Efrem
collaborating with them. Sylvia escaped after being chased and attacked by
Gridlestone's brother, who overpowered her and was close to raping her.
Noticing a scar on her breast, Gridlestone's brother realized that Sylvia was
in fact his mixed-race daughter, born of his marriage to a local black
woman. He had paid for her education.

After hearing about her life, Dr. Vivian meets with Sylvia; he encourages
her to love her country and take pride in the contributions of African
Americans. He professes his love for her, and the film ends with their marriage -- Wikipedia

Directed by  Oscar Micheaux
Written by    Oscar Micheaux
Produced by  Oscar Micheaux

Starring:   

Evelyn Preer
Floy Clements
James D. Ruffin
Jack Chenault
William Smith
Charles D. Lucas

Another Interesting Black Person: Reeves, Bass (1838–1910)