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Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (; January 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was an American author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films. Although the short-lived Micheaux Book & Film Company produced some films, he is regarded as the first major African-American feature filmmaker, the most successful African-American filmmaker of the first half of the twentieth century〔(Dan Moos, ''Outside America: Race, Ethnicity, and the Role of the American West in National Belonging'' ), University Press of New England, 2005, p. 53, accessed 13 March 2011.〕 and the most prominent producer of race films. He produced both silent films and "talkies" after the industry changed to incorporate speaking actors. ==Early life and education== Micheaux was born on a farm in Metropolis, Illinois on January 2, 1884.〔(Betti Carol VanEpps-Taylor, ''Oscar Micheaux – A Biography: Dakota Homesteader, Author, Pioneer Film Maker'' ), Dakota West, 1999.〕 He was the fifth child born to Calvin S. and Belle Micheaux, who had a total of thirteen children.〔 In his later years, Micheaux added an “e” to his last name.〔 His father was born a slave in Kentucky.〔 Because of its surname, his father's family appears to have been associated with French-descended settlers. French Huguenot refugees had settled in Virginia in 1700; their descendants took slaves west when they migrated into Kentucky after the American Revolutionary War. Micheaux was born when African Americans were trying to succeed in a world dominated by whites. He struggled with social oppression as a young boy, which he reflected in writing in later years. To give their children education, his parents relocated to the city for better schooling. Micheaux attended a well-established school for several years before the family eventually ran into money troubles and were forced to relocate to the farm. Unhappy, Micheaux became rebellious and discontented. His struggles caused internal problems within his family. His father was not happy with him and sent him away to do marketing within the big city. Micheaux found pleasure in this job because he was able to speak to many new people and learned many social skills that he would later reflect within his films.〔 When Micheaux was 17 years old, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, to live with his older brother, then working as a waiter.〔 Micheaux became dissatisfied with what he viewed as his brother’s way of living “the good life.” He rented his own place and found a job in the stockyards, which he found difficult.〔 He worked many different jobs, moving from the stockyards to the steel mills. After being “swindled out of two dollars” by an employment agency,〔 Micheaux decided to become his own boss. His first business was a small shoeshine stand, which he set up at a white suburban barbershop, away from Chicago competition.〔 He learned the basic strategies of business and started to save money. He became a Pullman porter on the major railroads,〔 at that time considered prestigious employment for African Americans, because it was relatively stable and well-paid, secure and gave freedom of travel and acquaintance. This job was an informal college education for Micheaux. He profited financially, and also gained contacts and knowledge about the world through traveling, as well as a greater understanding for business. When he left the position, he had seen much of the United States, had a couple of thousand dollars saved in his bank account, and had made a number of connections with wealthy white people who helped his future endeavors. Micheaux moved to Dallas, South Dakota, where he bought land and worked as a homesteader.〔 This experience inspired his first novels and films.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title="Oscar Micheaux biography", Bio. )〕 His neighbors on the frontier were all white. “Some recall that () rarely sat at a table with his white neighbors”.〔 Micheaux’s years as a homesteader allowed him to learn more about human relations and farming, a time in his life full of tests and experiments. While farming, Micheaux wrote articles and submitted them to press. ''The Chicago Defender'' published one of his earliest articles.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Oscar Micheaux」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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