Herb Jeffries, The First Black Western Star by Raquel Stecher
“Representation matters” is a common phrase used today among film critics. While it’s considered a more modern idea, a backlash against many years of misrepresentation, one early pioneer in the 1930s saw this problem and came up with an idea to fix it. That man was Herb Jeffries.
Born in Detroit in 1913, Jeffries’s heritage represented the city’s melting pot of ethnicities including African, Italian, French, Jewish, Native American and Irish. It wasn’t until he left his community that he saw the adverse effects of segregation. Too dark to pass as white, Jeffries decided to present as black and pursue a career in blues and jazz where African-American artists were thriving. Jeffries had a deep voice, incredible vocal pitch and larger-than-life presence making him a born performer. He made his way across the country performing in New York and Chicago before finally landing in Hollywood where he met small-time movie producer Jed Buell.
Jeffries and Buell collaborated on what would become the first ever all-black Western, Harlem on the Prairie (1937). The inspiration came from Jeffries’ childhood memories of watching Westerns starring Tom Mix. The genre was devoid of black characters and Jeffries knew he could make a difference. A bit of inspiration also came from Buell himself who produced The Terror of Tiny Town (1938), a Western featuring a cast entirely comprised of little people. With the singing cowboy movement (made popular by Gene Autry) in full swing it seemed fitting for Buell and Jeffries to make a Western musical.
Buell worried that Jeffries’ pale complexion would not carry over well to black audiences. In an interview with KCETV’s Huell Howser, Jeffries said “we had trouble finding African Americans who could ride, sing and act. We tested 10 or 12 and none could do all three. But I could.” Having spent much time at his grandfather’s ranch in Ohio, Jeffries had extensive experience riding horses and lassoing ropes. Harlem on the Prairie was an instant smash. The intention was to expand the scope of what African-American actors could portray on screen by means of an all-black production, catering to black audiences and screened at black theaters. This film was successful enough that it also screened in mainstream cinemas across the country.
When Buell moved on to other projects, Jeffries found a new collaborator in director/producer Richard C. Kahn. They worked on three films together: TWO-GUN MAN FROM HARLEM (’38), The Bronze Buckaroo (1939) and Harlem Rides the Range (1939). These stories were adaptations of existing Westerns written by Fred Myton, retooled with different character names and added dialogue. There was no room in the budget for any additional help so it was all hands on deck. Cast members were responsible for their own stunts, Kahn worked on the screenplays and Jeffries wrote his own songs. Jeffries often joked that these were “C-pictures” because of their low-production value. Appearing with Jeffries on screen was his musical quartet The Four Tones.
Jeffries took his intended audience quite seriously. He wanted these films to be true to the Western genre while also being suitable for children. Kids weren’t interested in romance so that was toned down. In his interview with Howser, Jeffries said, “we were careful not to smoke… when we shot a guy we made sure he was the villain. Good citizens were out doing the right thing.” This foresight paid off. As he remembered, “wherever I went kids would follow me through the street, not only black kids but white kids too.”
Jeffries’ films were sometimes criticized for perpetuating black stereotypes. TWO-GUN MAN FROM HARLEM was a notable exception. The story follows Bob Blake, a ranch man falsely accused of killing a man. He’s been set up by the man’s widow, a cheating housewife caught up with a local mob syndicate. She switches Blake’s gun for the murder weapon, hence the “two-gun” reference in the title. Blake travels to Harlem, takes on the appearance of a preacher/gangster and travels back home to solve the crime under his new disguise. Along the way there are plenty of musical performances including a rendition of “I’m a Happy Cowboy”. Mantan Moreland serves as comic relief, Marguerite Whitten as a romantic interest and child actor Matthew “Stymie” Beard as a relatable figure for young audiences. What’s interesting about the quartet is that there are no white characters. Not only that, but there are no Native Americans or Mexicans either. Bob Blake is his own savior, coming to his own rescue without the help of more empowered white characters.
To promote TWO-GUN MAN FROM HARLEM and the other Bob Blake films, Jeffries and The Four Tones toured the South. Jeffries would ride around in his Cadillac, adorned with steer horns and his name emblazoned on the side. After screenings at black theatres, Jeffries would perform musical numbers on stage with the quartet and do cowboy tricks much to the audience’s delight. By 1939, there was a decline in black theatres and a shrinking market. Jeffries was happy to leave his career as a cowboy movie star behind when Duke Ellington invited him to join his band. He reminisced, “I was making movies, but I knew I’d rather sing with Ellington.” Until his death in 2014 at the ripe old age of 100, Jeffries could be regularly seen wearing his Stetson hat and cowboy boots and would often proclaim “I’ll always be a cowboy.”
