Old Black Hollywood Stars You Should Know
George and Noble Johnson
These two brothas were actually brothers who made an indelible mark on the history of black cinema. Noble Johnson was small-time actor and George Johnson was a post office employee, but they were determined to form a company that would to produce movies for black audiences. They founded the Lincoln Motion Picture Company in Omaha and released their first feature film, The Realization of a Negro’s Ambition, in 1916. In all, the Lincoln Motion Picture Company produced 5 films before it was closed in 1921. Noble Johnson went on to have a long acting career, appearing in 144 films playing an extraordinary range of characters.