By Vlad Zakh · September 1, 2026
Clarence Brooks was a pioneering Black leading man of the silent and early sound era who later built a long supporting career in Hollywood. The Negro Soldier is a documentary on Black soldiers’ training and service in the Second World War, Up Jumped the Devil risks a songwriter’s everything on a stranger’s deal, Rock Island Trail builds a railroad against rivals, and Wild Women crosses hostile territory with mail-order brides. Dark Manhattan and Murder in Harlem round out the list.
01 Clarence Brooks is in this western about a wagon train of mail-order brides who face peril crossing hostile territory to reach their waiting husbands.
Directed by Norman Dawn · 1h 02m · Rated NR
Stream: Cultpix · Rent or buy: Amazon Video
Stream: Cultpix · Rent or buy: Amazon Video
Stream: Cultpix
Stream: Cultpix · Rent or buy: Amazon Video
Stream: Cultpix
02 Clarence Brooks appears in this western about a determined railroad man who fights to build a rail line west against fierce opposition from rival steamship interests.
Directed by Joseph Kane · 1h 30m
Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store
Rent or buy: Amazon Video
Rent: Amazon Video
03 Clarence Brooks features in this documentary chronicling the training, service and sacrifice of Black soldiers during the Second World War.
Directed by Stuart Heisler · 0h 43m
Stream: FlixFling, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: FlixFling
Stream: FlixFling · Rent or buy: FlixFling
04 Clarence Brooks appears in this all-Black musical drama about a struggling songwriter whose deal with a mysterious stranger threatens to cost him everything he holds dear.
Directed by William Beaudine · 1h 02m · Rated NR
05 Clarence Brooks features in this all-Black crime drama about a charming racketeer whose rise in the Harlem numbers game is threatened by a rival gang.
Directed by Harry L. Fraser · 1h 10m
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video
06 Clarence Brooks features in this all-Black mystery about a night watchman wrongly accused of murder after discovering a young woman's body in a factory basement.
Directed by Oscar Micheaux · 1h 35m · Rated NR
Stream: FlixFling, Kino Film Collection · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, FlixFling
Stream: FlixFling, Kino Film Collection, Kino Film Collection Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: FlixFling
Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.
