Miracle in Harlem

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A 16mm release print of the feature film Miracle in Harlem. It consists of two reels of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film with variable-area optical sound. The film is about a woman, Julie Weston (Sheila Guyse), who is suspected of killing a real estate tycoon. It opens with a church service in which a choir sings “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.” After the service, Julie’s aunt, Aunt Hattie (Hilda Offley), walks to her candy kitchen where she is greeted by Julie and Julie’s paramour, Bert (William Greaves). Bert and Julie attempt to convince Aunt Hattie to expand and modernize her candy kitchen. However, Aunt Hattie expresses her hesitation toward their proposal. At one point in the film, a man informs Julie that she no longer owns the candy shop or the recipes to which Julie responds that, Mr. Marshall “will never get away with this. The film ends with detectives solving the murder.

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