ABSTRACT
Two Knights of Vaudeville is a short comedy produced in 1914 by the Historical Feature Film Co., a Chicago-based white-owned independent film company, with a predominantly African American cast. Featuring well-known Black vaudeville performers Frank Montgomery, Bert Murphy, and Florence McClain, the film showcases the actors’ performance styles and preserves aspects of their ephemeral stage act that have otherwise been lost to time. Thematizing performance and reception, Two Knights of Vaudeville offers a fascinating take on segregated entertainment venues, vaudeville variety, and expectations of spectator conduct. It is also an important case study in cinematic reception as the film faced a range of responses – positive and vehemently critical – upon its initial release in 1915 and subsequent re-release by the Ebony Film Company.
