Cathryn Caviness- San Antonio East Side Resident’s Film “The Blood of Jesus” 1 of 25 films in Library of Congress
The Blood of Jesus one of the first 25 African American films included in the Library of Congress. Main Actress Cathryn Caviness, a native San Antonian and East Side resident, was also an active member of Second Baptist Church.
“The Blood of Jesus, shot in Texas on a shoestring budget, is probably the most popular movie made for African American audiences before World War II,” said Jacqueline Stewart, professor of film at Northwestern University and National Film Preservation Board member. “It is the first feature by writer-director Spencer Williams, later a star of TV’s Amos ‘n’ Andy, whose films have been vastly underappreciated despite his unique ability to capture Black religious and cultural practices while experimenting with film style.”
A little about Cathryn Caviness- The Blood of Jesus’ Main Actress from the Eastside of San Antonio:
• Born in San Antonio April 30,1914.
• Parents- John L Caviness and Francis McIntyre Caviness
• Lived on Calhoun, Maryland and Crosby street.
• Lived in San Antonio until she attended Sam Houston State University
• Starred in The Blood of Jesus in 1941
• Is a member of the Delta Theta Soriety
• Died in Austin in 1930
The Blood of Jesus was named by the Library of Congress to the National Film Registry in 1991.
For more information here are some additional sources below:
http://entertainment.time.com/2008/02/04/the-25-most-important-films-on-race/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033406/
https://www.loc.gov/programs/static/national-film-preservation-board/documents/blood_of_jesus.pdf
