This film is part of Free

The Black Emperor

Paul Robeson demonstrates his vocal talents in this short extract from Song of Freedom

Drama 1949 8 mins

Overview

Paul Robeson was one of British cinema's most bankable stars of the 1930s and his 1937 feature Song of Freedom was repurposed after the war for home viewing. This short extract charts the rise of his character John Zinga to stardom as an international opera singer. It features two songs from the film, Stepping Stone and the song from the onscreen opera, Black Emperor.