Movies from an Independent Confederacy

Nigeria, South Africa, and New Zealand et al have film industries. One of my favorite movies is Colombian and the Russians did a terrific job on Nightwatch. So I expect the Confederacy will have some sort of movie development if it survives into the 20th century. I also think the notion that Texas goes it's own way is much less likely as they get all the perks of internal markets without having to shoulder the whole of their own army/navy

Many countries do have film industries of their own not just the countries you had mentioned. Even some major Hollywood films over the years had all or some of their scenes filmed in New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Canada.
 
Anyone ever seen Santa Fe Trail? A 1940 epic about the evil John Brown, played as a barking lunatic by Raymond Massey, and his attempts to stir up trouble by abolishing slavery. Fortunately Ron & Errol are at hand to put and end to his evil plans, before heading off to Australia, via wrecking most of the Third Reich (and Raymond Massey again), for a crack at those Japs.

This is a film that could have been made in the CSA.
 
Alternative take -- the CSA holds onto chattel slavery for as long as it can, meaning that by the 1910's, not only is the CSA effectively a military dictatorship, they're pretty much a single mass disruption or crisis away from revolution. So it very well may be the silent film era of the CSA is primarily known for how a new revolutionary government used the medium for propaganda purposes (a la OTL Soviets).
 
Alternative take -- the CSA holds onto chattel slavery for as long as it can, meaning that by the 1910's, not only is the CSA effectively a military dictatorship, they're pretty much a single mass disruption or crisis away from revolution. So it very well may be the silent film era of the CSA is primarily known for how a new revolutionary government used the medium for propaganda purposes (a la OTL Soviets).

I think that the Confederacy would likely be forced to effectively abolish slavery by 1900. Even then they would find ways to prevent revolution like telling the Blacks who want any freedom at all will need to permanently leave the Confederacy (What amounts to De-Facto Deportation) thinking to themselves let another country deal with them and it will be one less problem to deal with (It could be way more cost effective for the Confederacy to take such action compared to imprisoning them which can be so costly).
 
Classical romances and tales of chivalry might do very well as a niche in a Confederate movie industry too. Errol Flynn type movies along with Pride and Prejudice and 'classical' literature boiled down for the masses.
 
Classical romances and tales of chivalry might do very well as a niche in a Confederate movie industry too. Errol Flynn type movies along with Pride and Prejudice and 'classical' literature boiled down for the masses.
Apparently Mark Twain blamed Sir Walter Scott's romantic historical novels for the Civil War; there was a memorable anecdote from In the Presence of Mine Enemies by Ed Ayers where Shenandoah Virginians have a legit medieval fair with knights in shining armor.
 
Somehow I could see that. Maybe an ATL with a medieval Confederacy emerging out of the Magna Carta and a much earlier European discovery of the Americas could have literal Confederate Knights. Extra creepy if they refer to themselves as 'the circle', want to annex large chunks of the Caribbean, and wear pointy white hats.
 
I don't think it's off-topic to point out that most of the rural South didn't even have electricity until the ebil Yankee government (the TVA) came along and made them electrify.
So why do people think there would be a movie industry? The big cities of the South are big and important because the North invested in them. So, no banking in Charlotte, no Fort Bragg, no Atlanta metroplex.
Did Victorian English millworkers have time enough to go watch plays and support the theatre? Did they have money to waste on such frippery, or were they scraping to buy shoes for Tiny Tim so he could go work at the mill too?
Why is an alt-CSA going to be any different?
 
I don't think it's off-topic to point out that most of the rural South didn't even have electricity until the ebil Yankee government (the TVA) came along and made them electrify.
So why do people think there would be a movie industry? The big cities of the South are big and important because the North invested in them. So, no banking in Charlotte, no Fort Bragg, no Atlanta metroplex.
Did Victorian English millworkers have time enough to go watch plays and support the theatre? Did they have money to waste on such frippery, or were they scraping to buy shoes for Tiny Tim so he could go work at the mill too?
Why is an alt-CSA going to be any different?

Most of rural America period never got power until the 1930s onward, South and North. There will be cities, and those cities will have power. New Orleans, Nashville, Houston and the other Texan cities once oil takes off, much of Virginia, Atlanta will all at the very least be local hubs. There may not be much during the silent film era, but as time goes on there will be greater demand for film as the technology increases just like OTL.
 
Most of rural America period never got power until the 1930s onward, South and North. There will be cities, and those cities will have power. New Orleans, Nashville, Houston and the other Texan cities once oil takes off, much of Virginia, Atlanta will all at the very least be local hubs. There may not be much during the silent film era, but as time goes on there will be greater demand for film as the technology increases just like OTL.

In a surviving Confederacy Richmond, Atlanta and likely Nashville and New Orleans would be the most vital cites to the Confederacy at first and would have electricity (As well as all Cities in the Confederacy including those in Texas) once the means to reliably generate and deliver electricity become widely available which would be enough to facilitate a demand for films permitting a film industry to be started up and lack of electricity in Rural areas will not stop those living there from wanting to see films (They can travel to an town or city that has both electricity and operating Movie Theaters). The moment Oil does take off they would likely export the Oil to the North or any other Country willing and or able to buy it using some of the revenues to invest in bringing electricity to the rest of the Confederacy which would boost the demand for film and help facilitate the eventual and inevitable introductions of Radio and Television to the Confederacy (Once such signals are able to be received in any or all parts of the Confederacy). Even lack of Electricity would not prevent a Movie Theater in such a area from operating once Portable Generators that are powerful enough arrive which would happen the moment Oil take off.
 
Think more loyal and dutiful, simple, but pure salt of the earth servants supporting the household of their paternalist masters when they need them the most.

Pretty much like Jim Bowie's slave in "The Alamo". But when their good Massa offers to free them they turn it down, because they are happy just the way they are.
 
It probably says something about me, given how much time I have spent thinking about this, but one thing I think could happen in a CSA that is independent, prosperous enough to have a film industry and where slavery is still practices, is that slaves would feature prominently in the entertainment industry. I can see studios and record labels, and before them theatres and clubs, buying "stables" of talented slaves.

It would provide an interesting ideological argument for the Confederates. They would be able to respond to critics of slavery, both at home and abroad, by pointing to their various slave celebrities and say "look at how we treat our slaves, they have glamour and glitz and get to live the high-life and have the love of their adoring public". Also, just consider how sleazy and exploitative Hollywood can be IOTL and throw in the actors and singers being the property of their employers with no bodily autonomy.
 
I don't think it's off-topic to point out that most of the rural South didn't even have electricity until the ebil Yankee government (the TVA) came along and made them electrify.
Lack of electricity is not something that is unique for the early 20th century rural American South.
Travelling cinemas were and are a thing.

Did Victorian English millworkers have time enough to go watch plays and support the theatre? Did they have money to waste on such frippery, or were they scraping to buy shoes for Tiny Tim so he could go work at the mill too?
Heckler is a term that originates in the textile trade, although there appears to be some unclarity as to
whether its more common modern usage is due to their behaviour at the theatre or because they
behaved like that elsewhere and thus people who behaved like that in theatres were likened to them.

Also, music hall and working men's clubs.
 

ben0628

Banned
I wouldn't be surprised if movies like Gods and Generals and Gettysburg were shown.

I loved those movies too, even though they glorified southern generals too the point that I openly was rooting for Armistead to succeed at defeating Union forces during the end of Picket's charge.
 
It probably says something about me, given how much time I have spent thinking about this, but one thing I think could happen in a CSA that is independent, prosperous enough to have a film industry and where slavery is still practices, is that slaves would feature prominently in the entertainment industry. I can see studios and record labels, and before them theatres and clubs, buying "stables" of talented slaves.

It would provide an interesting ideological argument for the Confederates. They would be able to respond to critics of slavery, both at home and abroad, by pointing to their various slave celebrities and say "look at how we treat our slaves, they have glamour and glitz and get to live the high-life and have the love of their adoring public". Also, just consider how sleazy and exploitative Hollywood can be IOTL and throw in the actors and singers being the property of their employers with no bodily autonomy.
They could get sanctions for that. Hell, how would the United States react to that?
 
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It probably says something about me, given how much time I have spent thinking about this, but one thing I think could happen in a CSA that is independent, prosperous enough to have a film industry and where slavery is still practices, is that slaves would feature prominently in the entertainment industry. I can see studios and record labels, and before them theatres and clubs, buying "stables" of talented slaves.

It would provide an interesting ideological argument for the Confederates. They would be able to respond to critics of slavery, both at home and abroad, by pointing to their various slave celebrities and say "look at how we treat our slaves, they have glamour and glitz and get to live the high-life and have the love of their adoring public". Also, just consider how sleazy and exploitative Hollywood can be IOTL and throw in the actors and singers being the property of their employers with no bodily autonomy.

It happened in Russia, when landowners owned entire orchestras of serfs.

Yes.

But that's assuming they abolish slavery in the 1880s. Which they won't.

Depends.

If their British allies pressurise them, and if enough persons, both Whites and slaves, are revolting against the oligarchic regime, slavery might be abolished, even if the hardliners mignt not like to agbandon why the Confederacy was founded.

I loved those movies too, even though they glorified southern generals too the point that I openly was rooting for Armistead to succeed at defeating Union forces during the end of Picket's charge.

As said someone about God and Generals:

Rober Ebert said:
Here is a Civil War movie that Trent Lott might enjoy
 

missouribob

Banned
While I do doubt they would have a substantial movie industry its not like southerns were a bunch of inbred stereotypes. That is a pretty ignorant assumption.
I think he was saying that in an OTL with a CSA that the USA would have reconquered it before a substantial movie industry could have developed. So calm down with the "ignorant assumption" talk. Believe it or not it is up for debate on this site whether or not the CSA could make it to the 20th century as a nation.
 
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