Satan's Woman: First Black film star of Russia

Satan's Woman (released May 14, 1915)

Filmed at the G.I. Libken Studios in nearby Yaroslavl as WWI raged and revolution was around the corner, popular director Sigimund Veselovsky created his intresting attempt on Russian soil an American adventure film "Satan's Woman", about life within the circus and musichall. The headlining actors for the film were Nikolai Saltykov (as 'Tolsky') and Afro-American entertainer Emma Harris (as 'Galima'). The film was well received by the Russian populace, and also helped develop Emma Harris as Imperial Russia's first black film star. She continued filming in the 1920s even as the country converted to Communism, appearing in propagandized Soviet films.

Description from "Films from Pre-Revolutionary Russia":


Satan's Woman. Drama, 5 hours, 1 350 m. T / D S. Veselovsky and Parkhomenko. Issued by offices "Alians" May, 14 1915. Scene and dir. S. Veselovsky. Acts: Ge-De-Gayam (Gaia Assi, circus actress). N. Saltykov (actor Yevgeniy Tolsky), Lihomsky (Andrey, his brother), Galima (Emerita, Negro), Oriedo, Lyubomirsky, Kuznetsov, Nezhdanov. A tricky adventure film from circus life; an interesting attempt from a building on Russian soil.

Moscow around the time of the filming

ЖЕНЩИНА-САТАНА. Драма, 5 ч., 1 350 м. Т/Д С. Веселовский и Пархо­ менко. Вып. конторы «Алиано> 14/У 1915. Сцен, и реж. С. Веселовский. Акте­ ры: Ге-Де-Гаям (Гея Асси. цирковая арти­стка). Н. Салтыков (артист Евгений Тольский), Лихомский (Андрей, его брат), Галима (Эмеритта, негритянка), Ориедо, Любомирский, Кузнецов, Нежданов. Трюковой приключенческий фильм из цирковой жизни; интересна попытка со­ здания на русской почве а.

The Louisiana Amazon Guards

Louisiana Amazon Guards (1901-1904)

Around 1900, the idea of an all-Negro revue touring Europe came across the mind of Paula Kohn-Wollner, wife of a German theater owner. She had witness several African-American performers, such as Belle Davis, Arabella Fields & Edgar T. Jones performing across Europe (particularly Germany) since 1890, and thought she could profit well of a successful group of her own.

In the spring of 1901, arriving in Brooklyn, Mrs. Kohn-Wollner sought out six black women willing to travel across the Atlantic with her. Quickly she found, Ollie Burgoyne, Fannie Wise, Emma Harris, Florence Collins, Alverta Burley and S.T Jubrey. Most of the women had no prior experience on stage (besides Emma Harris & Ollie Burgoyne), so Mrs. Kohn-Wollner offered to train them. After applying for new passports on April 10th, 1901, the women boarded the S.S. Deutschland seven days later for Hamburg. 

After disembarking in Hamburg, Mrs. Kohn-Wollner pulled the awestruck women into the non-segregated train heading south for Leipzig, her hometown. Leaving their belongings at Mrs. Kohn-Wollner's home (Georgenstrasse 11), they left for the theater. It was at Leipzig's Krystallpalast where much of the organization and rehearsing of the "Louisiana Amazon Guards" was held and organized by theater director (and Paula's husband) Sigmund Kohn. The 4-act revue was ready by the time of it's debut at the Kaiserkrone in Kiel, Prussia on June 9th, 1901. The whirlwind show opened onto the first scene 'Hustlin' & Bustlin' on a Cotton Plantation' slowly chanting My Old Kentucky Home. This was followed by 'Banjo Serenade' where the girls (in a chorus line) strummed six banjos and sang, Down on the Ohio. Finally the show picked up speed with 'Cake Walk', where the the girls high-kicked and danced the popular Cake Walk dance while shouting The Old Folks at Home. The revue ended with it's most popular act, 'Rough Riders' where the girls performed an intricate dance in military uniform and rifles while singing (in German) Nach der Heimat mocht ich wieder. 

Europe around 1901

The successful show was seen across Prussia and Bohemia that summer, before the girls set out on a hectic four month European tour. They kicked off the tour at the Os-Budavara (an Medieval fortress) in Budapest, Hungary on August 15th, 1901. This was followed by the Colosseum in Vienna (September 1-30), the Circus-Variete in Copenhagen (October 1-31), before closing after appearing at the Circus Madigan in Goteburg & Svea-Salen in Stockholm (November 1-30). They were then pushed into a five-month German tour opening in Berlin's Circus Schumann on December 1st, 1901. Followed by Braunswich (Feb.1-15), Halle (Feb.16-28), Brelau (Mar.1-15) and Danzig (Apr.1-15).

The show returned in late-April 1902 to Leizig as S.T. Jubrey and Fanny Wise decided to return home to the United States. In their places, arriving in Germany from Brooklyn sometime in May was Corette Hardy (later changed to Corette Alefred) and Fannie Smith. 

1902 Line up: Ollie Burgoyne, Emma Harris, Alverta Burley, Florence Collins, Corette Alefred & Fannie Smith.

In June 1902, the revue was touring Zurich (Jun.26) and St. Gallen, Switzerland (?). From there they moved on to Munich's Deutsches Theater (Jul.1-Aug.1) and later Leigzig's Centraltheater (Sep.1-Nov.9). During their final appearance in Leipzig, the women, feeling mismanaged by Mrs. Kohn-Wollner, decided to walk out on their manager. The rest of the girls, now as the "5 Louisiana Amazons" relocated to Berlin (nearer the American Embassy) and opened at the Orphum Theater on November 16th, 1902.

In the spring of 1903, after appearances in Berlin and Dreseden, Ollie & Florence seperated from the group, forming (with Harry Scott & unknown man) the "Louisiana Troupe". Performing quietly in Berlin up until the fall, late 1903, the remaining four girls made their way to England. Under the management of Gustav Kaczka, opened in Islington's Holloway Empire Theatre on Novemer 30th, 1903. The traversed England, playing London's New Cross Empire Theatre (Dec.7-11) and the Hackney Empire Theatre (Dec.19-24). This was followed by several dates outside of central London, starting in Newport (Jan.16, 1904), Nottingham (Jan.21-29), Leiceister (Jan.30), Bolton (Feb.20-25), Birmingham (Mar.3-5) and finally closing in Leeds (Mar.6-??). 

Moscow's Aumont Theatre (1900)

The show made its way to Russia in the spring of 1904, opening in Moscow's Aumont Theater, which sat in the center of the Aquarium Gardens. There the show ran for several months before falling apart in that fall and reorganizing under the direction of Georgette Harvey as the "Creole Belles Quintet", which appeared in Saint Petersburg (Nov-Jan.21), Moscow (February) and later Warsaw, Poland (June).

The Mysterious Dinah Cofie & Her Colored Cracks Orchestra

Madge Cofie (1880s-19??)

Born Madge Boehm around 1880/1890s (?), she first appears in London c.1916 as performer with the "Will Garland Company", which toured across the United Kingdom until the troupe disbanded the following year.

In 1918, Madge paired up with drummer Harry 'Samuel' Cofie (sometimes spelled Coffey/Coffie) and the couple departed for Europe for the beginning of a series of successful tours. Sam Cofie originated from Africa (many claimed that Sam was born Minto, an African prince) and at some point the couple embarked upon an Africa tour.

By 1920, the couple were engaged at the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle in Milan, Italy apart of the Quintetto Mirador.

Bal Tabarin (mid-1920s)

Eventually the two made their way to Paris in 1923, regularly performing at the Lido de Champs-Elysees and in the revue "Luttes Feminine" at the Bal Tabarin with their Darktown Jazzers Orchestra. Early 1927, the couple began a Spanish tour, residing in Madrid and performing at the Palmero-Alkazar Cabaret, where Madge was listed as the 'Creadora del Black-Bottom' (before the arrival of Ruth Bayton). After five successful months, in June the couple played Kursaal Cabaret in Scheveningen, Holland before returning to France. 

While in Paris, Samuel Cofie organized a new jazz band, 'Cofie's Colored Cracks', composed of African-American musicians mostly from Harlem and Chicago (The Cofies, Withers, saxophonists Angelo Fernandez, Maxwell Philpott and Wilson Townes, trumpeter Titus D. Triplett, pianist Abram Henderson and banjo player Gilbert Roberts). The band made its debut in Budapest at the Parisi Kalitka (in the jazz revue "A Neger Jazz Utolso Honapja"). Madge's singing & dancing caught on well with the Hungarians for two successful months before the group returned to Paris.

Barcelona International Exposition (1929)

After spending the spring of 1928 at the Cafe Anglais, the band returned to Madrid's Palermo Cabaret. February 1929, found the band at the Teatro Medica in Bologna, Italy with acclaimed success. Arriving in Barcelona in time for the opening of the famous, International Exposition, the group performed on the exhibition grounds (Turo-Park). This was followed by appearances through the summer at the Ideal-Rosales Cabaret (Madrid), the fall at the Mirarmar Club (Barcelona) and winter at the popular Eden Concert (Barcelona). 

Argentina (July 1934)

nter, Chez Dinah, which was managed by her husband. The club failed, and was reopened the following year as 'Shack in Pl. Pigalle', where she organized an elaborate floor show, with herself as the star. However that too failed, and early-1933 Dinah was based in Cannes & Biarritz with her close friend, Ada Bricktop Smith. Eventually the two began to feud (Brickop was known for her temper) and Dinah returned to Paris, entertaining at the Pot-Aux-Roses Cabaret on the Champs-Elysees.

Rio de Janeiro (1936)

In the spring of 1934, she opened the successful 'Le Pigall's' nightclub until it's closing a few months later. That summer, Dinah and Samuel were in Argentina appearing of Radio Prieto and performing in major establishments. Unfortunately, the following year, Samuel suddenly (According to Variety magazine) and Dinah continued performing across Argentina, becoming a popular fixture there as a solo artist. During her surjourn in Buenos Aires, Dinah became close with Afro-British bandleader, George Stretton (born William Masters in Liverpool 1887), whom she first met back in 1917 and had arrived in South America six years earlier.

In December 1935, she traveled to Brazil to headline at the Casino Atlantico's new roof garden. The large roof garden cabaret overlooked the Atlantic and Copacabana beach and had revolving floors and decorated with scenes of popular cities (New York/Paris/London/Tokyo/Madrid). Unfortunately she disappears after this engagement.

Buenos Aires (1936)