Lem: The Smart Sambo

Murder in Harlem was a great step toward the realization of the true black character. I absolutely agree with Nick about Lem being a Sambo character to keep the film from being too radical. That and his alcoholism are the negative aspects of Lem's character. He also has positive aspects though. The way he thinks during his monologue shows his intellect. He knows that he needs to get to the door quickly without drawing attention to himself so that Brisbane will not change his mind and stop him. He also plays stupid while writing the notes to put next to the dead body. Showing intellect in a Sambo character was quite groundbreaking. He was the same old character that people were used to seeing, but he showed something that none of the previous Sambo characters showed; he had a brain. This was an important step toward showing the truth about blacks in film. Micheaux used the history of film to keep an audience, but added his own flavor to update to a more realistic view of black people.