The Emperor Jones

The Emperor Jones is a play by Eugene O'Neill which tells the tale of an African-American man who kills a man, goes to prison, escapes to a Caribbean island, and sets himself up as its dictator and emperor. Paul Robeson originated the role on stage and starred in the 1933 film version.

The film also starred Dudley Digges, Frank H. Wilson and Fredi Washington and was adapted by DuBose Heyward and directed by Dudley Murphy. In 1999 the film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.