Ethel Moses was an American stage and film actress and dancer. She was known as the “Black Jean Harlow”. Moses is best known for her work in Oscar Micheaux’s films.
In the 1920s and 1930s Ethel Moses was one of the most popular Harlem performer. Then she became the most popular, most recognizable, most beloved actress of Black cinema in the late 1930s and even to this day. Ethel Moses was what you might call a Harlem star. She was apart of the Golden Era of Harlem and during her tenure on the stage she was called “One of the Most Beautiful Women in America”. She was also voted “The Most Beautiful Girl on Stage,” and Ethel was also voted “The Most Shapely Dancer.” Ethel Moses started her career in the mid 1920s, she became a popular chorine dancing in popular Black Broadway Shows, “Shuffle Along,” “Keep Shuffling,” and “Showboat.” Ethel entertained at Harlem’s most popular nightclubs, The Cotton Club, Connie’s Inn and Ubangi Club. Then Ethel Moses went on to become a popular feature dancer. She danced with Cab Calloway’s band; she even was in a few shorts with Cab, the first was “Cab Calloway’s Hi-De-Ho” filmed at the Cotton Club. Ethel is one of the ladies that Cab sings “The Lady with the Fan” to and then Ethel was in “Cab Calloway’s Jitterbug Party.” Ethel then danced and traveled with Lucky Millander’s band around the world, mostly abroad, and wowed audiences with her grace in dancing and her beauty. Then Ethel Moses became an actress; never a Hollywood actress but she was apart of American cinema just the same. She was better then Black actresses in Hollywood because through Black Cinema Ethel got to be versatile and play roles of people from all walks of life without a stereotype. Ethel got her start in Legendary filmmaker Oscar Micheaux’s films. Micheaux was very fortunate to get Ethel Moses to star in his films, Ethel was popular, she was name value, she could draw people to his films and that’s exactly what she did. Ethel Moses brought beauty, loveliness, graciousness and mystery to Oscar Micheaux films, just the same as she did on stage, which helped take the minds off of the sometime offensive work of Micheaux’s. Ethel truly became a movie star through Micheaux’s films. Ethel’s first starring role was in “Temptation,” premiered at the Howard Theater around 1936 or 1937, at opening night, 5,000 people mobbed Ethel to get a glimpse of the Bronze Venus (as she was called in the film) and to get an autograph. A police escort aided Ethel in getting through the crowds after giving an interview.
Ethel Moses was billed as “The Black Jean Harlow” while in movies because of her resemblance to the white star. Ethel went on to star in other important films of Oscar Micheaux’s like Underworld, God’s Step𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, Birthright, and other black independent films, “Policy Man,” “Harlem Mania,” and “Gone Harlem.” What made Ethel Moses a movie star and so likable was she brought warmth, sincerity, naturalness, charisma, and mysterious to the screen. Ethel in a way was like America’s Sweetheart who could do no wrong. Most actresses as curvaceous and gorgeous as Ethel usually played seductresses and Femme Fatales but not Ethel. Ethel always portrayed the long-suffering good girl who always finds herself in trouble but always prevailed. She also portrayed the stand-by-her-man type. Ethel was like a Greta Garbo, she had mystique and without a spoken word, her face could tell a story. Ethel’s screen and stage image was 𝓈ℯ𝓍y but innocent, mysterious, warm, and alluring. Ethel never had to do much to receive attention. Ethel was something the black community needed at the time because Ethel dispelled the myths that black women were hard, cold-hearted, and fast, among other stereotypes. Ethel always had class and a heart of gold that anyone would love and enjoy.
In her time Ethel Moses was very popular and both the black and white newspapers raved about her. She always received wonderful reviews with her dancing and acting. The only bad publicity Ethel received was in 1939, when the German Bund Meeting was at the Madison Square Garden, Ethel and others were escorted out by police because of their protesting against the Nazis gathering but Ethel wasn’t looked down upon, she was actually applauded for protesting. By the beginning of the 1940s, Ethel retired from show business but her contributions to Harlem, Black Cinema, American Cinema and Black history hasn’t been overlooked.
Trivia
She was married to Benny Payne, popular pianist in the 1930s and 1940s who was a member of Cab Calloway’s band.
Had two other sisters in show business who were quite popular nightclub and stage performers, Lucia and Julia Moses. Lucia was in Oscar Micheaux’s Scar of Shame.
Sister of Lucia Lynn Moses.