Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was Mr. SOUL. Ellis Haizlip ensures that the Revolution would be televised with "SOUL!," America's first "Black Tonight Show." From 1968 to 1973, the public-television variety show SOUL!, guided by...
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Directors:
Writer:
Awards:
- 19 wins & 12 nominations.
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Photos and Videos
Cast
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Blair Underwood | ... |
Narration (voice)
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| Sidney Poitier | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Michael Jackson | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Diahann Carroll | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Anna Maria Horsford | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Obba Babatundé | ... |
Self
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| Roxie Roker | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Arsenio Hall | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Questlove | ... |
Self
(as Questlove Gomez)
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| Harry Belafonte | ... |
Self
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| Muhammad Ali | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Patti LaBelle | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Stevie Wonder | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Gladys Knight | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Al Green | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Bill Withers | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Novella Nelson | ... |
Self
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| Melba Moore | ... |
Self
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| Maya Angelou | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| B.B. King | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Earth Wind & Fire | ... |
Themselves (archiveFootage)
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| Stan Lathan | ... |
Self
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| Carmen De Lavallade | ... |
Self
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| James Baldwin | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Malcolm X | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Martin Luther King | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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Loretta Long | ... |
Self
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| Kathleen Cleaver | ... |
Self
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| Angela Davis | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Alvin Ailey | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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Donny Hathaway | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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Judith Jamison | ... |
Self
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| Hugh Masekela | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Nona Hendryx | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Stokely Carmichael | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Amiri Baraka | ... |
Self
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| Robert J. Thompson | ... |
Self - Professor and TV Historian Syracuse University
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Ashford & Simpson | ... |
Themselves
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| Nikki Giovanni | ... |
Self
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| Ellis Haizlip | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Felipe Luciano | ... |
Self
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Louis J. Massiah | ... |
Self
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| Sonia Sanchez | ... |
Self
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| Sarah Dash | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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Billy Taylor | ... |
Self
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| Greg Tate | ... |
Self
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| Rahsaan Roland Kirk | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Thomas Allen Harris | ... |
Self
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George Faison | ... |
Self
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The Last Poets | ... |
Themselves
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Alvin F. Poussaint | ... |
Self
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Leroy Burgess | ... |
Self
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Russell Patterson | ... |
Self
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Christopher Lukas | ... |
Self
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Sylvia Waters | ... |
Self
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Sarah Lewis | ... |
Self
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Chester Higgins Jr. | ... |
Self
(as Chester Higgins Jr)
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Sade Lythcott | ... |
Self
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Stuart Bascombe | ... |
Self
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Kevin Powell | ... |
Self
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Directed by
| Melissa Haizlip | ||
| Sam Pollard | ... | (co-director) (as Samuel D. Pollard) |
Written by
| Melissa Haizlip | ... | (writer) |
Produced by
| Douglas Blush | ... | co-producer |
| Chaz Ebert | ... | executive producer |
| Ron Gillyard | ... | executive producer |
| Melissa Haizlip | ... | line producer / producer |
| Vince Johnson | ... | associate producer |
| Leonard Joseph | ... | associate producer |
| Stan Lathan | ... | executive producer |
| David Magdael | ... | associate producer |
| Julia Mintz | ... | post producer |
| Rishi Rajani | ... | executive producer |
| Stephanie Rance | ... | executive producer |
| Blair Underwood | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Robert Glasper | ||
Cinematography by
| Hans Charles | ||
Editing by
| Giovanni P. Autran | ||
| Annukka Lilja | ||
| Blair McClendon | ||
Editorial Department
| Allie Ames | ... | colorist |
| Steve Audette | ... | additional editor |
| Douglas Blush | ... | supervising editor |
| Isabel Cafaro-Anderson | ... | digital intermediate producer |
| Janah Elise Cox | ... | assistant editor |
| Arielle Davis | ... | assistant editor |
| Pete Olshansky | ... | account executive |
| Eric Ramistella | ... | colorist |
| David Scherker | ... | post-production assistant |
| Samuel Shapiro | ... | additional editor |
| Zakia Smith | ... | post supervisor |
| Rae King | ... | second assistant editor (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Julia Mintz | ... | post-production supervisor |
| Zakia Smith | ... | post-production supervisor |
Sound Department
| Michelle Guasto | ... | sound recordist |
| Christopher Koch | ... | additional re-recording mixer |
| Benny Mouthon | ... | re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor |
| Andrey Netboy | ... | sound editor |
| John Zecca | ... | sound mixer |
Visual Effects by
| Anthony Rhoads | ... | additional graphics |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Peter Bonilla | ... | grip |
| Christian Epps | ... | chief lighting technician |
Animation Department
| Syd Garon | ... | animator / title design and animation |
| Anton Goddard | ... | animator |
| Christopher Kirk | ... | animator / title design and animation |
Music Department
| Cathy Carapella | ... | music clearances |
| Ed Gerrard | ... | music supervisor |
| Evan Joseph | ... | additional music editor |
| Todd Kasow | ... | music editor |
| Marcus Machado | ... | musician |
| Jennifer Rowekamp | ... | assistant music editor |
| Chris Tabron | ... | recording and mixing engineer |
Transportation Department
| Peter Bonilla | ... | driver |
Additional Crew
| David Magdael | ... | publicist |
| Francisco Sanchez | ... | publicist |
| Wyatt Stone | ... | archival research and clearances |
| Adrienne Rose White | ... | assistant to the producer |
Thanks
| Ken Burns | ... | special thanks |
| María Agui Carter | ... | special thanks |
| Simon Kilmurry | ... | special thanks |
| Opiyo Okeyo | ... | special thanks |
| Sunny Vachher | ... | special thanks |
| Adrienne Rose White | ... | special thanks |
| Deborah Willis | ... | special thanks |
Production Companies
Distributors
- HBO Max (2018) (United States) (tv)
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (2018) (United States) (tv)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Endcrawl.com (end titles)
- String and Can (post-production sound services)
- Tribeca Film Festival (festival)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was Mr. SOUL. Ellis Haizlip ensures that the Revolution would be televised with "SOUL!," America's first "Black Tonight Show." From 1968 to 1973, the public-television variety show SOUL!, guided by enigmatic producer and host Ellis Haizlip, offered an unfiltered, uncompromising celebration of Black literature, poetry, music, and politics--voices that had few other options for national exposure, and, as a result, found the program an improbable place to call home. The series was among the first to provide expanded images of African Americans on television, shifting the gaze from inner-city poverty and violence to the vibrancy of the Black Arts Movement. With participants' recollections and illuminating archival clips, Mr. SOUL captures a critical moment in culture whose impact continues to resonate, and an unsung hero whose voice we need now more than ever, to restore the SOUL of a nation. Written by Melissa Haizlip |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Before Oprah - before Arsenio - there was Mr. SOUL! Ellis Haizlip ensures the revolution will be televised with SOUL!, America's first "black Tonight Show." See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $1,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Ellis Haizlip was born in Washington, DC on September 21, 1929, where he attended Dunbar High School. In Europe during the 1950s, Ellis Haizlip produced plays by his friend James Baldwin, and concert tours for Marlene Dietrich. SOUL! was conceived in 1968 as the first "black Tonight Show." Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles appeared on the very first episode of SOUL! on Sept. 12, 1968. SOUL! was the creation of Ellis B. Haizlip, at the time the only African-American producer at WNET Channel 13, which was then called NET (National Educational Television). Haizlip, along with many emerging and musicians, hosted the show, which aired 130 episodes on Thursday nights out of New York from 1968 to 1973. Ellis Haizlip was instrumental in launching the careers of Anna Maria Horsford, Ashford & Simpson and many African American icons of the twentieth century. Arsenio Hall appeared on the SOUL! show on April 22, 1971. He was fifteen-years-old, performing magic tricks. In 1979, Ellis Haizlip produced Michael Jackson's 21st birthday party at Studio 54. December 6, 1988 was proclaimed Ellis Haizlip Day by the President of the Borough of Manhattan. In 1995, the Ellis B. Haizlip Papers were acquired by the National African American Museum Project, curated by Deb Willis for the Anacostia Community Museum Archives of the Smithsonian Institution. Ellis Haizlip's favorite quote: "It's been beautiful!' See more » |
| Soundtracks | Show Me Your Soul See more » |