Native Land_
"The Picture with the Most Exciting Story of Our Time!"
By the start of World War II, Paul Robeson had given up his lucrative mainstream work to participate in more socially progressive film and stage productions. Robeson committed his support to Paul Strand and Leo Hurwitz’s political semidocumentary Native Land. With Robeson’s narration and songs, this beautifully shot and edited film exposes violations of Americans’ civil liberties and is a call to action for exploited workers around the country. Scarcely shown since its debut, Native Land represents Robeson’s shift from narrative cinema to the leftist documentaries that would define the final chapter of his controversial film career.
Starring
Paul Robeson, Fred Johnson, Mary George
Updated Feb 16, 2026
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Year context
Native Land was released 84 years ago in 1942.
Overview
By the start of World War II, Paul Robeson had given up his lucrative mainstream work to participate in more socially progressive film and stage productions....
Native Land is a Drama, History film with a runtime of 1h 29m.
CAST (13)
Paul Robeson
Narrator
Fred Johnson
Fred Hill
MG
Mary George
Hill's Wife
JR
John Rennick
Hill's Son
AR
Amelia Romano
Young Girl in Cleveland
Houseley Stevenson
White Sharecropper
LG
Louis Grant
Black Sharecropper
JH
James Hanney
Mack
Howard Da Silva
Jim
Art Smith
Harry Carlyle
Robert Strauss
Frank Mason, grocer
John Marley
Thug With Crowbar
Harry Wilson
Eugene Poulnot
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Native Land about?
By the start of World War II, Paul Robeson had given up his lucrative mainstream work to participate in more socially progressive film and stage productions. Robeson committed his support to Paul Strand and Leo Hurwitz’s political semidocumentary Native Land. With Robeson’s narration and songs, this beautifully shot and edited film exposes violations of Americans’ civil liberties and is a call to action for exploited workers around the country. Scarcely shown since its debut, Native Land represents Robeson’s shift from narrative cinema to the leftist documentaries that would define the final chapter of his controversial film career.
How long is Native Land?
Native Land has a runtime of 89 minutes (1h 29m).
Who stars in Native Land?
The cast of Native Land includes Paul Robeson, Fred Johnson, Mary George, John Rennick, Amelia Romano.
What is the rating of Native Land?
Native Land has a rating of 6.2 out of 10 based on 13 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Drama
History