A FOOL AND HIS MONEY Preservation Spotlight

A FOOL AND HIS MONEY is the first American film with an all African American cast-a “lost” film, found by Californian David Navone and given to AFI to preserve. A vaudeville-style comedy, A FOOL AND HIS MONEY stars cakewalk king William Russell as Sam, who loves Lindy, although she-prefers wealthier Bill. However, when Sam finds some money, he’s able to win Lindy back. But when he subsequently loses the money in a poker game, Lindy offers her hand to the winner. Made by the first female director, Alice Guy-Blache, A FOOL AND HIS MONEY has never been publicly screened in modern times. The film was preserved with a Women’s Film Preservation Fund grant.

Both films were preserved by AFl’s National Center for Film and Video Preservation at the Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center.