Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Emperor Jones (Theatre)

 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
type
TVTItem
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
label
The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
page
TheEmperorJones
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
comment
The Emperor Jones is a 1920 play by Eugene O'Neill.Brutus Jones is an American black man who escaped prison, made his way to a merchant ship, and escaped the merchant ship, swimming to a Caribbean island. Once there, he establishes himself as the Emperor of the island, ruthlessly exploiting the natives, stealing their money and squirreling it away in offshore accounts. Jones is Genre Savvy enough to realize that the natives will eventually rise up against his tyranny and overthrow him, so he has a plan to escape through the jungle to the coast where he will board a ship. When the time comes, though, things don't go as planned. Except for the first scene and the last one, the play is a dramatic monologue from Jones as he escapes through the forest.In 1933 the play was turned into an independent film, and a star vehicle for Paul Robeson. The movie is greatly expanded from the play, staging scenes that were only referred to as backstory in the play and inventing additional backstory for Jones.None other than Billie Holiday can be spotted as an extra in the nightclub scene.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
fetched
2024-04-20T15:32:01Z
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
parsed
2024-04-20T15:32:01Z
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_105d50b1
type
Psychological Torment Zone
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_105d50b1
comment
Psychological Torment Zone: The forest, and the primary setting of the play.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_105d50b1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_105d50b1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_105d50b1
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_185e498d
type
Chased by Angry Natives
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_185e498d
comment
Chased by Angry Natives: Jones flees through the woods, chased by the revolutionaries out for his blood.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_185e498d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_185e498d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_185e498d
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_23473ae7
type
Adaptation Expansion
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_23473ae7
comment
Adaptation Expansion: The whole play is Brutus escaping the palace, Brutus fleeing through the jungle, and Brutus eventually shot by the rebels. Aside from an exchange between Brutus and Smithers in the opening scene and Smithers' dialogue with a rebel leader in the last scene, the rest of the play is a Brutus monologue while he flees through the jungle. Various events in Brutus's backstory, like the murder of Jeff, the murder of the prison guard, and Brutus's takeover, are only described by Brutus through dialogue. The film puts all that up on screen, and invents more backstory for Brutus, like scenes in his church and scenes when he's working on the train, as well as inventing the character of Undine to be a sort of Femme Fatale that leads Brutus to the dark side.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_23473ae7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_23473ae7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_23473ae7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_237404cc
type
Ironic Echo
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_237404cc
comment
Ironic Echo: Brutus's pride in his railroad porter uniform at the beginning is mirrored in his garish uniform as Emperor Jones.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_237404cc
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_237404cc
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_237404cc
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_27ae751
type
Swiss Bank Account
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_27ae751
comment
Swiss Bank Account: Where Jones' money has been going.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_27ae751
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_27ae751
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_27ae751
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_3036294e
type
Scary Black Man
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_3036294e
comment
Scary Black Man: The title character, who has a vicious temper and a murderous streak.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_3036294e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_3036294e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_3036294e
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4481e7d7
type
Designated Bullet
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4481e7d7
comment
Designated Bullet: Brutus flees into the forest but is convinced that he is Nigh-Invulnerable and can only be killed by a special silver bullet that he possesses. He would rather kill himself with it than be captured, but La Résistance ultimately kills him — yes, with a silver bullet.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4481e7d7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4481e7d7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4481e7d7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4583a262
type
Shirtless Scene
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4583a262
comment
Shirtless Scene: The film finds multiple occasions to show the handsome, powerfully built Robeson shirtless, like when Brutus is laboring as a ship's stoker, or when Brutus is fleeing from the revolutionaries.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4583a262
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4583a262
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4583a262
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_49f20c6a
type
Gory Discretion Shot
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_49f20c6a
comment
Gory Discretion Shot: The murder of the prison guard is with a peculiarly surreal shot that cuts to Brutus's face, then to a shot of other prisoners, then to a shot of Brutus running away as the guard lies dead.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_49f20c6a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_49f20c6a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_49f20c6a
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4d45aa06
type
Banana Republic
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4d45aa06
comment
Banana Republic: The island, which replaces its previous leader at just one word from Jones.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4d45aa06
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4d45aa06
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4d45aa06
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4f3bf54e
type
Working on the Chain Gang
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4f3bf54e
comment
Working on the Chain Gang: Brutus is doing this when he kills a guard and manages to escape.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4f3bf54e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4f3bf54e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_4f3bf54e
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_59c2b22
type
Who Needs Enemies?
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_59c2b22
comment
Who Needs Enemies?: Brutus and Smithers are partners-in-crime and ought to be friends, but in fact they are not. Brutus can barely hide his contempt for Smithers, and even tells him, "Dere's little stealin' like you does, and dere's big stealin' like I does." Smithers, in turn, secretly has nothing but hatred for Jones.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_59c2b22
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_59c2b22
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_59c2b22
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_60fa92ac
type
Names to Run Away from Really Fast
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_60fa92ac
comment
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: "Brutus", a famous murderer.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_60fa92ac
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_60fa92ac
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_60fa92ac
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_628d08d4
type
Silver Bullet
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_628d08d4
comment
Silver Bullet: Jones got his invulnerable reputation by tampering with a bodyguard's gun, but he still somehow comes to believe that only a silver bullet can kill him. The native believe it, which is why they melt the island's money to make silver bullets to kill him.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_628d08d4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_628d08d4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_628d08d4
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_83f18d93
type
DontGoIntoTheWoods
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_83f18d93
comment
Don't Go Into the Woods: Smithers ("Smithson" in the film) warns Jones against going into the forest, saying "Yer don't know what might 'appen in there, it's that rotten still. Always sends the cold shivers down my back minute I gets in it.". Sure enough, in the forest Jones goes mad with fear and has a Villainous Breakdown.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_83f18d93
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_83f18d93
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_83f18d93
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898266d8
type
Travel Montage
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898266d8
comment
Travel Montage: Various train stations with city names imposed on them to show where Brutus is traveling on the train.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898266d8
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898266d8
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898266d8
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898ff050
type
Villain Protagonist
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898ff050
comment
Villain Protagonist: Brutus Jones himself by virtue of oppressing the natives into rebellion.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898ff050
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898ff050
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_898ff050
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_8a16409a
type
Shovel Strike
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_8a16409a
comment
Shovel Strike: How Jones killed the prison guard in the play.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_8a16409a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_8a16409a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_8a16409a
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_954ad71c
type
Evil Colonialist
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_954ad71c
comment
Evil Colonialist: A rare example with a black protagonist, as Jones washes ashore on a Caribbean island, establishes himself as emperor, and oppresses and exploits the natives.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_954ad71c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_954ad71c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_954ad71c
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_957e5fc2
type
Villainous Breakdown
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_957e5fc2
comment
Villainous Breakdown: Brutus is confident to the point of cockiness when he flees into the woods. But the pounding of the drums and his own fear and the oppressive spookiness of the forest lead to him hallucinating, gibbering in fright, and literally shooting at ghosts.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_957e5fc2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_957e5fc2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_957e5fc2
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_9e622f84
type
Stealing from the Till
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_9e622f84
comment
Stealing from the Till: As Emperor, Jones is stealing from government revenue and hiding it in offshore accounts.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_9e622f84
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_9e622f84
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_9e622f84
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a00c13e0
type
Awesome Moment of Crowning
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a00c13e0
comment
Awesome Moment of Crowning: Brutus mulls for a moment on what to call himself now that he's taken over, rejects "King Jones" as not sounding right, then smiles and says "Emperor Jones".
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a00c13e0
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a00c13e0
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a00c13e0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a0a005d1
type
Protagonist Journey to Villain
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a0a005d1
comment
Protagonist Journey to Villain: Unlike in the play, where Brutus is a bad guy throughout, the film starts with his backstory, showing him with his loving wife and the Christian congregation he belongs to. He promises his wife he'll be faithful and he sings in the church. All of that goes out the window when he gets a taste of money, and on the island he becomes thoroughly evil.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a0a005d1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a0a005d1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_a0a005d1
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d13e0db3
type
Heartbeat Soundtrack
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d13e0db3
comment
Heartbeat Soundtrack: In both play and film, the pounding of the drums speeds up as the natives close in and Jones's panic rises. The stage directions go so far as to specify the drums start off at a normal pulse rate of 72 beats per minute and speed up as Jones's heart does.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d13e0db3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d13e0db3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d13e0db3
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d45c0b86
type
Refuge in Audacity
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d45c0b86
comment
Refuge in Audacity: Jones brags that he's gotten away with everything he's done because he's been so unabashedly ambitious and daring that no one can either believe him or stop him. He describes his actions as "big stealing" (as opposed to "small stealing," which eventually gets people put in prison) and remarks "Fo' de big stealin', dey puts your picture in de paper an' you statue in de Hall of Fame when you croak."
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d45c0b86
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d45c0b86
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d45c0b86
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
type
Gun Struggle
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
comment
Gun Struggle: A Knife Struggle, which ends up with Jeff dead and Brutus in prison.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dceccabf
type
Cat Fight
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dceccabf
comment
Cat Fight: Undine and another woman have a hair-pulling Cat Fight at the nightclub over the attentions of Brutus.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dceccabf
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dceccabf
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dceccabf
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dea5fe1
type
Kubrick Stare
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dea5fe1
comment
Kubrick Stare: Jeff does this when he catches Undine with another man at the nightclub.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dea5fe1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dea5fe1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_dea5fe1
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_e796ce97
type
Blackface
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_e796ce97
comment
Blackface: Ironically, used with an actress that identified as black. Mixed-race Fredi Washington was light-skinned enough to pass as white (this is used as a plot point in Washington film Imitation of Life). The filmmakers didn't want audiences to think Brutus had taken up with a white woman, so they put blackface on Washington.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_e796ce97
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_e796ce97
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_e796ce97
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_ed503b22
type
Match Cut
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_ed503b22
comment
Match Cut: The opening scene of a native ceremony dance cuts to the parishioners at Brutus's church singing and dancing.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_ed503b22
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_ed503b22
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_ed503b22
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_f10cc97f
type
Bludgeoned to Death
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_f10cc97f
comment
Bludgeoned to Death: How Jones killed the prison guard in the film.
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_f10cc97f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_f10cc97f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_f10cc97f
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
type
Have a Gay Old Time
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
comment
Have a Gay Old Time: "It's a queer place, that stinkin' forest, even in daylight."
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_name
comment
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_name
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre) / int_name
itemName
The Emperor Jones (Theatre)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
Angry Mob Song / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
Evil Colonialist / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
God Guise / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
Heartbeat Soundtrack / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
Jungle Drums / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
No Honor Among Thieves / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
Scary Black Man / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
Silver Bullet / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
Who Needs Enemies? / int_50a891e7
 The Emperor Jones (Theatre)
hasFeature
Working on the Chain Gang / int_50a891e7