▁black ▁the aters . ▁Though ▁northern ▁cities ▁were ▁not ▁always ▁formally ▁seg reg ated , ▁race ▁films ▁were ▁generally ▁shown ▁in ▁the aters ▁in ▁black ▁neighborhood s . ▁Many ▁large ▁northern ▁the aters ▁seg reg ated ▁black ▁aud ien ces ▁into ▁the ▁bal con ies ▁or ▁by ▁later ▁show times . ▁ ▁While ▁it ▁was ▁rare ▁for ▁race ▁films ▁to ▁be ▁shown ▁to ▁white ▁aud ien ces , ▁white ▁the aters ▁often ▁reserved ▁special ▁time - sl ots ▁for ▁black ▁mov iego ers . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁race ▁films ▁often ▁being ▁screen ed ▁as ▁mat in ées ▁and ▁mid night ▁shows . ▁During ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁their ▁popular ity , ▁race ▁films ▁were ▁shown ▁in ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 1 , 1 0 0 ▁the aters ▁around ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁▁ ▁Produ ced ▁primarily ▁in ▁northern ▁cities , ▁the ▁target ▁audience ▁consisted ▁primarily ▁of ▁poor ▁southern ▁black s ▁and ▁southern ers ▁who ▁had ▁migr ated ▁north ward . ▁Many ▁race ▁films , ▁particularly ▁those ▁produced ▁by ▁white ▁stud ios , ▁expressed ▁middle - class ▁urban ▁values , ▁especially ▁education ▁and ▁industri ous ness . ▁Common ▁them es ▁included ▁the ▁" im prov ement " ▁of ▁the ▁black ▁race , ▁the ▁t ension ▁between ▁educated ▁and ▁un ed uc ated ▁black s , ▁and ▁the ▁trag ic ▁consequences ▁in ▁store ▁for ▁black s ▁who ▁resist ed ▁liberal ▁capital ist ▁values . ▁The ▁most ▁famous ▁race ▁movie , ▁The ▁Sc ar ▁of ▁Sh ame , ▁incorpor ated ▁all ▁of ▁these ▁them es