“I started looking around to see what the community required, and one of those things was a cinema. You know, we go to the Odeons, we go to what has been put down for us, but as a people, there are things that we prefer to prepare for ourselves. I wanted to set an example that yes, we can do more than what we’ve been offered. Cinema was one of the things that I thought was important in that area, and eventually I got the Elite as a venue to start promoting.

I approached Warner Brothers, MGM, all the major film companies, and Warner Brothers actually got back in touch and they said, ‘We would like to send one of our representatives to have an interview with you to see what your ideas are.’ I was living in Putney Road in Handsworth and I’ve just left the band, I’m not working and I’ve got nothing doing. I’m just sitting there in my living room and I see this massive Silver Cloud Rolls Royce pull up outside my gate. You don’t see those cars driving in Putney Road. So I went out and I opened the door and said ‘can I help you?’ He said ‘I’m trying to find a Mr Morris.’ He said ‘I’m from Warner Brothers.’ I said, ‘please come in.’ So he came in and we chatted, and eventually he said ‘I will do everything I can to achieve your aim. We’ll be getting in touch with all the distributors, to send you catalogues of films featuring Black stars.’

I couldn’t get enough Black movies, so I decided to start showing one Black movie, one kung fu movie each night. And it kicks off big time. By the time we showed The Harder They Come, we had to have security guards.  People are breaking in every door to get into the cinema. The place was absolutely packed. But there was no problem, no violence, there was good vibes. We played music in between the films, and some nights we’d have an all-nighter, showing three or four films until six o’clock in the morning.”

With thanks to the Mockingbird for hosting the event, and to Sima Gonsai for documenting it.