Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (2 January 1884 – 25 March 1951) was an American writer, movie director and independent producer of more than 44 movies. He is regarded as the first major African-American moviemaker, and the most successful African-American moviemaker of the first half of the twentieth century. Micheaux was the most prominent producer of race movies. He produced both silent movies and "talkies".