Historical Context: April, 1944

Three new features per week were the rule at the Hermiston, Oregon movie theatre — the Oasis —  as April of 1944 turned to May. Mid-week on May 2-4, the double-bill was topped by Son of Dracula.

A major Supreme Court Decision was announced in the spring of 1943 that effectively reduced racism in elections across America.

Smith v. Allwright was a landmark decision that overturned a Texas state law allowing political parties to set internal rules the court deemed racist. The party required all voters in its primary to be white. Texas had used poll taxes and the white primary to exclude nearly all blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities from voting. The court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state to delegate its authority over elections to allow discrimination to be practiced.

The lawsuit was brought by Houston dentist Lonnie E. Smith.The Texas Democratic Party had effectively excluded minority voter participation, another device for legal disenfranchisement of blacks across the South beginning in the late 19th century.