starring Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway
directed by Andrew L. Stone
78 minutes
This is a string of musical performances knitted together loosely by a bit of plot. The plot doesn't really go anywhere. The performances range in quality from good to great but the movie should be watched with the understanding that the plot is very whispy and ethereal.
If the movie has a central character then it is Bill Williamson (Bill Robinson). Selina Rogers (Lena Horne) gets introduced early on and sings a number of the songs but she is not really the central character even though she received top billing. Cab Calloway doesn't show up until past the halfway point in the film.
Dooley Wilson, who is probably best known for playing Sam (the piano player) in Casablanca, played the part of Gabe, a supporting role.
Fayard and Harold Nicholas (aka The Nicholas Brothers) peroformance at the end of the movie is phenomenally acrobatic and considered by many to be one of the best dance scenes in a movie.
Fats Waller plays a small part in the movie which was released just months before his untimely death from pnemonia. This is also Bill Robinson's final film although he didn't pass until 1949.
The movie includes at least 17 different musical numbers, according to Wikipedia, which include: Ain't Misbehavin'; I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby; Stormy Weather; and Jumpin' Jive.
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