- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,392
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Over the years, films have sometimes been produced for specific audiences.
The 1960s AIP horror series for teens, as a reason to get away from their parents, cover their eyes and holds hands in a theater;
The Yiddish films, primarily of the 1930s for the Yiddish speaking Jewish audience;
and films starring African-Americans, primarily for black audiences.
Sometimes, the starts aligned and the audience grew wider or smarter.
One in which it grew much wider was Andrew Stone's 1943 Stormy Weather, for Fox. A film so entertaining, and with talent on such a high level (Lena Horne, Cab Callaway, Bill Robinson, Katherine Dunham, the Nicholas Brothers, Fats Waller, and our memorable old friend from Casablanca, Dooley Wilson, that it crossed the color line.
Reviews of the time made note of its being an "all-colored" cast.
Variety: "Stormy Weather is chockful of the cream-of-the-crop colored talent, with a deft story skein to hold it together. Bill Robinson and Lena Horne top the cast. It's a tribute to the affection in which Bojangles is held that the story plot is glossed over in favor of all the other components."
The New York Times: "Twentieth Century-Fox gave its new all-Negro musical revue, "Stormy Weather," co-starring the inimitable Bill Robinson and the sultry song-bird Lena Horne, a dual New York première yesterday at the Roxy Theatre, Seventh Avenue and Fiftieth Street, and at the Alhambra Theatre in Harlem, Seventh Avenue and 126th Street.
"Stormy Weather" is a first-rate show... There is so much to choose from, Fox having wisely decided to bury a very thin and trite story line with an abundance of the show world's leading colored talent that "Stormy Weather" has more the appearance of a super-vaudeville bill than a motion picture. Musically, too, it is a joy to the ear, especially when Miss Horne digs deep into the depths of romantic despair to put across the classic blues number, after which the picture is titled, in a manner that is distinctive and refreshing even at this late day. She does very well also by "I Can't Give You Anything but Love Baby," "There's No Two Ways About Love," and "Diga Diga Do" among others."
While Stormy Weather fits in nicely with Fox's other backstage dramas, in many respects it tops many of them, as it offers some of the best talent in Hollywood -- of any color.
The Blu-ray, from Twilight Time and Fox is gorgeous, with a full range of black & white tonalities, good grain and sharp textures. It's a treat.
Image - 5
Audio - 5
Pass / Fail - Pass
Highly Recommended (Ms Horne's rendition of the title tune is alone, worth the price of admission.)
RAH
The 1960s AIP horror series for teens, as a reason to get away from their parents, cover their eyes and holds hands in a theater;
The Yiddish films, primarily of the 1930s for the Yiddish speaking Jewish audience;
and films starring African-Americans, primarily for black audiences.
Sometimes, the starts aligned and the audience grew wider or smarter.
One in which it grew much wider was Andrew Stone's 1943 Stormy Weather, for Fox. A film so entertaining, and with talent on such a high level (Lena Horne, Cab Callaway, Bill Robinson, Katherine Dunham, the Nicholas Brothers, Fats Waller, and our memorable old friend from Casablanca, Dooley Wilson, that it crossed the color line.
Reviews of the time made note of its being an "all-colored" cast.
Variety: "Stormy Weather is chockful of the cream-of-the-crop colored talent, with a deft story skein to hold it together. Bill Robinson and Lena Horne top the cast. It's a tribute to the affection in which Bojangles is held that the story plot is glossed over in favor of all the other components."
The New York Times: "Twentieth Century-Fox gave its new all-Negro musical revue, "Stormy Weather," co-starring the inimitable Bill Robinson and the sultry song-bird Lena Horne, a dual New York première yesterday at the Roxy Theatre, Seventh Avenue and Fiftieth Street, and at the Alhambra Theatre in Harlem, Seventh Avenue and 126th Street.
"Stormy Weather" is a first-rate show... There is so much to choose from, Fox having wisely decided to bury a very thin and trite story line with an abundance of the show world's leading colored talent that "Stormy Weather" has more the appearance of a super-vaudeville bill than a motion picture. Musically, too, it is a joy to the ear, especially when Miss Horne digs deep into the depths of romantic despair to put across the classic blues number, after which the picture is titled, in a manner that is distinctive and refreshing even at this late day. She does very well also by "I Can't Give You Anything but Love Baby," "There's No Two Ways About Love," and "Diga Diga Do" among others."
While Stormy Weather fits in nicely with Fox's other backstage dramas, in many respects it tops many of them, as it offers some of the best talent in Hollywood -- of any color.
The Blu-ray, from Twilight Time and Fox is gorgeous, with a full range of black & white tonalities, good grain and sharp textures. It's a treat.
Image - 5
Audio - 5
Pass / Fail - Pass
Highly Recommended (Ms Horne's rendition of the title tune is alone, worth the price of admission.)
RAH