I watched both the straight and commentator versions on my DVD. One of my least favorite commentators. If I had a dollar for every "ahm" "ah" and "you know" interjected, I could pay off the national debt! Also, although this was an all African American cast, the ratio of very light skinned mulattoes vs. dark-skinned performers was much higher than what I have observed in the general population. This was especially noticeable for the nameless female dancers, who I thought were very good as well as beautiful and gorgeously costumed, despite the B&W filming.
With all the gorgeous costumes and elaborate dance and song numbers, this was truly a musical feast, interjected by a rather random series of introductions and personal interactions. This style of film may bother some people, but not me in this case. With all the talent assembled, it would have been counterproductive to try to develop a complex plot in this rather short film. After all, it was supposed to be a tribute to the career of Bill Robinson, who starred with Lena Horna. But, as expected, Cab Calloway, along with the Nicholas Brothers, made a bid to steal the show, in the latter part of the film. Actually, I enjoyed the more traditional song and dance numbers just as much, as well as Fats Waller. Lena Horne, although elegant in dress and style, as usual, unfortunately comes across as comparatively stiff and bland. Look for some insinuations of higher status of lighter skinned members of the cast vs. greater talent of certain darker skinned members. I was surprised by the comic Amos and Andy-like scene, where the actors put on black face, their natural faces apparently not dark enough to signify the stereotypical traits of full blooded African Americans(gullibility, laziness, easy humor, poverty, Negro music). Fats Waller died soon after doing his part for this film, on the train from LA back to NYC.
With all the gorgeous costumes and elaborate dance and song numbers, this was truly a musical feast, interjected by a rather random series of introductions and personal interactions. This style of film may bother some people, but not me in this case. With all the talent assembled, it would have been counterproductive to try to develop a complex plot in this rather short film. After all, it was supposed to be a tribute to the career of Bill Robinson, who starred with Lena Horna. But, as expected, Cab Calloway, along with the Nicholas Brothers, made a bid to steal the show, in the latter part of the film. Actually, I enjoyed the more traditional song and dance numbers just as much, as well as Fats Waller. Lena Horne, although elegant in dress and style, as usual, unfortunately comes across as comparatively stiff and bland. Look for some insinuations of higher status of lighter skinned members of the cast vs. greater talent of certain darker skinned members. I was surprised by the comic Amos and Andy-like scene, where the actors put on black face, their natural faces apparently not dark enough to signify the stereotypical traits of full blooded African Americans(gullibility, laziness, easy humor, poverty, Negro music). Fats Waller died soon after doing his part for this film, on the train from LA back to NYC.