"The Melancholy Dame" is an important film historically, as it's the first talking picture featuring a black cast. And, unlike many films featuring black people in the era, the ones in this short are well dressed, economically advantaged and nothing like the typical characters you'd see in other films (specifically blacks playing either domestics or Stepin' Fetchit-types). Surprisingly, it was not made by a black-owned studio but Paramount...and so the film has a much nicer look and budget than you'd expect for a race film.
The story is set in a nightclub. The club owner's wife is jealous of the new act, Sappho Dill, and expects him to fire her. What the wife doesn't realize is that her husband was once married to Sappho! What's next? Watch the film...you can currently find it on YouTube.
A problem with this film is its sound...something NOT unusual for any short from 1929. Sound technology for films was still rather primitive and so you might need to turn this one up a lot or replay portions in order to fully understand the story. It sure would be nice if this one had some closed captions.
Something I really liked about this film was the music in the nightclub. The swing music was most enjoyable. But like films of the era, there is no incidental music--mostly because studios still didn't know how to do it properly. Usually, they had the band in the picture OR just off camera...and doing that throughout the movie wasn't yet possible. As for the story, it's pretty clever...even if some of the acting is a bit on the amateurish side (particularly the overplayed wife of the nightclub owner).
If you do see this picture, note the first wife's husband, as he's played by Spencer Williams...a director, actor and writer who gained widespread fame in the 1950s on "Amos 'n Andy". He played Andy Brown...and was a fine actor in his own right. Also, don't be surprised with some cursing in the movie...it was made during the Pre-Code and these sort of things did occasionally make it onto film...and MUCH more!
The story is set in a nightclub. The club owner's wife is jealous of the new act, Sappho Dill, and expects him to fire her. What the wife doesn't realize is that her husband was once married to Sappho! What's next? Watch the film...you can currently find it on YouTube.
A problem with this film is its sound...something NOT unusual for any short from 1929. Sound technology for films was still rather primitive and so you might need to turn this one up a lot or replay portions in order to fully understand the story. It sure would be nice if this one had some closed captions.
Something I really liked about this film was the music in the nightclub. The swing music was most enjoyable. But like films of the era, there is no incidental music--mostly because studios still didn't know how to do it properly. Usually, they had the band in the picture OR just off camera...and doing that throughout the movie wasn't yet possible. As for the story, it's pretty clever...even if some of the acting is a bit on the amateurish side (particularly the overplayed wife of the nightclub owner).
If you do see this picture, note the first wife's husband, as he's played by Spencer Williams...a director, actor and writer who gained widespread fame in the 1950s on "Amos 'n Andy". He played Andy Brown...and was a fine actor in his own right. Also, don't be surprised with some cursing in the movie...it was made during the Pre-Code and these sort of things did occasionally make it onto film...and MUCH more!