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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Dudley Murphy (story)
Release Date:
8 December 1929 (USA) more
Plot:
Duke Ellington in a jazz musical short with a tragic plotline. full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
Worth a look for historical value if nothing else... more (8 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Duke Ellington | ... | Himself |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Barney Bigard | ... | Himself (clarinetist) |
| Wellman Braud | ... | Himself (bass player) |
| Duke Ellington Orchestra | ... | Themselves (as Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra) |
| Joe 'Tricky Sam' Nanton | ... | Himself (trombonist) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
19 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Photophone System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:
RCA Gramercy Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
An advertising poster for this film is pictured on one stamp of a set of five 42¢ USA commemorative postage stamps honoring Vintage Black Cinema, issued 16 July 2008. Other films honored in this set are The Sport of the Gods (1921), Princesse Tam Tam (1935), Caldonia (1945), and Hallelujah! (1929). more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Public Enemy (1931) more
Soundtrack:
The Duke Steps Out more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (8 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Black and Tan (1929)Recommendations
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| Teresa Brewer and the Firehouse Five Plus Two | Jasper's in a Jam | The Jazz Singer | Dick Jurgens and His Orchestra | Varieties |
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Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |
Duke Ellington's film debut is quite an interesting introduction to the Duke on screen. The film isn't very long - a couple of reels - and the storyline is incidental to the music numbers, but the music and dance routines are certainly memorable. Although the film features an all-black cast, as others have pointed out, there is some fairly blatant racial stereotyping in the early scenes.
Duke acquits himself pretty well, although he isn't really called upon to do too much acting. Fredi Washington is great on the dance floor, but lousy as an actress. She does look fine though. The music's great and the dance routines are good, although one of them is repeated when viewed through the multi-sighted vision of the sick dancer - a sequence that perhaps goes on too long.
Definitely worth a look for historical value if nothing else.