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St. Louis Blues (1929)In this all-black cast short, legendary blues singer Bessie Smith finds her gambler lover Jimmy messin' with a pretty, younger woman; he leaves and she sings the blues, with chorus and ... See full summary » Director:Dudley MurphyWriter:Dudley Murphy |
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Title: St. Louis Blues (1929)
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Cast
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Bessie Smith | ... |
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Hall Johnson Choir | ... |
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Plot Summary
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In this all-black cast short, legendary blues singer Bessie Smith finds her gambler lover Jimmy messin' with a pretty, younger woman; he leaves and she sings the blues, with chorus and dancers. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
8 September 1929 (USA) See more »Filming Locations:
RCA Photophone, Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USACompany Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Photophone System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1
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Written by George Gershwin (1924)
Excerpts played as part of the score
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Did You Know?
Trivia
This short film starring Bessie Smith was built around the blues singer's song of the same title. It is the only footage of her in existence. See more »Soundtracks
"Rhapsody in Blue"Written by George Gershwin (1924)
Excerpts played as part of the score
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Bessie Smith is a legendary Black entertainer from the Harlem Renaissance. However, sadly, this is the ONLY known film in which she appeared. So, for historical reasons, this short if like gold. Now I am sure some might not agree--as the film shows Black people gambling and carousing and doing a lot of stereotypical behaviors. However, this was THE predominate view given in both Black and White-produced films of the time and you can't expect a lot of enlightenment back in 1929. It is a portrait of who we were as a nation at the time and who we wanted us to be--and I say just accept it as a little window into the times and way people thought. Plus, remember, this is still the only way to watch Smith perform...so deal with it!
"St. Louis Blues" gets its name from the famous W.C. Handy song of the same title. It consists of Smith arguing with her gambling and carousing boyfriend as well as Smith smacking the crap out of one of Jimmy's floozies! He slaps her around and mistreats her...yet she begs him not to leave. I KNOW this is very negative--a terrible message for women then and now. BUT, as I said, it is what it is. What follows is Smith singing her very famous tune "My Man"--and she sings it with a lot of soul and style. It also is an interesting short because it plays much less like a typical music video of the age but like a mini-movie. Smith was some talent and it's a great window into the times--warts and all.