The Duke Is Tops (1938)

A theatrical producer puts aside his own success to boost the career of a talented singer.

Director:

William L. Nolte

Writers:

Phil Dunham, Ralph Cooper

Stars:

Ralph Cooper, Lena Horne, Laurence Criner

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Cooper	...	Duke Davis
Lena Horne	...	Ethel Andrews
Laurence Criner	...	Doc Dorando (as Lawrence Criner)
Monte Hawley	...	George Marshall
Willie Covan	...	Specialty Tap Dancer
Neva Peoples	...	Ella
Vernon McCalla	...	Mason (as Vernon McCallum)
Edward Thompson	...	Ferdie Fenton
Johnny Taylor	...	Dippy, 'Prince Alakazoo'
Ray Martin	...	Joe
Guernsey Morrow	...	Ed. Lake (as Guersney Morrow)
Charles Hawkins	...	Sam, the Stage Manager (as Charlie Hawkins)
Basin Street Boys	...	Speciality
Rubberneck Holmes	...	Specialty (as Rubber Neck Holmes)
Cats and the Fiddle	...	Speciality

Storyline

Duke Davis has invested all his savings to back his sweetheart, Ethel, in a road show over the old T.O.B.A. circuit, on which they have both been performers since childhood. Marshall, a New York talent scout, makes an offer to Ethel as a single and, to induce her to take it, Duke writes a fake check, made out to him, for $5000 pretending he has sold his contract with Ethel to Marshall. Resentful and heartbroken, she accepts and becomes a big hit in New York. Marshall then books her at the swanky Century Club, plans her show himself, and it flops miserably. Meanwhile, Duke has used his last resources to start a new show, but without Ethel it also fails. He joins the Doc Dorando medicine show, and with him as the speiler for the quack elixir sold by Dorando, it is successful. He becomes Doc's partner with an elaborate trailer and a company of entertainers, including Willie Covans, the Basin Street Boys, The Cats and the Fiddle, "Rubberneck" Holmes and Joe Stevenson. Money is rolling in ...

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Plot Keywords:

medicine show | theatrical producer | singer | fraud | theatrical manager | 

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Genres:

Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bronze Venus

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Million Dollar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lena Horne did not attend the June, 1938 NAACP charity premiere in Pittsburgh because she was not paid for her work.

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Connections

Edited into Strange Frame: Love & Sax (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Don't Let Our Love Song Turn Into a Blues"
(uncredited)
Sung by Lena Horne

User Reviews

Lena Horne's screen debut

This all black film was Lena Horne's screen debut. Made for black audiences, it was re-released after the cross-over success of her two great 1943 films, Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. The Duke Is Tops is a typical film about stage performers, and it is certainly a B movie. Duke Davis (Ralph Cooper) and Ethel Andrews (Horne) are a songwriter/singer team. When Ethel gets bigger offers, Duke can't come with, so he breaks it off hard with her so she'll have no regrets. He travels to the South with an old friend who is selling cure-all elixirs from his wagon; meanwhile, without Duke's behind-the-scenes work, Ethel is a flop in New York. It's all fairly mediocre. Horne would become a much better actress in her later films. Fans of the singer will probably be disappointed anyways, as she is only in the film for about 15 minutes. Cooper is the star. But there are several wonderful musical performances that make the film much more worth watching than it otherwise would have been. For a much better film of the same time, definitely check out Stormy Weather, which is probably the pinnacle of the all-black films of this era. 6/10.