Cabin in the Sky (1943)

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Lynn Root (play)
Joseph Schrank (writer)

Release Date:

9 April 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Fantasy

Tagline:

Broadway's big, fun-jammed music show is on the screen at last--crowded with stars and songs and spectacle in the famed MGM manner!

Plot:

A compulsive gambler dies during a shooting, but he'll receive a second chance to reform himself and to make up with his worried wife.

Plot Keywords:

Hell | Church | Shooting | Singer | Prayer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Ethel Waters	...	Petunia Jackson
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson	...	Joseph 'Little Joe' Jackson
Lena Horne	...	Georgia Brown
Louis Armstrong	...	The Trumpeter
Rex Ingram	...	Lucifer Jr. / Lucius Ferry
Kenneth Spencer	...	The General / Rev. Greene
John William Sublett	...	Domino Johnson (as 'Bubbles' John W. Sublett)
Oscar Polk	...	The Deacon / Fleetfoot
Mantan Moreland	...	First Idea Man
Willie Best	...	Second Idea Man
Fletcher Rivers	...	Third Idea Man (as Moke [Fletcher Rivers])
Leon James Poke	...	Fourth Idea Man (as Poke Leon James)
Ford Washington Lee	...	Messenger Boy (as 'Buck' Ford L. Washington)
Bill Bailey	...	Bill
Butterfly McQueen	...	Lily

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Cabin In The Sky opened at the Martin Beck Theater on October 25, 1940 and ran for 156 performances.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Domino Johnson accidentally shoots Petunia in the nightclub, she drapes her right arm over the staircase twice.

Quotes:

Petunia Jackson: [after she runs Jim Henry and his crony off] Oh, Lord! Please forgive me for backsliding, but sometimes when you fight the Devil you've got to jab him with his own pitchfork!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Brush with Life: The Art of Being Edward Biberman (2007)

Soundtrack:

Li'l Black Sheep

Thank the heavens for this gem of a movie!

Fabulous first film from director Vincente Minnelli (who went on to become one of America's best directors, and had previously produced stage revues including star Waters) with an all black cast headed by the magnificent Ethel Waters. She sings classics from the musical and interpolated songs -- fortunately MGM had a good songsmith on hand in Harold Arlen, who added tunes which were, for once, the equal of the show's originals. Lena Horne also makes a sensational screen debut as "sweet" Georgia Brown. Loose comedy plot about Rochester saving his soul only holds the songs together, but the whole thing is done in a spirit of fun and shows off the great cast in full flavor. An experimental movie that passes its mark with an A+! May offend some modern tastes, but those who are offended should consider questioning their hangups and just kick their feet up and have a good time with it! Ellington and crew appear in a wonderfully photographed "shack dance".