Reet, Petite, and Gone (1947)

Director:

William Forest Crouch

Writers:

William Forrest (story)
Irwin Winehouse (writer)

Genre:

Musical

Plot:

Old-time musical star Schyler Jarvis, now wealthy, is dying; his last act is a visionary plan for the future happiness of his son...

Plot Keywords:

African American

Cast

Louis Jordan	...	Schyler Jarvis / Louis Jarvis
June Richmond	...	June
Milton Woods	...	Sam Adams
Bea Griffith	...	Honey Carter / Lovey Linn
David Bethea	...	Dolph the butler
Lorenzo Tucker	...	Henry Talbot
Vanita Smythe	...	Rusty
Mabel Lee	...	Mabel
Dots Johnson	...	Michaels
Pat Rainey	...	Pat Rains
Rudy Toombs	...	Hal
J. Louis Johnson	...	Schyler Jarvis Sr.
Joe Lillard	...	Lt. Jerome

Runtime:

67 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Astor Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Continuity: When in the broadcast studio, an announcer steps up to a microphone next to the piano to read an intro for each song. Then, he points off screen to cue Louis the band. However, the microphone is the same one Louis is standing at in each subsequent wide shot, and the announcer is nowhere to be seen.

Quotes:

Rusty: But you could learn to love me, darling.
Louis Jarvis: I can't afford the lesson!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Look-Out Sister (1947)

Soundtrack:

THE BLUES AIN'T NOTHIN'

Musical with a wisp of a plot

Louis Jordan was a singer, saxophonist, and band leader who specialized in upbeat jazz -- comic, novelty, and good-times songs. The plot of this movie is just as unsubstantial as those of most of Jordan's movies, since the plot is only an excuse for Jordan and his Tympany Five to perform their recent hits. Jordan does eleven songs in this movie, and three of his female costars -- June Richmond, Bea Griffith, and Mabel Lee -- do one song each.

The plot, for those who care, is that Jordan's father had a brief romance with Bea Griffith's mother, and his dying wish is for Jordan to marry Griffith. The family's crooked lawyer tries to substitute an altered will to cheat Jordan out of his inheritance, and also tries to sabotage the new show that Jordan is opening.

What makes Reet, Petite, and Gone different from other Jordan movies is that in addition to music it has many uncredited showgirls, the predecessors of today's video vixens, in daring scenes. Four or five pretty girls in short skirts will stand behind Jordan swaying a bit and doing a little dancing. A line of showgirls in swimsuits will step up to have their measurements taken. There's even a scene in which Bea Griffin sits in a black bra and panties and puts on her stockings -- hot-cha-cha. The highlight of the movie, however, is the strikingly pretty uncredited girl who sits on Jordan's piano and pantomimes her amusing reactions to his accusations of infidelity in "I Know What You've Been Putting Down."