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The Josephine Baker Story (TV 1991)Biography of the African-American who became a major performer in the Paris cabarets of the 1920's and 1930's. The film follows her life beginning as a struggling performer in 1917 St. ... See full summary » Director:Brian Gibson |
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Title: The Josephine Baker Story (TV 1991)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Lynn Whitfield | ... | ||
| Rubén Blades | ... |
Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino
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| David Dukes | ... |
Jo Bouillon
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| Louis Gossett Jr. | ... |
Sidney Williams
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| Craig T. Nelson | ... | ||
| Kene Holliday | ... |
Sidney Bechet
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Vivian Bonnell | ... |
Josephine's Mother
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Mayah McCoy | ... |
Josephine -Age 8
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Ainslie Currie | ... |
Josephine - Age 13
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Pierre Magny | ... |
Poul Colin
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Franco Britt | ... |
Victor
(as Franco Iiriti)
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George Faison | ... |
Emcee in Harlem Club
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Robert Lesser | ... |
Copa City Manager
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Luis Reyes | ... |
Josephine's Father
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Vivienne Eytle | ... |
Josephine's Sister
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Biography of the African-American who became a major performer in the Paris cabarets of the 1920's and 1930's. The film follows her life beginning as a struggling performer in 1917 St. Louis, her frustrations leading to her move to France, and follows to her death in 1975. Written by John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>
Taglines:
Before Madonna. Before Marilyn. There was Josephine.Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
16 March 1991 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Die Josephine-Baker-Story See more »Filming Locations:
Budapest, HungaryCompany Credits
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company contact information
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
StereoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino: I gave you Broadway. How could I know?
Josephine Baker: You gave me Broadway to keep me busy because you know there's nothing between us anymore!
Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino: No, I love you.
Josephine Baker: You don't love me! You worship me. That's not the same thing. You worship me because you think you made me!
Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino: [pointing to Josephine's heart] How can you say there's nothing in here? I have nothing but you.
Josephine Baker: And I can't live with that anymore! I was right. I was right! I never should...
[...]
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Did You Know?
Quotes
Josephine Baker: [after her show becomes a critical failure in America] You did this to me.Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino: I gave you Broadway. How could I know?
Josephine Baker: You gave me Broadway to keep me busy because you know there's nothing between us anymore!
Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino: No, I love you.
Josephine Baker: You don't love me! You worship me. That's not the same thing. You worship me because you think you made me!
Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino: [pointing to Josephine's heart] How can you say there's nothing in here? I have nothing but you.
Josephine Baker: And I can't live with that anymore! I was right. I was right! I never should...
[...]
See more »
This is certainly a well-intentioned movie, and the star, Lynn Whitfield, certainly gives a very moving performance. Much of the movie focuses on Baker's career after the War, where she becomes involved in the civil rights movement. It's very well-meaning, certainly, but not the part of her life and career that interests me, so I found that that part of the movie dragged. Her years in Paris as a performer in the 1920s and 30s get short shrift, and that's a shame, because it's what made a star of her.
The movie takes its particular stance on how Baker saw her early Paris performances. While it's an interesting interpretation - very sincere - I don't know how accurate it is. The one aspect of Baker's performances that doesn't get developed in this movie is her role as a comedian. In certain ways, she was something of a Black Fanny Brice. Something of that comes through her early newsreels, but it's missing from the way Ms. Whitfield was directed to portray Baker.
In the end, for me, this amounted to a very fine performance by Whitfield. But how accurate a depiction of Baker it provided, at least for her early years as a successful performer, I don't know.