This is a film that should have been longer as that would have made it much stronger in character development and story, possibly raising my rating for it. For what's there, it's still good in spite of some weak line readings, and gives the great character actor Clarence Muse one of his best roles. He's a veteran violin player who is retiring, hoping that his young son (William Washington) will follow in his footsteps as he has musical talent and the desire to perform as well. But being a young man, his taste in music is different as well, preferring a much more upbeat style, and that doesn't make dad very happy.
Had this been made by Warner Brothers (a studio that frequently took on more strong social themes), it would have had the budget to do it proud. But this period of movie making didn't give black stories focus in the major movie corporation (outside of MGM's "Hallelujah" (1929) and Warner's "Green Pastures" (1936), and success with a few movie musicals in 1943 ("Stormy Weather" and "Cabin in the Sky") didn't change that. Had this been a stage play first, this could have gotten better attention, as it seems like something that could have succeeded on the more open Broadway stage. It seems to just be getting started when it abruptly ends, and that makes a distinct difference between greatness and being barely above mediocre.
Had this been made by Warner Brothers (a studio that frequently took on more strong social themes), it would have had the budget to do it proud. But this period of movie making didn't give black stories focus in the major movie corporation (outside of MGM's "Hallelujah" (1929) and Warner's "Green Pastures" (1936), and success with a few movie musicals in 1943 ("Stormy Weather" and "Cabin in the Sky") didn't change that. Had this been a stage play first, this could have gotten better attention, as it seems like something that could have succeeded on the more open Broadway stage. It seems to just be getting started when it abruptly ends, and that makes a distinct difference between greatness and being barely above mediocre.