Stormy Weather (1943)

The relationship between an aspiring dancer and a popular songstress provides a retrospective of the great African American entertainers of the early 1900s.

Director:

Andrew L. Stone (as Andrew Stone)

Writers:

Frederick J. Jackson (screen play) (as Frederick Jackson), Ted Koehler (screen play)

Stars:

Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway and His Cotton Club Orchestra

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lena Horne	...	Selina Rogers
Bill Robinson	...	Bill Williamson
Cab Calloway and His Cotton Club Orchestra	...	Cab Calloway Orchestra (as Cab Calloway and His Band)
Katherine Dunham and Her Troupe	...	Dance Troupe
Fats Waller	...	'Fats' Waller
The Nicholas Brothers	...	Dancers (as Nicholas Brothers)
Ada Brown	...	Singer
Dooley Wilson	...	Gabe Tucker
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cab Calloway	...	Cab Calloway
Katherine Dunham	...	Katherine Dunham
The Tramp Band	...	The Tramp Band

Storyline

Dancing great Bill 'Williamson' sees his face on the cover of Theatre World magazine and reminisces: just back from World War I, he meets lovely singer Selina Rogers at a soldiers' ball and promises to come back to her when he "gets to be somebody." Years go by, and Bill and Selina's rising careers intersect only briefly, since Selina is unwilling to "settle down." Will she ever change her mind? Concludes with a big all-star show hosted by Cab Calloway.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | singer | dancer | african american | tap dancing | 

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Taglines:

They Set Basin Street to Broadway Ablaze With Sizzling Songs and Hot Rhythm!

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Genres:

Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1943 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Der Tänzer auf den Stufen

Filming Locations:

Stage 14, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Fats Waller. On December 15, 1943, less than five months after the film's July 21 opening in Manhattan, Waller, age 39, died of pneumonia on a train stopped at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Having fallen ill during an engagement at the Zanzibar Room in Hollywood, he had boarded the Santa Fe Chief in Los Angeles and was headed for New York City.

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Goofs

The first time Selena says "Bill Williamson" (in the first scene, before her character has met him) her mouth quite clearly says "Bill Robinson. Bill Robinson played Bill Williamson.

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Quotes

Bill Williamson: Clem never told me you could sing like that, Selina.
Selina Rogers: I couldn't when Clem went away... but I practiced, and I studied. I've always been ambitious. Haven't you, Bill?
Bill Williamson: Never have been, except to get three square meals a day, regular. But I'm beginning to see things different now.

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: Lena Horne: In Her Own Voice (1996)

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Soundtracks

I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Sung and danced by Lena Horne and Bill Robinson with chorus

User Reviews

A gem

I remember watching this for the first time when I was a kid. I was blown away by the Nicholas Brothers' dance, especially when they jumped down those stairs . . . and it still blows me away! Slim storyline, and Bill Robinson was way too old to play a romantic interest of the young Lena Horne, but a great look at some of the biggest African-American stars of the day: Katherine Dunham, the great Fats Waller (who died later that same year,) Cab Calloway. I could have done without the blackface makeup of the comedy team, even though their skit was amusing. And look for a young adult Stymie Beard (of the Little Rascals) with two lines as a stagehand who is directed by Bill Robinson to call half hour to showtime for the performers.