Two insolvent con men get involved in a small town beauty contest.
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Title: Juke Joint (1947)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Spencer Williams | ... | Bad News Johnson / Vanderbilt Whitney | |
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July Jones | ... | 'Cornbread' Green |
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Inez Newell | ... | Louella 'Mama Lou' Holiday |
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Leonard Duncan | ... | Samuel 'Papa Sam' Holiday |
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Dauphine Moore | ... | Barbara 'Honey Dew' Holiday |
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Melody Duncan | ... | Melody Holiday |
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Katherine Moore | ... | Florida Holiday |
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Tilford Patterson | ... | Jefferson Lee |
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Albert Smith | ... | 'High Life' Harris |
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Howard Galloway | ... | 'Juke Joint' Johnny |
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Clifford Beamon | ... | Jackson, the bartender |
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Frances McHugh | ... | Waitress |
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Don Gilbert | ... | Master of Ceremonies |
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Red Calhoun | ... | Bandleader |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Duncan's Beauty Showgirls | ||
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Hitch-hiking conmen Bad News Johnson and July Jones arrive in a Midwestern small town with a capital of 25 cents. Taking a room with Mama Lou, whose daughter is entered in a local beauty contest, they pose as Hollywood actors who can train Honey Dew in stagecraft. Meanwhile, Mama's other daughter Florida prepares to elope to Chicago with Johnny, owner of the Juke Joint...where, after a jitterbug contest, Mama herself takes a hand. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Taglines:
The Joint is Jumpin'! / The Jive is Jivvin'! / The Jam is Jammin'! / Everybody's High in the Happy Slap-Happy Holiday Family!Certificate:
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Juke Joint (1947)
** (out of 4)
An all black cast feature from director Spencer Williams. Two con men (one played by Williams) travel to a small town where they get mixed up in a beauty contest. This film plays out a lot more like a sitcom than an actual feature but it never really takes off. This is probably the lowest budgeted black flick I've seen from this period but Williams is still able to get the story across and his performance is right on the mark as usual. The supporting cast, no shock, give pretty bad performances and this really hurts the main storyline since we're suppose to believe that one of the girls in the contest really does have acting talent. There's some great jazz music at the end of the film and a hilarious moment where grandma, armed with a broom, shows up at the music joint to beat some sense into her family.