King for a Day

Admittedly to me the story was somewhat disposable and took too long to get going and the Minstrel Man song and routine are a little uninspired and one of the least memorable parts of King for a Day. King for a Day is shot in beautiful black and white however, the music puts you in a good mood due to its infectiousness- particularly Smiles and Old Folks at Home-, and the choreography is witty and elegant. Some of the rehearsal stuff is amusing and the performances are solid enough, but Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and his tap dancing are what make King for a Day. Robinson has a really charming presence which makes him a likable performer and his character easy to root for, even better than when he was partnered with Shirley Temple. And his tap dancing is incredible, always precise yet with a simple elegance and with not a flat or heavy foot move. It's not "athletic" as such nor did it really need to be. Overall, a very nice short film that is worth seeing primarily for Robinson and the tap dancing because while not everything is entirely smooth sailing they work tremendously. 8/10 Bethany Cox