St. Louis Blues

This traditional composer biopic boasts a truly amazing cast, literally the top Black performers around for each role. It's not a big-budget or even famous movie from Paramount in 1958 (for that, think "Vertigo") but does boast VistaVision in glorious black & white, and costuming by Edith Head -especially effective in presenting star Nat 'King' Cole always looking nattily dressed.

The script's presentation of the psychology of the composer W. C. Handy seems hokey but that is the approach of such a Hollywood biopic, a format that reached its greatest expression in the TV and movie biopics by Ken Russell later on. Not only the music but the inspiration is psychoanalyzed, for better or worse.

But that cast! The opening reel has prescient casting with the 12-year old Willaim Handy played by Billy Preston, who a decade or so later would memorably play with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, as well as his impressive own career. Here he's shown at the organ playing in his father's church and earning the wrath of his dad (Juano Hernandez) for playing the devil's music.

He morphs into Nat 'King' Cole at the piano as an adult, and I found Nat's performance quite moving. But a secret of the film's success is that the music and singing is recorded live, not the pre-syinc or post-sync method of Hollywood musicals, which gives it bite. Especially in the performances here of leading lady Eartha Kitt. And who better as a romantic interest (platonic) than Ruby Dee; Mahalia Jackson leading the gospel choir; Ella Fitzgerald performing a song after Handy's success, and even Cab Calloway just right as a villain, hammering home a main theme of the film depicting how musical artists are exploited. And instrumental in giving the movie heart, Pearl Bailey as his amazing aunt.

The film's story line has little in common with Handy's actual life, and some Hollywood writers were brought in to "improve" a few of Handy's lyrics. In other words: don't base your term paper on this picture, unless you're demonstrating how Hollywood can't leave history well enough alone. (Would you be surprised to learn that Handy's real story is more colorful than this -- literally -- black and white movie? Didn't think so).

On the other hand, the cast is sensational -- Kitt and Bailey, particularly, with a nice early sequence featuring Billy Preston as young Bill -- and the music is well played and sung.

Ella Fitzgerald and gospel great Mahalia Jackson are featured briefly, which is another plus.

If you ignore the weaknesses in the (at best) hackneyed script and try not to wince at the stereotyped characters, the film is nicely directed.

I enjoyed it a lot, almost in spite of itself.

Black casted movies are a rarity in and of themselves, but one with such mega stars of old was so very uplifting! The movie was made by blacks for blacks and had a plot, story-line and theme that blacks can indeed relate to with pride dignity and a sense of self-esteem. The movie is one that you can watch over and over again and get something more out of it each and every time. It deals with human weaknesses and pitfalls such as are common to man; but finishes on a high note of strength and victory because of faith in and love for God and perseverance.

... played as an adult by Nat "King" Cole. From childhood, Will Handy's biggest problem is his father, a fire and brimstone preacher with a - pardon the expression - black and white view of life. Music is either of God - hymns - or it is of the devil, which is everything else including the music of the streets, of workers, of African Americans. Young Will is drawn to jazz and buys a trumpet. When his dad discovers it he throws it underneath a team of horses so that it is destroyed, to "save his soul".

When Will grows up and graduates college his dad and his girlfriend/fiancee expect him to become a teacher. But Will is still drawn to jazz and the blues. A simple song he composes and performs for a political candidate he doesn't even know gets him the attention of local blues singer Gogo Germaine (Eartha Kitt) . He starts spending his days working on songs with Gogo, and nights performing them at her club. When he is found out by his dad, he is told to either stop this music and become a teacher or get out. Will chooses the latter option.

The obvious conflict in Will is not that of right and wrong, but between the fact that he does not feel like he is doing evil when he writes and performs jazz, but that his dad constantly tells him he is doing evil. How will this work out? I'd say watch and find out, because the biography of the actual W. C. Handy is fascinating, but it's nothing like this film.

I don't think Nat King Cole had any training as an actor, and yet he gives a great performance here. Eartha Kitt plays the glamorous singer who needs Will professionally but has the integrity to not seduce and keep the initially fascinated Will around with her feminine charms. The portrayal of Handy's girlfriend, Elizabeth (Ruby Dee), is just a little too passive considering that Will is constantly dropping in and out of her life. It's OK to be supportive, but the character is in doormat territory.

The supporting musical talent is tremendous and includes Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Mahalia Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billy Preston.

I found the father-son estrangement contrived along conventional religion vs the devil lines, but moving nonetheless. I had forgotten what a good piano player Nat Cole was. Ertha Kitt is the heart of the film. She acts as she sings -- biting, precise, and all-knowing. I think the great Pearl Bailey is wasted here -- wonderful as the Aunt, but we only hear her singing a snippet of the title song. Cab Calloway was also much more talented than permitted to be here. I saw him as "Sportin' Live" in the post-WW II revival of "Porgy and Bess." We get a too brief taste of the great clarinet player, Barney Bigard, and an anachronistic appearance by Ella Fitzgerald singing "Beale St. Blues." The film provides a good definition of the blues as an authentic American musical and poetic form. This one, almost 50 years old now, has aged well. It makes one regret that more African-American based and performed films were not made when these great stars were available. Thanks again, TCM!