Anna Lucasta

This features a powerhouse effort from Eartha Kitt in the title role. Ostracised from her family for her rather wild ways, she quickly falls into a life of easy money and virtue - eventually falling in with the savvy sailor "Danny" (Sammy Davis Jr.). The two have an on/off relationship to which he won't commit, so she keeps looking and meets the more respectable, would-be teacher, "Henry" (a rather underwhelming Rudolph Slocum) - who just happens to have $4,000. There might just be light at the end of her tunnel? Thing is, her drunken and rather cruel father "Joe" (Rex Ingram) is still determined to wreck things for his daughter - and even now married, things are still pretty messy and there looks like there is little scope for any redemption of that relationship. The story itself is really little more than a familiar family melodrama with a strong supporting cast. What makes this stand out is the chemistry between Davis and Kitt with the latter oozing charisma, even if her character isn't the most pleasant to hit the silver screen. There's some entertaining music and dance and some lovely cartoons right at the end and though probably not the greatest of stories, it is worth watching for the two at the top of the bill.

I can see why Eartha Kitt has always been a gay icon and why her legion of gay fans - black and white - kept her working during the twilight years of her extremely long career in show business. She's campy, witty, sexy, and vulnerable...and a very funny funny girl with a very sharp tongue especially when she delivers her trademark rapid-fire one-liners in the opening barroom scene. Her grand entrance is over-the-top and her timing perfect. In a perfect world Kitt would have been right up there with Marilyn Monroe, Barbra Streisand, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Crawford and Rita Hayworth...BUT she was BLACK...and Hollywood has had few decent leading roles for black actresses like Kitt, Dandridge, Horne...or even Halle. The black family in this movie is captured with humor and dignity by a sterling cast of black actors hungry for work other than playing maids, butlers, African natives, and southern slaves. "Anna Lucasta" is a Black Classic.

Meowwwww... Eartha Kitt, ten years before she was Catwoman on "Batman"! This film not only co-stars Sammy Davis Jr, but that's also him singing the "Anna" theme. Things are pretty rough for Anna as the film opens. She's been tossed out by her family, even to the point of not have a place to sleep. But... just as things might be turning around for her, she runs into her old sailor friend, Danny, (Sammy Davis) and his pal Lester. Anna isn't sure if she likes either one of her options... her old sailor buddy that doesn't want to get married, or the "friend of the family" that is staying in town looking for work. Rudolph is played by Henry Scott, and it looks like this film is the only thing he ever did. and just when things are finally looking up for Anna, more people are running interference against her. Based on a play by Philip Yordan. He had just won the oscar for Broken Lance. "Anna" was first done by a white cast (1949), then later done by a black cast (1958). This is quite good, and i'm glad that Turner Classics is showing it. and now that I've seen THIS version, of course i want to see the 1949 Paulette Goddard version too. Highly recommended, if you can catch it.

Having just watched Eartha Kitt in St. Louis Blues, I went back to Netflix Streaming and then saw her other 1958 release of Anna Lucasta. The title character she plays is a street walker (to use the euphemism of what is often referred to as the "world's oldest profession") in San Diego who likes it whenever sailor Danny Johnson (Sammy Davis Jr.) stops in at Noah's (Alvin Childress) bar. But since Danny's not interested in making her an honest woman, she leaves when her estranged father Joe (Rex Ingram) picks her up to take her home even though the two left on bitter terms years previous. I'll stop there and just say that it took a while to get used to the mostly speedy delivery of lines as directed by Arnold Laven. In fact, I didn't realize that Joe's son-in-law Frank (Frederick O'Neal) was a pretty greedy fellow. Since this was made during the production code era, the word "prostitute" is not used and we don't get the full picture of how abusive Joe was to his daughter though to judge by his drunken scenes, he certainly could've recognized how desirable she became as she grew. Though she has a nice revelation scene with potential suitor Rudolph Slocum (Henry Scott), Ms. Kitt really sparkles whenever she's with Sammy Davis Jr. especially when she's looking at him and she sees him dancing as director Laven cuts to him doing just that as well as playing drums. In fact, the second part was more entertaining than the first hour. So on that note, I recommend Anna Lucasta. P.S. Arnold Laven was a native of my birthtown of Chicago, Ill. Rosetta LeNoire who was Stella would later go on to fame as the grandmother on "Family Matters". And, yes, Alvin Childress was previously Amos Jones on "The Amos 'n' Andy Show".

When Sammy Davis Jr and Eattha Kitt act together it's dynamite and a feast for the professional cinéaste. But they are not alone. Equally prominent is Rex Ingram as the father in a completely wayward character that can't control himself, disoriented in life, lost in booze, all mixed up because of his beloved daughter, that he felt he had to banish from his life forever, without succeeding - he is the one who begs her to come back. This is a great play enacted with grim intensity and empathy concerning all the characters, including the mother, the suitor, the family and even the lower people at the joint. An important part is played by Elmer Bernstein's music, ingeniously illustrating the rapidly changing moods and trains of thoughts, also including a fabulous show scene with Sammy going solo - this is actually the apex of the film and story, a spectacular visualization of Anna's downfall and helplessness in the hands of the totally irresponsible Danny, who loves her none the less, but like everybody else, not even he can control his love or his feelings but drifts to the storms of his caprices. In fact, Anna, the fallen woman, adored and despised by them all, is the only one with a character, while the others are hopelessly and helplessly without. But what fabulous acting by these three main characters! This is truly a film to enjoy for a theater and drama gourmet. 9,5 would be my vote.