Stormy Weather
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Movie Reviews of Stormy Weather
Movie Review: fine extravaganza with a feast for the eyes and ears
Summary: 5 Stars
Stormy Weather gives us magical performance after magical performance after magical performance. The plot may be loosely based on the life of Bill Robinson; but the plot nevertheless remains rather thin--you watch this movie for the more than twenty musical song and dance numbers it contains. We see some of the greatest performances on film by Fats Waller, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Bill Robinson, Dooley Wilson and the Nicholas Brothers. WOW!
The story begins when Bill Williamson (Bill Robinson) tells his life story in flashback to a group of children on the front porch of his home. Bill starts his story when he and his friends were much younger soldiers just back from World War I service overseas. Immediately Bill falls for Selina Rogers (Lena Horne) and although Selena likes Bill she certainly doesn't want to settle down. We also meet Bill's fast-talking friend Gabe, so ably played by Dooley Wilson.
Selina continues in New York City show business as Bill goes down to New Orleans where he works in a club on Beale Street. It is in this club that we get such special moments: Fats Waller performs "Ain't Misbehavin'" and Ada Brown sings beautifully, too. Just by chance in walks Selina with her manager Chick Bailey (Emmett 'Babe' Wallace) and Selina convinces Chick to give Bill a part in their show opening in Chicago. Well, Bill gets the job all right--but it doesn't exactly last.
The story moves along, telling how Bill and Selina go their different ways in show business. The remarkably thin plot, even for a 1940s Hollywood musical, gives the producers of this movie just enough reason to showcase incredible, stunning performances by Cab Calloway and his band. We also get Lena Horne singing "Stormy Weather;" and the Nicholas Brothers dance up a storm with a dance number the likes of which I simply never saw before in my life. Lena also sings "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and we get so much more, too.
Of course, the ending is somewhat predictable. However, even the happy ending is subordinate to the way they deliver the happy ending. There is so much levity with Cab Calloway, Bill Robinson and Lena Horne that you just couldn't be blue watching THIS ending!
The stunning choreography never stops nor do the dancers ever miss a beat. The cinematography works wonders in the numerous scenes in which dozens of dancers on the stage are all pictured in one screen. Excellent!
Stormy Weather was filmed in glorious black and white. I think it enhances the artistic quality of this motion picture.
The main DVD extra is an optional audio commentary by Dr. Todd Boyd, Professor of Critical Studies at USC. You get a couple of previews for other films on DVD as well.
Stormy Weather remains one of the greatest musicals of the entire twentieth century. No matter how many times I watch this film something new always pops out at me that I never noticed before. I could watch the Nicholas Brothers dance a million times over and never be bored. Moreover, Bill Robinson and Lena Horne turn in flawless performances.
I highly recommend this film for fans of classic musicals from Hollywood's golden era; and people who are fond of African American cinema will be delighted with this masterpiece. It is extremely rare that so much talent is packed into a single film; and any film student would do well to study this piece as a prime example of a fine motion picture.
Enjoy!
Movie Review: Great entertainment
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw "Stormy Weather" in the early 70's in a weekly program of "Race Movies". I used to get my kids on weekends back then and I took them to lots of events like this.
The film is loaded with great music and dancing and manages to hang a slim plot in there somewhere. Don't watch it for the story, just the music. There is music from Lena Horne, Cab Callaway and the great Fats Waller, and possibly the greatest dance performance ever filmed. I had never seen an early Lena Horne film and when she first came on screen I almost hyperventilated. "Extraordinary beauty" falls very short of what I saw. Whew! She delivers a fine rendition of "Stormy Weather"
Fats Waller co-king of stride piano along with the venerable James P Johnson, just tears up the screen. He was one of the truly great performers of the 20th century. I just sit in awe whenever I get to see him on film. Cab Calloway seemed to have more energy than the rest of his band and everyone in the room. Harnessing his energy might have lit an entire city. His band really puts out the sound.
The biggest treat of the film comes when the Nicholas Brothers do a dance performance that is simply unbelievable. And when you think it might be over it just keeps going. They were light on their feet and beautifully physical. It was as if each brother possessed the talent of both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. At the end of the routine there was a lot of spontaneous applause, something I had never witnessed in a theater.
Fayard and Harold Nicholas appeared in many "Race Films" and finally made it to the "big Screen" in a Gene Kelly film, "The Pirate". They were good, but deferred to Kelly. They were not going to get a shot at the mainstream because the movie industry already had its' stars and knew the brothers might well show them up. They went to Europe for many years, where the public flocked to see them. I think they returned to the States because of Harold's health problems.
The dedication of the National WWII Memorial in April, 2004 included a WWII reunion. People who had proudly served the USA came by the thousands. That also included USO performers. As you might suspect, blacks entertained only blacks and whites only whites. At the entertainment stage there were many USO films, which often included the Nicholas Brothers. AS I was watching, a Smithsonian escort was helping a small black man to a seat and somehow I recognized him as Fayard Nicholas. I went over and chatted with him for a while. It was one of the great moments in my life. I can now point to my right hand and say, "Shook hands with both Fayard Nicholas and Ted Williams"(note the order).
Go watch "Stormy Weather" and other films with the Nicholas Brothers and celebrate seeing two American Masters -- and Treasures.
Movie Review: This picture will take you by storm!
Summary: 5 Stars
The plot of this story might be thin about the fictionalized life of Bill `Mr. Bojangles' Robinson, and his on again/off again romantic relationship with a love interest but I found it to be one of the single most exhilarating films I've ever seen.
This all black film may not be a masterpiece in terms of its cinematic technique, but it captures more than a dozen performances, each of which can itself be termed a masterpiece. Horne rendition of "Stormy Weather" is singularly, powerfully erotic. Robinson is great and has several fantastic numbers (he's obviously getting old, but he still has a ton of energy). Many other great black performers grace the screen, among them Fats Waller Katherine Dunham, Ada Brown, and the Nicholas Brothers, who deliver a dance that equals anything either Astaire or Kelly accomplished. Dooley Wilson does not sing, but he has a very funny supporting role (the film delivers big time in laughs, including a very amusing blackface scene). As many hugely entertaining performances there are in the first three-quarters, the film shifts into high gear when Cab Calloway shows up. I absolutely love this guy, one of the weirdest and most original stylists that ever existed in America. But it's not just his appearance that ups the ante. The film has an amazing sense of pace, and it builds steadily to a musical finale which can only be described as orgasmic. It was thrilling to be able to see the talent actors and all the skills offered through their dancing and singing abilities. All of the dance numbers and costumes really represented the time period. The way the dancers moved were both creative and unique, especially indisputably impressive Nicholas Brothers.
"Stormy Weather" is a testament to black art of the first half of the 20th Century, and the achievements must not be forgotten. Twentieth Century Fox really broke the mold with this movie in response to FDR's urging. It finally gave actors of color the chance to show off their tremendous talent also allowing them to have more of an equal role in society. Although there still were laws restricting the interaction between whites and blacks in films, it certainly brought them out the repetitive demeaning roles of slaves and servants. This may very well be the best place to go if you want to discover them.
Movie Review: The full dimensions of that era's black talent on film
Summary: 5 Stars
Yeah, there's not much to the plot. But who needs that when you have that era's largest array of the dimensions of Black talent on film?
To deal with some controversy head-on-the Blackface scene that only one reviewer alluded to. These were oldschool comedians Johnny Lee (Calhoun from Amos & Andy) and veteran comic Flournoy Miller (who appeared in the legendary "Shuffle Along" in 1922 and wrote for A&A) doing a classic old black comedy routine called "Indefinite talk." People today don't know that in those days, Black comedians in Blackface appearing in Black theaters was as common as profanity is today (which is why I often say that profanity is the blackface of the millennium). So view it in that context.
We even get a rare (if unbilled) look at Stump and stumpy, the comedy team that was said to have inspired Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. They're the ones clowing with Bojangles during the boat scene.
Speaking of Bojangles, his dancing is somewhat reserved compared to his earlier films (he was in his sixtes at the time). Lena Horne is as pretty and classy as ever, but her songs are a tad dragging by modern standards. (BTW-I met Lena's daughter Gail a few years back. She told me that Lena could not stand working with the gun-toting Bojangles).
Fats Waller is also restrained here, but quite funny in his few scenes. However, Cab Calloway is at full throttle at his prime, Hidehoing and dancing away-ALMOST stealing the show (we'll get to who does that in a minute). The "Jumping Jive" is much fun. The Katherine Dunham dancers was probably the classiest black dance act of its era, so this folk art was quite rare for films of that time.
NOW ON TO THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS-as everyone knows, this is the highlight of the film (and perhaps their career). The legandary stair dance scene makes me ache as a man to watch it-watch these hard splits and you'll see what I mean!
SIDENOTE-This is loosely based on some real people. Only hardcore jazz and black history fans know that there WAS a Jim Europe who led the 15 Infantry Jazz Band in World War I that the first part of this film is based on.
With that said, watch this and enjoy a full dimension of the era's black talent. The zoot suit scene at the end is a hoot!
Movie Review: African American geniuses captured on film
Summary: 5 Stars
I use this movie as a teaching tool in dance classes in public schools. It shows the roots of every dance form we practice today and proves the point that there is no such thing as a truly "American" form of dance. Tap and hip hop originated from African dance/drumming and how it was used in communication from one plantation to another to help one another escape. Katherine Dunham combined AFrican and CAribeean techniques to create well excuted and smart jazz and modern choreogrpahy. Calloway showed us he is the grandfather of hip hop vernacular, Lena Horne the queeen of style, Bill Robinson, a master craftsman and Fats Waller and Ada Brown true talents that were grown out of singing in churches and learning songs passed down from generation to generation. NO one surpasses the Nicholas Brothers in grace and style, and Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly openly admitted they were greatly influenced by them. Please note that there are other small appearances by Noble Sissle and other trailblazers in the film. If you are student and watching the film, notice the first dance scene about the cake walk - look it up and learn about its history. To me, this movie proves we are all one.Also, Amazon, please note that when you bring this up to pay it says it stars Eddie Rochester Anderson. It does not, he was the brilliant leading man in Cabin in the Sky.