Stormy Weather
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Movie Reviews of Stormy Weather
Movie Review: Entertainment Is The Name Of This Tune
Summary: 4 Stars
Music, not story, is the name of the game here.
"Stormy Weather" provides an avenue for black singers, dancers and musicians of the mid-1940s to show off their talents. Too bad it was that way but at least putting these acts on screen in a movie format wasn't just black folks "preaching to the choir." This film gave a lot of white people a chance to see some great talent they might never have seen and, hopefully, helped some of these entertainers in their careers.
Bill Robinson and Lena Horne are the stars of the film, or should I say the main entertainers. Robinson is wonderful to watch throughout. He's not just a great dancer but an extremely likable guy. He comes across that way, anyway, and has in every film I've seen him. Horne has a good voice and a pretty face that became famous for almost never aging.
Since I prefer a little more up-tempo, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway and The Nicholas Brothers filled the bill nicely. They were awesome.
What little story there is centers around Robinson's character trying to break into show business. En route are also some funny lines and characters.
Movie Review: Thin plot, lame script, great music, superlative dancing
Summary: 4 Stars
Enough has been said in these other reviews about the music; its all true and then some. Wow! But the Nicholas Brothers just burn through their dance numbers, I mean, they are just really moving great on-screen. The Nicholas Brothers were known as a "specialty dance act" during their time - they were supremely athletic and did things no one else attempted, but the knock on them was that they were not as sophisticated and graceful as other top dancers. Of course, their act must be considered in the context of their times. The chances of them getting a lot of work by doing what all the other dancers did, even if they were able to do it better, were slim indeed. So they did things no else did, thereby ensuring that no white performers could replace them. Regardless, look at them go in this movie, and then tell me that they didn't belong in the top tier of dancers. Man, they are just incandescent!Movie Review: Stormy Weather - a perfect storm
Summary: 4 Stars
My parents used to rave about this film, about Lena Horne and the title song which became her signature tune. Finally I've caught up with it and the wait was worthwhile. This 1943 film has been beautifully restored and the soundtrack is clean as a whistle. I have never seen Fats Waller perform a whole song before let alone two. We see Cab Calloway in his prime, younger audiences catching up with him years later in "The Blues Brothers". The dancing by the original "Mr Bojangles", the Nicholas Brothers and the renowned Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe is beathtaking. Lena Horne is beautiful and her gowns accentuate her beauty. It is highly recommended but I must register a feeling of sadness seeing an all-black cast movie which was they way they had to go back then - some of the stage performers even having to wear blackface on top of their natural complexion.Movie Review: An important record of the best of black performers
Summary: 4 Stars
The merits and limitations of this famous film are well documented. The positives include the list of legendary performers, all at their peak with the exception of an elderly Bill Robinson, the excellent black and white photography and that great Fox sound. The negatives include the generous display of stereotypes, the poor screenplay, unimaginative direction and non-existent acting (everyone "smiles" their role which given the absurd dialogue, may have been the only solution).
What really makes this DVD special beyond the acts themselves and the excellent print is that it contains a superb low key commentary which explains the context of the performers and the roots of their performances - an invaluable history lesson. By the way, was Lena Horne at her peak the sexiest woman alive? Wow.
Movie Review: This Is Entertainment!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
The connecting thread to this review of African-American entertainment spanning the World Wars is the reminisces of hoofer Bill Williamson(Bill Robinson). This is just a light-hearted pretense to show the rich tapestry that was the African-American contribution to our collective culture. And what a great gathering of contributors here! Robinson, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, the Nicholas Brothers, etc. Everybody's at the top of their game in full knowledge that the opportunity to strut their stuff in a major Hollywood production wouldn't be afforded very often. The performances are infectuously joyful betraying the pain many probably felt at being discriminated against. I approached this film initially as a sociological experience and at some point I was sucked into the fun of it all.