Starring Nat King Cole, Eartha Kitt, Juano Hernandez, and Ruby Dee
Directed by Allen Reisner
Music and Lyrics by WC Handy and others
W.C Handy is nowadays considered to be the "Father of the Blues." He was one of the most prolific composers of the early 20th century, and one of the first black composters to achieve major recognition. His hit songs like the title number and "Memphis Blues" are still performed by jazz, blues, and R&B artists to this day. How does this very typical biography deal with a not-so-typical subject? Let's start in Memphis in the 1880's, as the young William Christopher Handy (Billy Preston) watches his father Reverend Charles Handy (Hernandez) give a fiery speech and find out...
The Story: Reverend Handy is completely against any music that isn't classical or spiritual, calling it "the devil's music." His son, however, can't help but be drawn to it. Even after he returns from school, Will (Cole) admits to his girlfriend Elizabeth (Dee) that he spent his summers playing music with blues bands and minstrel shows. Elizabeth is horrified and tells him he should take a good job as a teacher. Will considers it...until he plays the piano at a friend's saloon. He's asked to write a campaign song for a local sheriff's political rally and puts together a band to play the tune. Song and band are so successful, singer Gogo Germaine (Kitt) hires them to sing in her nightclub. He ultimately sells the song, and though he likes Gogo, she wants their relationship to be strictly business.
He still hasn't told his father, but the Reverend ends up finding out any way from a member of the church choir (Mahalia Jackson). Will tries to tell his father how he feels about his music, but the Reverend won't hear it. His son moves out and writes more hit songs, including "St. Louis Blues." He uses the checks to buy a piano for his father, but the Reverend isn't amused. Will finally comes home when he goes blind. When his sight returns, he takes music students...but he can't forget his music. It's Gogo who finally brings everyone to New York to hear "St. Louis Blues" performed by a real symphony...and who points out to Will's family just how damaging their judgmental behavior is to him.
The Song and Dance: The songs by far the main reason to see this, along with the unique cast. This would be Cole's only shot at a leading role in films, and a rare chance for Kitt to sing in films, too. Kitt and Hernadez are the stand-outs as the tough singer who understands Handy's feelings about the emerging blues music, and his strong-willed priest father who is determined to see his son become a man to be proud of. Reiser's not a great director, but he does manage to bring a level of intimacy to this fairly heavy drama that works with the actors' understated style. There's also the rare music on display. "St. Louis Blues" remains popular to this day, but a lot of the other songs are a lot less well-known nowadays.
Favorite Number: The movie kicks off with Jackson and Pearl Bailey as Handy's Aunt Hagar performing the spiritual "Hush the Wind," but Reverend Handy doesn't like the bluesy spin Hagar gives it. Gogo performs her own lyrics to Handy's campaign song at the club, rechristening it "Yellow Dog Blues." She joins Will for the aching blues ballad "Careless Love" when he admits he has some feelings for her. "Morning Star" is the number Handy performs on the new piano he buys his father that the Reverend finds so offensive.
What I Don't Like: I can kind of understand why Cole didn't get another leading role after this. He sings and plays well, but his acting is wooden. (In his defense, he was said to be a very shy person in real-life.) It's too bad the story doesn't rise to the level of Handy's still-delightful songs. It's one great big cliche after another, with very little of it related to Handy's actual life. The sequence with him suddenly going blind, then suddenly regaining his sight when the church choir sings a spiritual, is utter claptrap. (Handy did go blind briefly...as the result of an illness while living in New York, nothing that had to do with his father.) There's barely any mention of Handy's extensive traveling with various groups, especially in his younger years. The costumes and sets don't really give you a sense of time passing, either. It looks like 1958 for more-or-less the entire film. Fitzgerald is listed in the cast, but she performs one number late in the film and that's it.
The Big Finale: Worth seeing for the musical performances alone if you love any of the singers here or are a fan of jazz, blues, or Handy's work.
Home Media: The DVD is currently out of print and very hard to find. Your best bet by far is streaming. At the moment, it can be found for free at Crackle.
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