Starring Glynn Turman, Ted Ross, Tonea Stewart, and Stanley Bennett Clay
Directed by William H. Graham
Music and Lyrics by various
Since Juneteenth has its roots in the post-Civil War south, I thought I'd do a movie set during that time period...and a very controversial one, at that. It's difficult to discuss the musical history of the 19th and early 20th century without bringing up the minstrel show. Once a popular form of variety show, the minstrel show fell out of favor on stage as vaudeville took over by the early 20th century. It was dead as a professional form of entertainment by the 1930's, but continued to pop up in amateur shows as late as the early 60's.
By the time this movie debuted in 1977, the Civil Rights Movement and many other changes had largely made minstrel shows into an offensive curio from a less enlightened time. How does this story of two brothers who try to change the minstrel traditions look nowadays, at a time when race relations are more in the news than ever? Let's begin as a narrator explains the minstrel tradition and find out...
The Story: Ever since Harry Jr. (Turman) and Rennie Brown (Clay) witnessed their father (Gene Bell) die of a heart attack during a minstrel performance, they've been determined to change the rules. Harry wants to succeed as a black man in the mostly-white minstrel world. Rennie wants to become a composer and get in on this new sound they're calling ragtime. Harry joins a black minstrel show, but they don't have an easy time of it. White audiences - and especially white theater owners - won't accept anything but the familiar stereotypes and demeaning jokes and songs. Harry, Rennie, Harry's wife Carla (Stewart), and their fellow performers change the minstrel show for one small-town Illinois stage to turn the jokes on blacks and whites...but when that ends in tragedy, Harry has to decide whether he wants to follow his heart, or do what audiences expect of black performers.
The Song and Dance: While I don't believe it's banned like the YouTube channel I watched this on claims, it apparently hasn't turned up since its original broadcast, either...and that's a major shame. This is a powerful exploration of how words and music can uplift or demean, and how people can change the status quo, even when it's hard or painful. Turman and Clay give stellar performances as the two brothers who want their performances and songs to be heard with no need to hide behind dark make-up, and Stewart's almost as good as sweet Carla. It was even filmed on-location in Carroll County, Mississippi, adding to the deep-south charm. The costumes and sets, including at the minstrel show, are well-made and accurate for the era.
Favorite Number: We open with "A High Old Time In Dixie" giving us a good view of an average minstrel number, with the men in blackface and dancing and playing banjos and tambourines as they wiggle their bodies in time to the song. The next song, "Coon, Coon, Coon," shows us why these were so difficult for black audiences, with fabulous clog dancing and what would now be considered horribly racist lyrics. Harry Sr is doing a fast clog number that looks pretty good...until he keels over from a heart attack.
Years later, the brothers dance together on the streets to Rennie's catchy harmonica music. It's enough to catch the eye of Charlie Bates (Ted Ross), who thinks Rennie is perfect to partner him in songs like "My Old Kentucky Home" for his minstrel show. He hears Carla singing a spiritual with a choir in a church and is immediately smitten, even getting Charlie to sing along.
Rennie's more interested in writing early ragtime songs that don't talk down to their audiences and lovely blues numbers like "Take My Hand" for Carla. The latter accompanies them passing by anti-black graffiti as they make their way to the stage in Illinois. Audiences don't take well to Charlie singing "Ragtime Special In Town" without make-up, despite it him having a great time high-stepping along to it.
What I Don't Like: As nice as it is to think of the men wiping off their blackface in the end and the audience applauding, they very likely would not have gotten away with it in real-life in the early 20th century. The blackface makeup isn't entirely right, either. Black minstrels did wear burnt cork makeup, but rarely with the white eyes and lips, as seen here. Also...yeah, if the blackface or some of the more racially-charged language really offends you, you probably won't want to come here. There's also some violence towards the end and two deaths, one clearly the result of a lynching.
The Big Finale: One of the most eloquent statements on music and race ever broadcast on television, this underrated film deserves to be far better-known.
Home Media: It existed at museums but was largely unseen by the general public until someone posted it on YouTube in 2014.
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