Starring Charlayne Woodard, Scoey Mitchilll, Mae Mercer, and Cleavant Derricks
Directed by William A. Graham
Music and Lyrics by Stan Daniels
Let's celebrate Juneteenth this week with two very different takes on the African-American experience during the mid-late 20th century. Tales of American history were all the rage on TV in the late 70's after the success of mini-series like Roots and Rich Man, Poor Man. Minstrel Man is one result of this increased interest in both African-American history and American history in general. This is another. The World War II setting may also be part of the nostalgia craze of the 70's that had people looking to the recent past to escape the horrors of the present. How does that feed into this unique version of the beloved fairy tale? Let's begin with a narrator flat-out admitting over a more traditional fairy-tale book that this is a modern adaptation as a random jazz quartet starts the opening credits music and find out...
The Story: Cindy (Woodard) has come from the south to live with her daddy (Mitchilll) in 1943 Harlem. She's out of place in the faster pace of the city, and especially with her money-hungry stepmother Sara (Mercer) and snooty stepsisters Olive (Nell Carter) and Venus (Alaina Reed Hall). Her only friend is Michael Simpson (Derricks), the guy who lives on the fire escape over her and is too lazy to join the draft.
Cindy desperately wants to attend the Sugar Hill Ball, but her father can't earn the money for a dress, and her stepmother and stepsisters don't want her there anyway. Michael takes pity on her and loans her a dress he borrowed from the wife of his employer. At the ball, she's swept off her feet by handsome Captain Joe Prince (Clifton Davies), but loses one of her sneakers when she flees because Michael has to get the dress back. Captain Prince is determined to find the girl of his dreams...but even when he does, Cindy realizes when Michael makes the ultimate sacrifice who is really the man for her.
The Song and Dance: Sweet story is anchored by eager Woodard and relaxed Mitchilll as her daddy who fibs about his real status at work to impress her and her stepmother. Hall and Carter are a riot as the tough, man-crazy stepsisters, and Davies has a few funny moments as the princely heroic captain who only need to dance with Cindy to fall in love with her. There's some amusing touches, like the jazz quartet who keep popping up to provide background music and comment on the action, or the montage of the private detective (W. Benson Terry) trying on that sneaker to Fats Waller's "Your Feet's Too Big." The period-perfect costumes and gorgeous ball gowns (including Cindy's head-turning white lace outfit) were nominated for Emmys in 1978.
Favorite Number: We open with Cindy joining little girls jumping rope on the street with an enthusiastic version of the jump rope chant "One for the Money." It doesn't go so well for her stepsisters when they try. Despite her father telling her that city folks worship far quieter than country folks, Cindy still tears into "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." Her stepsisters claim the "Sugar Hill Ball" is so wonderful, they can't describe it. We get several instrumental swing numbers at the ball as everyone swirls to the music...and then Cindy arrives, and the music becomes everything from slow ballads to tango.
"Your Feet's Too Big" is the montage as the private detective tries that sneaker on every eligible maiden in Harlem. Cindy's daddy tells his fussy wife that he's been lying about his job, but he's proud to be a "Men's Room Attendant." It amusingly turns into a big chorus number, with guys popping out of stalls to sing along. Joe tells Cindy that you know "When It Happens." Her family encourages her to accept his proposal, but there's someone else Cindy loves more. The movie ends with Cindy admitting that "Love Is the Magic" as she thinks of how happy she is.
What I Don't Like: Other than the "Feet's Too Big" montage, the new songs are period-accurate jazz and showtunes, but otherwise not terribly memorable. Derricks' Michael is well-meaning but a bit dull. There's not much to him other than he won't join the war. I do like the twist about whom Cindy ends up with, but I wish we'd seen a little more of them together before that. And yes, this is a low-budget TV musical from the late 70's. The costumes are lovely, but the sets are mainly cramped rooms, ball rooms, and fire escapes.
The Big Finale: Like Minstrel Man, this is a charming and enjoyable bit of black TV history that really deserves to be better-known.
Home Media: Also like Minstrel Man, at press time it can only be found in a washed-out copy on YouTube.
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