Lady Sings The Blues– excerpts from the 1972 film starring Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor. 1) The Man I Love 2) Them There Eyes 3) Good Morning Heartache 4) My Man 5) God Bless the Child. Continue reading
Tag: Hollywood Monday
2/15/16 0&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Killer Diller (1948)
Killer Diller starring The Clark Brothers (tap dancers), Nat King Cole, Moms Mabley, Dusty Fletcher, Butterfly McQueen, the Andy Kirk Orchestra, dancers from the Katherine Dunham School and the Four Congaroos (dancing Lindy Hop) was filmed in 1948 during the height of post war race films explosion. This all-black cast film, geared toward minority audiences, featured a cavalcade of African-American talent. Continue reading
2/8/16 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Cabin in the Sky is a 1943 American musical film based on the 1940 musical of the same name. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the film stars Ethel Waters and Rex Ingram, who reprised their roles from the Broadway production, as well Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson and Lena Horne. It was Horne’s first and only leading role in an MGM musical. Louis Armstrong was also featured in the film as one of Lucifer Junior’s minions, and Duke Ellington and his Orchestra have a showcase musical number in the film.
Taking A Chance On Love
Ethel Waters with Eddie “Rochester” Anderson (guitar)
and Bill Bailey (tap)
Jim Henry’s Club
Ethel Waters, John Bubbles, Eddie’Rochester’ Anderson
and Lena Horne
2/1/16 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Lena Horne – Stormy Weather featuring “Katherine Dunham with her dance troupe.” (1943)
Stormy Weather, the title song and dance sequence for the 1943 film of the same name, starred Lena Horne and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Katherine Dunham with her “dance troupe”. Other notable performers in the movie were Cab Calloway and Fats Waller (both appearing as themselves), the Nicholas Brothers dancing duo, comedian F. E. Miller, and singer Ada Brown. Despite a running time of only 77 minutes, the film features some 20 musical numbers. This was Robinson’s final film (he died in 1949); Waller died only a few months after its release. Continue reading
1/16/17(REPOST) HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks
Martin: a ballet by Gordon Parks, an original five-movement ballet chronicling the struggles of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Filmed in 1990 the work stars John Jones as Dr. King and Sheila Rohan as Rosa Parks, featuring choreography by Real Lamb. “Martin” (PBS, 1990), about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Parks served as executive producer, director, composer, keyboardist and documentary photographer for this boldly ambitious project. Continue reading
1/4/15 O&A NYC Hollywood Monday: A Time To Dance- a short film
A Time To Dance, a short film, tells the story of two dancers who fall in love. Written and directed by Paul Myzia, starring Israel Arellanes and Mariah Nottke featuring choreography by Anna Duval. Continue reading
12/28/15 O&A Hollywood Monday: Late Bloomer
Official selection at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, Late Bloomer is a compelling and humorous short film about 7th grade sex ed class gone horribly wrong. Directed by Craig Macneill and written by Clay McLeod Chapman, Late Bloomer is loosely based on the dark tales of H.P. Lovecraft. Late Bloomer received the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Lake Placid Film Festival, and Best Short Film at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival . Continue reading
12/21/15 O&A NYC Hollywood Monday: Mistletoe- Romantic Comedy Short Film
Brian thinks of the new girl at the office as just a friend, but when she gives him a special Christmas present he realizes he may have feelings for her… Continue reading
12/14/15 O&A NYC Hollywood Monday: It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy comedy-drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra. The movie is based on the short story The Greatest Gift, which Philip Van Doren Stern wrote in 1939 and published privately in 1945. It’s a Wonderful Life is now considered one of the most popular films in American cinema. The numerous television showings in the 1980s helped the film become traditional viewing during the Christmas season. Continue reading
12/7/15 O&A NYC Hollywood Monday: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass Productions and distributed by DreamWorks Classics. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the United States. The special was based on the Johnny Marks song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer which was itself based on the 1939 poem Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer written by Marks’ brother-in-law, Robert L. May. Since 1972, the special has aired on CBS. Continue reading