St. Louis Blues (1958) DVD

Price:

$9.99

SKU:

R10162021659

Rating:

St. Louis Blues (1958)

Director
- Allen Reisner
Writers
- Ted Sherdeman
- Robert Smith
Stars
- Nat 'King' Cole
- Eartha Kitt
- Cab Calloway
The life of legendary bluesman W.C. Handy is highly dramatized in this tuneful biopic. The story opens as his father, a minister chastises his son for playing "the devil's music." Despite his father's admonitions, Handy is drawn to the blues. He is encouraged by two disparate women, one an earthy singer from New Orleans and the other a good-hearted girl from his hometown whose main concern is Handy's happiness. Stress causes Handy to go blind for a while, but eventually he regains his sight, becomes famous for his music, and wins the respect of his father. The highlight of the film involves the performance of Handy's music by some of the great blues and jazz singers of the 1950s including Cole, Calloway, Jackson, and Fitzgerald. Songs include "Hesitating Blues," "Chantez Les Bas," "Beale Street Blues," (W.C. Handy), "Careless Love" (based on folk music by Handy; lyrics by Spencer Williams, Martha Koenig), "Morning Star," "Way Down South Where the Blues Began," "Mr. Bayle," "Aunt Hagar's Blues" (Handy; lyrics by Tim Brymn), "They that Sow" (hymn), and "Going to See My Sarah" (spiritual).

Okay

Posted by James Mayor on Jan 28th 2023

St. Louis Blues (1958) is a flawed movie that is still enjoyable to watch and listen to. Of course, the writers and director took liberties with the facts, but the gist of W. C. Handy’s (1873-1958) life is still there. The cast was adequate with Nat “King” Cole playing Handy, Eartha Kitt as Gogo Germaine, Ruby Dee as Elizabeth Price (1876-1937, his first wife), Juano Hernandez as The Rev. Charles Handy, Handy’s father, and Pearl Bailey as Aunt Hagar. Most of the singing was done my Kitt, and I actually don’t like her singing. The movie did have an amazing musical cast, however, with Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Barney Bigard (clarinet), George Callender (bass), and Lee Young (drums). It would have been nice for one of the other vocalists to sing Handy’s song, but they weren’t as vampish as Eartha. Although I am not a good judge, I believe that Cole did his own piano playing as I know he was a pianist as well as a singer. It is not clear that the New York Symphony actually played the St. Louis Blues, but if they did, I’ll bet Handy didn’t sing it.