Stormy Weather (1943)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Andrew L. Stone

Writers:

Jerry Horwin (story)
Frederick J. Jackson (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 November 1943 (Sweden)

Genre:

Musical

Plot:

The relationship between an aspiring dancer and a popular songstress provides a retrospective of the great African American entertainers of the early 1900s.

Plot Keywords:

African American | Dancer | Singer | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Lena Horne	...	Selina Rogers
Bill Robinson	...	Bill Williamson
Cab Calloway	...	Himself
Katherine Dunham	...	Herself
Fats Waller	...	Himself
Fayard Nicholas	...	Himself (as Nicholas Brothers)
Harold Nicholas	...	Himself (as Nicholas Brothers)
Ada Brown	...	Herself
Dooley Wilson	...	Gabe Tucker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson	...	(scenes deleted)
Zutty Singleton

Runtime:

USA:78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (certificate #9101)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

This was Fats Waller's last screen performance. On December 15, 1943, less than five months after the film's July 21 opening in Manhattan, Mr. Waller, age 39, died of pneumonia on a train stopped at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Having fallen ill during an engagement at the Zanzibar Room in Hollywood, he had boarded the Santa Fe Chief in Los Angeles and was headed for New York City.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The first time Selena says "Bill Williamson" (in the first scene, before her character has met him) her mouth quite clearly says "Bill Robinson. Bill Robinson played Bill Williamson.

Movie Connections:

Edited into American Pop (1981)

Soundtrack:

LINDA BROWN

Stormy Weather

After watching the film Stormy Weather (1943), it was clear that the Hollywood movie making industry was headed toward a new era. The new era being that colored actors were recognized and not only that, spiced up the industry. This movie shied away from the usual parts actors of color would normally play, parts in which they were slaves or butlers and servants.

This truly showed the breakthrough of African Americans in entertainment and paved the way for how successful many have presently become. Specifically in this movie, it told the story of how a man of color worked his way literally from the bottom up. It began with Bill Williamson who came home from war in France, and was working in a basement restaurant when fate stepped in and reunited him with his love interest. It was because of Selina that he was working in the city hoping to step foot into the dancing business. When she recognized him, she insisted to the show's producer that he be put in the show. This was Bill's break that got him out of a basement restaurant to the "top" of a tree in production. This is where Bill made the most of this opportunity and showed off his abilities but in turn got him fired from the show. But that was all he needed and he was on his way to stardom.

Twentieth Century Fox really broke the mold with this movie in response to FDR's urging. It finally gave actors of color the chance to show off their tremendous talent also allowing them to have more of an equal role in society. Although there still were laws restricting the interaction between whiles and blacks in films, it certainly brought them out of the repetitive demeaning roles of slaves and servants. It was thrilling to be able to see the talents of these actors and all the skills offered through their dancing and singing abilities. All of the dance numbers and costumes really represented the time period. The way the dancers moved were both creative and unique, especially the indisputably impressive Nicholas Brothers.