Product: Stormy Weather [VHS] (1980)
Rating: 5.0
Lena Horne, one of the 20th century greats, and much more !
This delightful film is like a revue of song and dance numbers, held together by a thin plot, which is there simply as a frame for the wonderful music and fabulous talent, notably of Lena Horne, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, and the protagonist who has the most screen time, Bill Robinson.Among the others that are remarkable are The Nicholas Brothers and Ada Brown. There are several styles of music represented, from blues, the sultry ballads sung by Lena Horne, to scat singing and big band dance numbers. There's a priceless comedy routine where two men finish each other's sentences, and another treat is to see Katherine Dunham dance in two pieces along with her troupe; she was very popular decades ago, but sadly, not many remember her now.The dances are staged by Clarence Robinson, and they are numerous, some corny, but all entertaining. Of the singers, Lena Horne is extraordinary. She could make a lame line of dialog sound convincing, make any song worth listening to with her mellow, lovely voice, dance with the best of them, and her sensual beauty has rarely been equaled. The songs she sings are:"There's No Two Ways About Love, Baby""Digga Digga Doo""I Can't Give You Anything But Love""Stormy Weather".The legendary Fats Waller sings his "Ain't Misbehavin'", and other songs include "Rhythm Cocktail", "That Ain't Right", and "Rang Tang Tang".Directed by Andrew Stone, it has marvelous cinematography Leon Shamroy, and though not great in every aspect, it's a historical film that showcases the fantastic black talent of the mid 20th century, and as such it gets my highest rating. Total running time is 78 minutes.