<I>St. Louis Blues</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1929
name: label: Directed by
content: Dudley Murphy, American, 1897 - 1968
label: Written by
content: Dudley Murphy, American, 1897 - 1968
label: Produced by
content: W. C. Handy, American, 1873 - 1958
label: Subject of
content: Bessie Smith, American, 1894 - 1937
label: Subject of
content: Isabel Powell, American, 1908 - 2007
label: Subject of
content: Edgar Connor, American, 1893 - 1934
label: Subject of
content: Johnny Lee Jr., American, 1898 - 1965
label: Subject of
content: Hall Johnson, American, 1888 - 1970
label: Subject of
content: Hall Johnson Choir, American, founded 1925
label: Subject of
content: Alec Lovejoy, American, 1893 - 1946
label: Subject of
content: James Price Johnson, American, 1894 - 1955
label: Owned by
content: Pearl Bowser, American, 1931 - 2023
notes: label: Caption
content: "St. Louis Blues" is a 1929 short film directed by Dudley Murphy and starring Bessie Smith. The film is based upon Smith's performance of the blues standard, "St. Louis Blues" and is the only footage of her known to exist. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 2006.
label: Description
content: A short musical film with the title St. Louis Blues. It consists of a single reel of black-and-white 16mm acetate film with optical sound. The film begins with a group of men arguing over a game of craps in the hallway of a building. A Janitor excoriates them for making a mess but is pacified with a small amount of money. A man named Jimmy and an unidentified woman approach the group and Jimmy joins the game. After winning a round, Jimmy and the woman enter an apartment in the building. The woman asks Jimmy what would happen if his significant other, Bessie, walked in and he tells her to not worry about it before embracing her romantically. The film cuts back to the hallway where Bessie has entered the building; the gathered crowd quiets as she enters. Upon going into her apartment, she discovers Jimmy and the woman; she immediately attacks the woman and kicks her out the apartment. Bessie then pleads with Jimmy not to leave her, but to no avail. Jimmy shoves her to the ground before exiting the apartment with his suitcase. Bessie begins singing "The St. Louis Blues" while seated on the floor. The film transitions to a nightclub where Bessie continues to sing with the accompaniment of a band and chorus while leaning against the bar. The patrons and staff of the club begin dancing during an upbeat instrumental interlude. Jimmy enters the club to the applause of the crowd and performs a brief tap dance routine. He calls to Bessie and the two embrace happily before dancing together. At the conclusion of the dance, Jimmy exits the club and Bessie sadly returns to the bar. She again sings "The St. Louis Blues" as the film draws to a close.
place: label: Place filmed
content: Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Blues (Music)
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Musical films
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Pearl Bowser Collection
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.79.1.39.2a
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: black-and-white films (visual works)
label: Type
content: short subjects
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 550 ft
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 15 min.