Movie of the Week: Melancholy Dame (Review)

SUMMARY

A nightclub owner's wife, jealous of his attentions to his star singer, schemes to get her fired. [IMDb]

This comedy short isn't exactly a "knee-slapper", but it is still quite delightful to watch--I got some chuckles out of it. The storyline wasn't new or unique, but it did have some interesting plot points to keep you entertained.

An irritable Jonquil Williams (Evelyn Preer) with her husband, Permanent (Edward Thompson)

I really enjoyed watching Evelyn Preer in this movie. It's hard to find her work online--I've only seen her in the silent Micheaux film, Within Our Gates and I've heard her song "It Takes a Good Woman to Keep a Good Man at Home". After watching Melancholy Dame, I immediately realized just how versatile and multi-talented Ms. Preer was. She's definitely a criminally unsung talent. I got a big kick out of hearing her speaking voice for the first time, too.

 It was also nice to see Mrs. Preer's real-life husband, actor Edward Thompson--he plays his meek (and often jittery) role with ease. I'm anxious to see more of the Thompsons' individual and collaborative work. 

Permanent's in some hot water with Webster Dill (Spencer Williams). 

Young Spencer Williams (previously a sound technician for the Christie Film Company) doesn't get much shine throughout the film, but this is purposely done to build up to the funny conclusion! Playing his wife is the captivating Roberta Hyson...

Sappho Dill (Roberta Hyson) and Permanent having a talk. 

Melancholy Dame was Roberta Hyson's first film, but she stole the show with her commanding presence and flawless delivery. She reminds me a lot of Erika Alexander and her character "Maxine Shaw" on Living Single. 

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The one and only problem I have with Melancholy Dame is its (torturous) dialogue! As was the case for a lot of "all-Negro" pictures (or for black characters in general), the African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) was terribly over-exaggerated. Listening to the dialogue nearly drove me crazy!!! 

Sappho knows something that Jonquil doesn't...

Other than that, this short film is fun to watch and an important piece of history. Click the link below to check it out!

Melancholy Dame (1929) [Youtube]

Youtube Find: Melancholy Dame (1929)

Hearts in Dixie and Hallelujah! were Hollywood's first all-black cast (and all-talking also) films. Both were released in 1929 (Hearts in Dixie was released in May, Hallelujah! in August). However, Oscar Micheaux and other independent companies were making "all-Colored" cast films way before Hollywood was. One film company in particular was key in helping to blaze trails for Black-American filmmakers (like Spencer Williams, Jr.) and performers--The Christie Film Company [link to a Blogpost post].

I am delighted to inform you that a Youtube user has posted a "Christie" comedy short and it is believed to be the first all-black "talkie" period. 

Opening credits of Melancholy Dame (1929)

Click Here to watch Melancholy Dame, a short comedy released on February 2, 1929 by The Christie Film Company. It stars Edward Thompson, Evelyn Preer (real-life husband and wife), Spencer Williams, Roberta Hyson, and Charles Olden. 

Enjoy!

Movie of the Week: The Devil's Daughter (Review)

I always check out a movie's IMDb ratings and reviews before I watch them. Most times, I believe that the ratings on race movies are unfair. However, this time, I unfortunately have to agree with the current rating for The Devil's Daughter.

SUMMARY

Sylvia Walton (Ida James) of Harlem inherits a Jamaican banana plantation and returns to manage it. Since her arrival, there's been no sign of her disinherited half-sister Isabelle (Nina Mae McKinney), who ran the plantation until their father's death. But Sylvia, her two rival suitors (Emmett "Babe" Wallace and Jack Carter), and her comic-relief servant Percy ("Hamtree" Harrington) are disturbed by the constant, growing sound of drums. Meanwhile, in hiding, Isabelle schemes to regain her former place by manipulating local 'obeah' superstition. [IMDb]

The summary sums up the movie pretty well--there was nothing "in-depth" about it. At all. 

This movie's plot actually had a lot of potential, but it's almost as though the writer wrote the script in two days. Things that didn't need to be explained were over-explained in monologues and we swiftly breezed through the most important plot points. Plus, the film isn't even an hour long (which wasn't too uncommon for some low-budget classic films anyway). So much could have been done to make this just a good movie. 

Quality shot (sarcasm) of Nina Mae McKinney as "Isabelle Walton".

The visual quality of this film was pretty bad also. This could be because of the film's age and lack of preservation, however. Plus, you would think that those in charge of the "look" of the film were scared of the location! According to IMDb, the movie was shot in Kingston, Jamaica, but we don't get too many broad, beautiful views of the land. If not for IMDb, I would have assumed that the movie was shot in the backyard of a Hollywood Hills resident.

However, the film does open with a group of people performing what appears to be a cultural song-and-dance, and that was pretty cool to watch. 

Sylvia Walton (Ida James) with her boyfriend, Philip Ramsay (Jack Carter)

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You won't be able to see their faces very well, but being able to hear the voices of and acknowledge the presence of some of American entertainment's forgotten stars (Nina Mae McKinney, Ida James, "Babe" Wallace) is quite a treat. Other than that, this movie isn't even average. It's pretty bad. Would I dissuade you from watching The Devil's Daughter? I wouldn't. Would I persuade you? Nope. 

Warner Brothers' New Release: The Decks Ran Red

The 1958 film starring legendary actress, Dorothy Dandridge, has been released as a part of Warner Brothers' Archive Collection. 

Visit Warner Archive to purchase your copy!

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*Shoutout to DorothyDandridge on Tumblr* 

Movie of the Week: Phantom of Chinatown (Review)

I hope you all have watched (or plan to watch) the featured movie of this past week, 1940's Phantom of Chinatown starring Keye Luke, Grant Withers, and Lotus Long.

SUMMARY

In the middle of a pictorial lecture on his recent expedition to the Mongolian Desert, Dr. John Benton the famous explorer, drinks from the water bottle on his lecture table, collapses and dies. His last words "Eternal Fire" are the only clue Chinese detective Jimmy Wong and Captain Street of the police department have to work on. Win Lee, Benton's secretary, reveals the doctor's dying words refer to a scroll which tells the location of rich oil deposits. Wong and Street then begin the search for the killer among Benton's associates. [IMDb]

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I actually don't have much to say about Phantom of Chinatown. I don't think it would be necessary to watch the previous "Detective Wong" films to understand this particular movie, but if you'd like to know more about the relationship between Detective Wong and Captain Street (as I would), it probably would be a good idea to watch them.

Signed publicity shot of Keye Luke

Phantom of Chinatown doesn't really stand out alongside other classic detective movies, but it was still quite a joy to watch--it was especially refreshing to see so many Asian and Asian-American performers playing non-stereotypical roles in a Classic Hollywood film. 

Lotus Long in Phantom of Chinatown

Keye Luke was one of Hollywood's most naturally talented actors--and that natural talent exudes from him as he leads this movie. Grant Withers squeezes perfectly into his role as the tough "Captain Street", a role he'd played five times before, and Lotus Long plays the mysterious "Win Len" with a cool, calm, and sophisticated demeanor--very much similar to Keye Luke's acting style. 

(L to R) Grant Withers, Keye Luke, and Lotus Long in Phantom of Chinatown

This movie's cast was a pretty good one, basically, but other than a distinct aspect of its casting, it doesn't really stand out alongside other classic detective movies (as stated before). I wouldn't say that it was highly predictable, but there simply weren't enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. However, it was entertaining enough to make you sit back enjoy the ride. 

With that said, I do recommend that you watch Phantom of Chinatown; and you can do so by clicking this Youtube link.