 Cabin in the Sky 1943  N/R, 99 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Ethel Waters, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Rex Ingram, Mantan Moreland, Butterfly McQueen, Willie Best, Kenneth Spencer, John William Sublett
In this, Vincente Minnelli's first feature film, the story comes out as somewhat racist. Gambler Little Joe (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson) succumbs to the charms of a beautiful woman (Lena Horne) while his wife, Petunia (Ethel Waters), waits for him to come to his senses.
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The Duke Is Tops 1938  N/R, 72 min.
Genre: Musical
aka: The Bronze Venus
Director: William L. Nolte
Cast: Ralph Cooper, Lena Horne, Laurence Criner, Monte Hawley, Vernon McCalla, Edward Thompson, Neva Peoples, Charles Hawkins, Johnny Taylor, Everett Brown
The team of Duke and Ethel (Ralph Cooper and Lena Horne) splits up when Ethel gets a chance to perform in a Broadway show. But when that fails, Duke steps in to bail her out. Not much good can be said about the dialogue, but the music is good. Lena Horne's screen debut highlights this film–one of many with an all-Black cast that were made exclusively for their own audiences.
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 I Dood It 1943  N/R, 102 min.
Genre: Musical
aka: By Hook or By Crook
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Red Skelton, Eleanor Powell, Richard Ainley, Patricia Dane, Thurston Hall, Lena Horne, John Hodiak, Butterfly McQueen, Sam Levene, Hazel Scott
Joseph Rivington Reynolds (Red Skelton) is a valet who marries a dancing star (Eleanor Powell)–whom he idolizes–when she wants to make her boyfriend jealous.
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 Meet Me in Las Vegas 1956  N/R, 111 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Roy Rowland
Cast: Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Agnes Moorehead, Lili Darvas, Jim Backus, Oscar Karlweis, Paul Henreid, Lena Horne, Frankie Laine, Jerry Colonna
A gambling rancher (Dan Dailey) finds his luck soars and his bets are all winners when he holds the hand of a ballerina (Cyd Charisse).
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 Stormy Weather 1943 N/R, 77 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Andrew L. Stone
Cast: Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway, Katherine Dunham, Fats Waller, Ada Brown, Dooley Wilson, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Ernest Whitman, Fayard Nicholas
Romance is on again-off again for entertainers Selina Rogers (Lena Horne) and Bill Williamson (Bill Robinson) in this all-star musical featuring a cast of talented Black singers and dancers of the 1940s' era.
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That's Entertainment!, Part III 1994  G, 113 min.
Genre: Family / Documentary / Musical
Director: Bud Friedgen, Michael J. Sheridan
Cast: June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, Ann Miller, Esther Williams, Joan McCracken, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Ray Bolger, Jeanette MacDonald
This third version of "That's Entertainment" is every bit as good as the previous ones. This time, out-takes are included in the film clips of M.G.M. classics from 1929 to 1954.
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 Till the Clouds Roll By 1946 N/R, 137 min.
Genre: Drama / Musical
Director: Richard Whorf
Cast: Robert Walker, Lucille Bremer, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Van Heflin, Lena Horne, Van Johnson, Tony Martin, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Paul Langton, Paul Maxey, Dorothy Patrick
An all-star cast singing Jerome Kern's songs make this account of Kern's life and times an entertaining experience. Kern's story begins and ends with his Broadway show, "Showboat," and is told through flashbacks as Kern sells his songs, moves to London, and marries Eva (Dorothy Patrick). Then, his contacts with Victor Herbert (Paul Maxey) and Oscar Hammerstein (Paul Langton) lead to success on Broadway. Songs are abundant and are sung by top musical stars of the day.
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The Wiz 1978  G, 134 min.
Genre: Family / Musical / Adventure / Fantasy
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor, Theresa Merritt, Thelma Carpenter, Stanley Greene, Clyde J. Barrett, Carlton Johnson, Harry Madsen
This film version of the Broadway show is an update of "The Wizard of Oz." It is an African-American musical set in contemporary NYC. Harlem schoolteacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) is visiting her Aunt Em's (Theresa Merritt) home for Thanksgiving when she leaves the dinner party to chase her dog in a snowstorm. Magically, Dorothy ends up in the Emerald City (NYC) where she teams up with Scarecrow (Michael Jackson), Tinman (Nipsey Russell), and Lion (Ted Ross) to find The Wiz (Richard Pryor) who can show her the way home. They follow the yellow brick road (which includes the subway system) and do find The Wiz. But, he has sinister plans for them–before he will grant Dorothy's wish to get back to her family. Quincy Jones' musical score is a highlight. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | i love it | Anonymous 03/27/2007 | i watched it as a child, i think my kids love it more
than me, the graphics are amazing to say the least. i love it, love it, love it!!!!!
h |
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Words and Music 1948 N/R, 119 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Norman Taurog
Cast: Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Ann Sothern, Perry Como, Janet Leigh, Mel Torme
This is the biography of Lorenz Hart who, as part of the team with Richard Rogers, wrote so many great Broadway shows. A highlight of the film is Gene Kelly's dance to "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue."
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Ziegfeld Follies 1946 N/R, 116 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: William Powell, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Fanny Brice
This musical features William Powell as Florenz Ziegfeld who looks down from Heaven and dreams of this film that is chock-full of MGM musical stars.
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| 1. Cabin in the Sky (1943)
2. The Duke Is Tops (1938)
aka: The Bronze Venus
3. I Dood It (1943)
aka: By Hook or By Crook
4. Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
5. Stormy Weather (1943)
6. That's Entertainment!, Part III (1994)
7. Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
8. The Wiz (1978)
9. Words and Music (1948)
10. Ziegfeld Follies (1946)
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