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St. Louis Blues is a 1929 American two-reel short film starring Bessie Smith. Directed by Dudley Murphy, it is the only known film featuring Bessie Smith, and the soundtrack is her only recording not controlled by Columbia Records.
Apr 26, 2017 · RKO’s St. Louis Blues, directed by Dudley Murphy and starring Bessie Smith, was named to the National Film Registry in 2006. This two-reel early sound short premiered in New York before the feature Bulldog Drummond in 1929.
In 1929, Bessie Smith made her only film appearance, starring in a movie titled St. Louis Blues that was based on this song. It was sung by Theresa Harris and played several times, including in the opening credits, in the 1933 movie Baby Face.
In her only known film appearance, legendary blues singer Bessie Smith witnesses her lover's betrayal, then sings a powerful rendition of the title song.Bess...
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- CLASSIC MOVIES AND TV
Aug 2, 2021 · By the time Bessie Smith had the opportunity to put her inimitable stamp on “St. Louis Blues” in 1925, the song had already embarked upon a 30-year journey from when inspiration first...
- Jim Beviglia
- Contributor
Bessie had scored a huge hit in 1925 with her recording of “St. Louis Blues”, which had featured Louis Armstrong on cornet. The film was shot in June of 1929 in Astoria, Long Island and was shown between the years 1929 to 1932. It was Bessie Smith‘s only film appearance.
St. Louis Blues: Directed by Dudley Murphy. With Bessie Smith, Jimmy Mordecai, Isabel Washington, Hall Johnson Choir. In her only known film appearance, legendary blues singer Bessie Smith witnesses her lover's betrayal, then sings a powerful rendition of the title song.
