W.C. Handy
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Musician/composer W.C. Handy (Nat King Cole) forms a band and becomes known as the father of the blues.
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- Nat King Cole
- Allen Reisner
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Jul 27, 2022 · Based upon the life and music of W.C. Handy. Stars: Nat 'King' Cole, Eartha Kitt, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and Ruby Dee. "The glitter and glory story of the man whose rhythm and blues beat...
- 94 min
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St. Louis Blues (1958) is a movie production that was filled with promise, a film biography of W.C. Handycovering the obstacles and successes of a great American, a musical with a magnificent canon of songs, and the on-screen assembly of many of the most talented mid-century African-American performers. But it’s a missed opportunity – simply not a ...
Nat ‘King’ Cole and W.C. Handy in an undated photograph. The idea for the film was first marketed by producer George Garabedian who ultimately was not attached to the picture. As early as 1954 he had the rights covered and the studios contacted, but couldn’t elicit any interest for an all-Black musical (Down Beat, April 3, 1958). Paramountfinally g...
In the fall of 1957, Little Rock High Schoolwas being integrated, the NAACP and the National Guard were involved, President Eisenhower and Governor Faubus were at odds, and the United States was at a crossroads in race relations. Black celebrities were speaking out and showing support more than ever. A tense time to be sure, but Hollywood was not r...
“There’s only two kinds of music in the world, the devil’s and the Lord’s,” says the Reverend Handy (Juano Hernandez). Early on, Cole had described the movie this way: “It’s boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy writes blues.” That’s a very accurate resumé of the plotline. Young Will Handy is a talented organist and pianist, but he is intrigued by th...
Sheet music for “St Louis Blues” published to coincide with the film. “St. Louis Blues” (pronounced Loo’-iss, not Loo’-ee) is an iconic and immensely popular song by W.C. Handy first published in 1914. By 1957, Handy’s royalties for the song were still a remarkable $50,000 annually. In an interview, Cab Calloway said his two favorite songs were “St...
At W.C. Handy’s funeral, Cootie Williams blew a trumpet solo on the hymn “Holy City.” A crowd of 150,000 heard the eulogy by Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Mourners attending included Marian Anderson, Irving Berlin, Eubie Blake, Cozy Cole, Oscar Hammerstein, Langston Hughes, Noble Sissle and Ed Sullivan. The mayor of St. Louis, Raymond Tucker, with ...
St. Louis Blueswas a flop at the box office. I hate to see that evening sun go down. “Life is something like this trumpet. If you don't put anything in it you don't get anything out.”-- W.C. Handy. Cab Calloway’s acting career survived the film. He went on to an excellent supporting dramatic role in The Cincinnati Kid (1965) with Steve McQueen, and...
Sep 18, 2017 · Will Handy grows up in Memphis with his preacher father and his Aunt Hagar. His father intends for him to use his musical gifts only in church, but he can't stay away from the music of the stre ...
- 2 min
- 5.5K
- Black Film History
Jul 24, 2020 · The movie (written by Ted Sherdeman and Robert Smith) boils the entire story of his life down to one central conflict—the one between secular and sacred music, and the corresponding life-style ...
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Is St Louis Blues based on a true story?
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What is St Louis Blues about?
St. Louis Blues is a 1958 American film broadly based on the life of W. C. Handy. It stars jazz and blues greats Nat "King" Cole, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, and Barney Bigard, as well as gospel singer Mahalia Jackson and actress Ruby Dee.
