A Rhapsody in Black and Blue
6 /10 1 Votes
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A rhapsody in black and blue 1932 louis armst
Rhapsody in Black and Blue is a short ten-minute film that was created and released in 1932, starring Sidney Easton and Fannie Belle DeKinght. It is an early example of a "music video", showcasing the tunes I’ll Be Glad When You Are Dead You Rascal You., and Shine, sung and played by well-known jazz artist Louis Armstrong. The screenplay was written by Phil Cohan.
Contents
Plot
A Husband who would rather listen to jazz and drum on pots and pans than mop the floor is whacked over the head with the mop by his wife when she hears him listening to I’ll Be Glad When You Are Dead You Rascal You. He falls into a dream in which he is the king of "Jazzmania," sitting on a royal throne with servants to fan him. In the dream Louis Armstrong plays and sings jazz for him while dressed in a leopard print cave man outfit. When he wakes up and sees his flustered wife still standing over him, he smiles and breaks a vase over his own head.
Critical response
The racism in this film was appalling and offensive to Black America but as stated by Krin Gabbard,
In the book Jammin’ at the Margins, Krin Gabbard quotes Miles Davis saying in his autobiography,
Phil Cohan tried to portray Armstrong’s role in the film as degrading, but instead Louis decided to embrace his role, and he played his trumpet and sang just as he would any other night with power and authority owning every word he sang.