Hi De Ho/Duke Is Tops

Rating:
Summary: Interesting slice of 1930's black cinema...
Review: Both of the movies on this DVD appear to be classic black cinema. That is, films made for black audiences of the '30s.

The fist film, "Hi De Ho", Cab Calloway plays himself in a very poor vehicle about the rise to fame of a bandleader. Grade Z acting is the order of the day in this one, but the real reason to watch is Cab's music. There's also a great tap dance routine in the finale. Although he plays "himself", Cab gets involved in a gunfight and even smacks his girl around! Certainly an odd proceeding for the bandleader.

"The Duke is Tops" is much better, and better produced. Lena Horne makes her film debut in this story about a show producer who feels he is standing in Lena's way. He loves Lena so much he steps aside so she can have her shot at stardom while he fades into obscurity, eventually working with a travelling medicine show. This film is the more enjoyable of the two.

Included with the two movies is a color cartoon from the forgotten Van Beuren Studios, featuring "Mr. Bang", a perpetually angry and argumentative character, and a foreign woman named Katrinka with superhuman strength. Van Beuren Studios went belly up in 1936, having failed to create any lasting characters of note. A strange, but somewhat useful inclusion on this disc for the film student.

There's also a newsreel with footage of Hitler, the Hindenburg disaster, and Joe Louis preparing for a fight.

The disc is an interesting slice of 1930's black cinema, which no student of film history should pass up. Of course, Cab and Lena's music are the real prize for the collector.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting slice of 1930's black cinema...
Review: Both of the movies on this DVD appear to be classic black cinema. That is, films made for black audiences of the '30s.

The fist film, "Hi De Ho", Cab Calloway plays himself in a very poor vehicle about the rise to fame of a bandleader. Grade Z acting is the order of the day in this one, but the real reason to watch is Cab's music. There's also a great tap dance routine in the finale. Although he plays "himself", Cab gets involved in a gunfight and even smacks his girl around! Certainly an odd proceeding for the bandleader.

"The Duke is Tops" is much better, and better produced. Lena Horne makes her film debut in this story about a show producer who feels he is standing in Lena's way. He loves Lena so much he steps aside so she can have her shot at stardom while he fades into obscurity, eventually working with a travelling medicine show. This film is the more enjoyable of the two.

Included with the two movies is a color cartoon from the forgotten Van Beuren Studios, featuring "Mr. Bang", a perpetually angry and argumentative character, and a foreign woman named Katrinka with superhuman strength. Van Beuren Studios went belly up in 1936, having failed to create any lasting characters of note. A strange, but somewhat useful inclusion on this disc for the film student.

There's also a newsreel with footage of Hitler, the Hindenburg disaster, and Joe Louis preparing for a fight.

The disc is an interesting slice of 1930's black cinema, which no student of film history should pass up. Of course, Cab and Lena's music are the real prize for the collector.

Rating:
Summary: YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL HIM TWICE.
Review: The Duke knew he had a sensation, he just never allowed her to fly to new hights; until he encouraged her to go and adventure out on her own. But he had to trick her, in order for her to take him seriously. He knew she would knock them dead with her beautiful singing voice. Ms. Lena Horne did just that. The Duke also knew that he wasn't a good show producer without her. This is a must see film. Done in 1938, the picture is a clear b&w classic.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent story, fascinating music, fine acting
Review: This is Lena Horne's first movie. In it she plays a singer, the Bronze Nightengale or Bronze Venus, who partners with the good-hearted Duke of the title. This is not Duke Ellington; the role is played by Ralph Cooper. It is fascinating to compare Lena's somewhat tentative performance in this movie to her confident and dynamic appearances in later movies such as Stormy Weather and Cabin in the Sky. This movie is characterized by a good, sound plot in which Duke and Lena are forced to split up for business reasons. I expected it to be one of those typical plots where the woman learns to know her place, and realizes that she shouldn't put her career ahead of her love-life. I was pleasantly surprised. Ralph Cooper does a fine job playing Duke, and we also get to see him at work as a band leader. There are several other thoroughly enjoyable characters as well, such as Duke's humorous con-man buddy who becomes Duke's partner after he splits with Lena. The scenes where Duke and the con-man sell patent medicine in small southern towns are really funny. We also get to see some fine musical performances not only by Lena Horne and Ralph Cooper, but also by an obscure but wonderful group called The Cats and the Fiddle, who resemble the Mills Brothers. This is a movie that I enjoy watching again and again. The sound isn't too great in the beginning (maybe that's just my copy), but then it improves after the first few scenes. I highly recommend this movie, especially if you are, as I am, a fan of early jazz and African-American cinema.