In 1929, Kenneth W. Adams and W.C. Handy wrote a short film treatment
based on Handy's famous song "St. Louis Blues" and convinced the film
studio RCA Phototone of the idea of making a short film. Phototone
hired Dudley Murphy (director of the 1924 French avante garde classic
Le Ballet Mechanique!) to direct a two-reel short to be shown before
the featured attraction, much the same way newsreels and cartoons
where throw in as an added attraction before films in those days. At
W.C. Handy's suggestion, Bessie Smith was picked to be the star of
the film. 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
appearence. The film features a top notch Jazz band that includes,
James P. Johnson on piano, Thomas Morris and Joe Smith on cornet, as
well as the Hall Johnson Choir. The film had an all African American
cast. The co-stars were dancer/actor Jimmy Mordecai as Bessie's good
for nothing boyfriend and Isabel Washington Powell as the other woman.
Created with the tool photo album generator a tool written by D. Madison Thu Mar 13 21:38:17 2008
