Cabin in the Sky (1943)

Best movie ever!

Absolutely the worst movie.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Cabin in the Sky (1943)*** (out of 4) Landmark MGM Musical has sinner 'Little Joe' Jackson (Eddie 'Rochester Anderson) getting killed inside a gambling house but his wife Petunia (Ethel Waters) says a prayer, which causes a fuss in Heaven. Lucifer, Jr. (Rex Ingram) wants to take Jackson to Hell but the good guys are able to make a deal where he gets six more months on Earth to prove himself good. Jackson starts off well but soon Lucifer puts Georgia Brown (Lena Horne) on the case. This all-black cast Musical has one of the better reputations out there for a race picture and it's certainly one of the best. There's no question that MGM took a fairly simple story and filled it with some great performances, nice songs, wonderful direction and in the end we're left with a pretty important picture. Considering one scene in this movie cost more than ten other race movies of this era, it's refreshing to see what a black cast could do when given the chance. Considering how well this film turned out, it's a shame more movies like this didn't follow but what we have here is still quite special. For me the highlights of this film are the performances with the three leads fitting into their roles so well that you really forget that you're watching a movie. The spiritual and fiery nature of Waters makes for a brilliant performance as she really digs into this role and makes it her own. She's funny, sweet and very touching in her scenes of prayer and one can't help but feel as if she really is the perfect wife the screenplay makes her out to be. Anderson and that wonderful voice is perfect for that not-so-bright character who tries well but often finds himself in even more trouble. Ingram is a lot of fun as Lucifer, Jr. and Kenneth Spencer and his wonderful voice is a pleasure as well. We even get Louis Armstong, Willie Best, Mantan Moreland and Leon James Poke doing fine work. Just look at the type of performances Moreland and Best get to give here in comparison to the typical roles and performance they had to give in other Hollywood productions. With all of that said, it's Horne who steals the show as the devil-ish Peach. I know a scene involving Horne in a bath (later to appear in the short STUDIO VISIT) was cut but I was still surprised to see how sexual the production code allowed here. From her taking her shirt off to her sexual walks to her shirt being tied up. The sexual fire Horne brings to the role makes her beauty really jump off the screen but we also get that great voice. The story itself isn't the strongest but I think it does the job as we care for Anderson enough to the point that we want to see him stay out of trouble and make it to Heaven. The songs are all pretty good, the direction top-notch and in the end we're given a rare chance to see what black actors could do when given a shot. It's a shame we didn't get more productions like this one.

This is the sort of film that you'd certainly NOT see being made today and I am sure that "Cabin in the Sky" might make a few out there cringe--with its rather stereotypical characters--including several quite shiftless folks. However, if you can hold on to the politically correct voice welling up inside and just accept the film for what it is, then it's well worth seeing.This is a highly unusual film for its time. Despite the leading character being a dice-shooting no account, the fact that White Hollywood would produce a film with an all-Black cast is amazing--even if the characters are all either non-threatening "good Negroes" and the rest are "shiftless"--a rather two-dimensional view (at best). Still, if this film hadn't been made, performances by such greats as Ethel Waters, Lena Horne and Louis Armstrong never would have been seen and appreciated by a wider audience. Sadly, when you watch and see Kenneth Spencer in the film, you think of what a loss it was that Hollywood never gave him much of a chance and that he died so young--he had an absolutely beautiful voice.The film's plot is highly unusual. It's a religious allegory about the soul of one particular shiftless fool (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson). Anderson is given one last chance by God and the angels try to steer him towards good while the devils try to lead him down the path of destruction. And even more unusual is that the film is a singing and dancing musical. Some of the more hilarious performances are by Lucifer, Jr.'s imps. Sure, they are walking stereotypes, but seeing Louis Armstrong, Mantan Moreland and Willie Best acting is very entertaining--the dialog is very funny and original.Overall, the film is very entertaining and a wonderful showcase for some of the best Black entertainers of the day. Well made and certainly not a movie you'll soon forget.

Genius director Vincente Minnelli's debut remains a wonderful celebration of the talent of his all-black cast. It's also interesting showcase of the technique he would fully use later in his career in integrating musical numbers with plot seemingly effortlessly. While I do think the plot, the fight for the soul of Little Joe by the Devil and God, is a little thin and takes a while to heat up, there is plenty to enjoy in this film. Ethel Waters is quite astonishing as Joe's good wife, Petunia- what a performer! And Lena Horne sizzles (how often in the 40's did we get to see the back of a woman's bra? OK, it's hardly a big deal now, but I can't recall seeing anything like it in a 40's movie) as bad girl Georgia who could lead Joe into sin. Curious to see the DVD comes with a disclaimer that apologies for the racist attitudes prevalent in the time, and apparently evident in the film. Well, I do not question the prevailing attitudes of the age, but where are they present in this movie? I actually saw this film as a great celebration of African-American talent, not as a way of demeaning them or anything. Racist would be replacing the talented cast with white performers...and they didn't. I thought every cast member was portrayed with intelligence, even if the plot was simplistic.

Okay, continuing the reviews of movies that involved African-Americans in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now in 1943 with the release of Cabin in the Say. This was a very enjoyable movie with the three stars: Ethyl Waters, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, and Lena Horne playing their roles to the hilt. And what a supporting cast: Rex Ingram, Oscar Polk, Kenneth Spencer, Butterfly McQueen, Louis Armstrong, and Mantan Moreland. All involved made this one of the most entertaining and inspirational films I've ever seen. "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe" "Life's Full of Consequences" "Taking a Chance on Love" "Cabin in the Sky" "Honey in the Honeycomb" Classic songs all. Vincente Minnelli did fine for his directing debut. Plus there's Duke Ellington, the Hall Johnson Choir, and dancer 'Bubbles' John W. Sublett performing "Shine". Nice mix of humor and near-tragedy. Dorothy Dandridge's mother Ruby is listed in the credits as playing Mrs. Kelso. I think that's her in the church sequence talking about Joe repenting to the preacher at the door. And the guy tap-dancing to "Taking a Chance on Love" is Bill Bailey, Pearl Bailey's brother. Like I said, this was very enjoyable. So on that note, I highly recommend Cabin in the Sky. P.S. Only disappointment is we're deprived of Armstrong's number "Ain't It the Truth" that was cut from general release and supposedly is forever lost with only stills and his recording existing.