Hi-De-Ho (1947)

Wonderful character development!

Sick Product of a Sick System

hyped garbage

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

The plot races by in the first 40 minutes, and after that we get a series of musical numbers. That's pretty much the formula for all early musicals with the only variation being whether the musical extravaganza comes before, after or in the middle of the story. In this case it was at the end, and I actually enjoyed that format. It was as if the filmmakers were telling us, "OK now that the silly plot is out of the way, here's what you really came here for."Call me crazy, though... I actually liked the plot! And it ended on a very profound & emotional note, where Cab sings "Minnie's a Hepcat Now" a capella.The second half brings us the musical showcase with the only link to the rest of the film being the appearance of a strange man reading a Variety newspaper. He & his newspaper also appear in almost every other scene without explanation, almost like "find Waldo", lending a surreal comedic flavour to the picture.The only real downside to this movie, the disturbing part which I mentioned in my title, is the way Cab & others repeatedly smack poor Minnie around. Sure, I realize it's just a movie, but since Cab Calloway plays himself, we can't help but wonder if he may have been violent toward his women in real life. I found myself distracted by that thought.Otherwise, I thought this was a thoroughly enjoyable flick with some great performances. Also, somebody help me out here... even though this was a "race" film, I swear I saw a white man in Cab's trombone section at the end. If so, could this be one of the earliest instances of an integrated band? Or maybe my vision sucks. Keep your eyes peeled and you be the judge.

At first, I wasn't too thrilled about this movie because of Cab's rough treatment of Minnie (Jeni Le Gon) and her insolent attitude in return. And the idea of Calloway going to an audition arranged by his manager Nettie (Ida James) when, at this point in his life, he had already entertained millions of people in several movies, on radio, and in concerts makes this very much a plot for the birds. Good thing then that not too much time is spent on the "story" though Minnie's tragic end was a little touching with Cab granting her last wish. From then on, it's just a variety show starring Cab with his orchestra along with The Peters Sisters (a talented group of full-figured women singers), and the tap-dancing Millers and Lois (their tap routines are some of the best I've seen). While just every number performed by the Hi-De-Ho man is great, he's especially compelling on the "St. James Infirmary" number. And seeing the wedding number with Cab, Ida without the glasses, and Augustus Smith as the preacher makes an excellent finale for the picture. So on that note, I highly recommend Hi-De-Ho (1947 version since Cab previously made a couple of shorts with this name, one of which I reviewed in February). P.S. David Betha who plays the Brass Hat Owner here was previously in The Green Pastures (another movie I reviewed in February) as Aaron, Ms. Le Gon was born in my birth town of Chicago, Ill., Mr. Smith was born in Jacksonville, Fl., a place I lived in from 1987-2003.

Hi De Ho is one more of the quick, cheap movies cranked out by Hollywood featuring black entertainers and designed to fill seats in the movie houses for the segregated black audiences of the south and the unofficially but just as segregated theaters everywhere else. Hi De Ho is exceptional in one regard. It features that great showman and entertainer Cab Calloway in his prime and a year before he decided to disband his orchestra because of changing musical tastes. Calloway had a long career, and had become a star by 1930. He sang, moved (not exactly danced), strutted and jived. White audiences most probably learned what they knew about jump jazz, scat singing and the hep cat beat from Calloway. He was a fine singer, wrote a lot of his own stuff, and led one of the best swing orchestras around. He also seemed to have inexhaustible energy. So fair warning...Calloway's high energy pours out of this movie; watching it can wear you down after a while. The story line is little more than an excuse for Calloway and his orchestra to perform some great, driving, swing numbers. The movie is little more than an hour long and the plot is over in the first half hour. For the last half hour we watch a non-stop performance of some great music and specialty acts. The idea is that Cab is just starting out in the business. He has a jealous girlfriend, Minnie (Jeni Le Gon) and a new, young manager, Etta (Ida James), who is as pretty as his girlfriend. Etta wangles a gig for Cab and his orchestra at a new nightclub, but it's right across the street from one owned by a gangster. Minnie thinks Cab has fallen for Etta, so she convinces the mob boss to eliminate his new competition by shooting Cab. Then Minnie realizes her mistake, tries to save Cab and takes the bullet meant for him. This is the plot, and in 30 minutes it's all squeezed in between eight full musical numbers of him and his orchestra rehearsing or playing at the nightclub. Now we learn that Cab has become a huge success. For the next 30 minutes we're in a plush nightclub where we watch nine terrific numbers, including the rotund Peter Sisters, singers, and the extraordinary The Miller Brothers and Lois, tap dancers. A highlight is Calloway doing St. James Infirmary Blues. Another is a full-throttle, sophisticated arrangement of At Dawn Time. Although his now- dead former girlfriend was named Minnie and was something of a moocher, Calloway never sings his signature, Minnie the Moocher. The closest we get is Minnie Is a Hep Cat Now. The acting, except for Calloway, is dismal. But Cab Calloway and His Orchestra show why they were first-class musicians as well as first-class entertainers. If you've ever heard Cab Calloway sing, you'll hear his voice... "I was walkin' up the street feelin' bad and bold. Deep down in my pockets I didn't have no gold. I looked up to the skies and to my surprise I saw a million dollar bill floatin' before my eyes. Hey now..."

The best part of this movie were the dynamic tap dancing Millers. Unfortunately, they received very little credit.What was best about this film, were the early direction, acting and cinematography. The camera shots were amateurish, and crude. However, this added to the excitement of early black film genera. The acting was contrived, the plot line weak, and the characters one dimensional. If you like early black film, this one's a must see.If you are a film instructor this is a good example of the early attempt at story telling.