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Cab Calloway plays himself in a plot about jealousy, night clubs, and gangsters.
- Addeddate
- 2007-06-13 18:38:06
- Color
- black & white
- Director
- Josh Binney
- Identifier
- hi_de_ho
- Run time
- 01:03:28
- Sound
- sound
- Year
- 1947
comment
Reviews
Reviewer:
Tim Crow
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
January 26, 2014
Subject: Really Wonderful (for the musical performances)
Subject: Really Wonderful (for the musical performances)
Ignore the thin plot, it's really just there as a framework for the performances of Cab Calloway and his band. The tap-dancing trio was amazing as well.
Mainly it's CAB CALLOWAY. 'Nuff said.
Mainly it's CAB CALLOWAY. 'Nuff said.
Reviewer:
The_Emperor_Of_Television -
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November 24, 2012
Subject: What more do you need in life?
Subject: What more do you need in life?
The plot is minimal, as the previous reviewers have noted. But it has great music, and the film itself has a certain retro charm.
Reviewer:
surfvh
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April 22, 2012
Subject: If You Like Cab Calloway, This Is The One!
Subject: If You Like Cab Calloway, This Is The One!
This movie is at least 90% music, so just slide by the parts without, and enjoy. This has a lot of his pieces that aren't in any other film. It also has some very athletic tap-dancing by the 3 Hillers. Definitely worth the watch and don't be discouraged by the first 5 minutes of the film. Just hang in there because it gets really good after that. Enjoy!!!!!
Reviewer:
Dark Moon
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
May 13, 2011
Subject: Stilted dialogue, too
The story, such as there is of one, is of how the jealousy and vindictiveness of Cab's girlfriend backfires on her. One thing fo' sho', she sho' gets slapped around. Oddly enough, her name is 'Minnie', and Cab calls her a "moocher."
The whole thing has the feeling of a promotional film to me. Other bands have done them (I still remember The Beatles in Yellow Submarine), and now we have music videos. Still, we get to hear plenty of music, so that works for me. :)
We don't have to wait for the concert at the end of the movie to hear the music, either, since there is plenty right from the beginning: Cab sings 'Minnie was a Hep Cat' acapella to his girlfriend, practices, auditions, and then plays his first(?) nightclub gig. The concert at the end includes singing (a three-part harmony from three sisters), dancing, and even some very wild and frenetic soft shoe. It's all quite a treat, and showcases Cab's talent and style effectively.
The only other place I've heard 'St. James Infirmary Blues' was in the Fleischer Bros. Betty Boop short, Snow White. In this rendition, the musical vamp in St. James sounds to me to be identical to the one in 'Minnie the Moocher'.
If you want to hear more of Cab Calloway, the Fleischers did two more Betty Boop shorts featuring his music: Minnie the Moocher and The Old Man of the Mountain, both of which are very macabre and surreal. (Music and voicing for 'Old Man' is provided entirely by Cab Calloway, except for Betty's voice, which is provided by Mae Questel.) Cab also performs an abbreviated version of 'Minnie the Moocher' in this Rhythm and Blues Review (also here) at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
Subject: Stilted dialogue, too
The story, such as there is of one, is of how the jealousy and vindictiveness of Cab's girlfriend backfires on her. One thing fo' sho', she sho' gets slapped around. Oddly enough, her name is 'Minnie', and Cab calls her a "moocher."
The whole thing has the feeling of a promotional film to me. Other bands have done them (I still remember The Beatles in Yellow Submarine), and now we have music videos. Still, we get to hear plenty of music, so that works for me. :)
We don't have to wait for the concert at the end of the movie to hear the music, either, since there is plenty right from the beginning: Cab sings 'Minnie was a Hep Cat' acapella to his girlfriend, practices, auditions, and then plays his first(?) nightclub gig. The concert at the end includes singing (a three-part harmony from three sisters), dancing, and even some very wild and frenetic soft shoe. It's all quite a treat, and showcases Cab's talent and style effectively.
The only other place I've heard 'St. James Infirmary Blues' was in the Fleischer Bros. Betty Boop short, Snow White. In this rendition, the musical vamp in St. James sounds to me to be identical to the one in 'Minnie the Moocher'.
If you want to hear more of Cab Calloway, the Fleischers did two more Betty Boop shorts featuring his music: Minnie the Moocher and The Old Man of the Mountain, both of which are very macabre and surreal. (Music and voicing for 'Old Man' is provided entirely by Cab Calloway, except for Betty's voice, which is provided by Mae Questel.) Cab also performs an abbreviated version of 'Minnie the Moocher' in this Rhythm and Blues Review (also here) at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
Reviewer:
Nikonwilly
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
January 8, 2010
Subject: Minnie was a Hepcat
Subject: Minnie was a Hepcat
I use to have a 78rpm copy of this, I think Minnie the "Moocher" was a little bit later on ?
What a rare treat finding this gem. Acting was so bad it was great! Does anyone know the year ?
This is well worth the watch just for the historical aspect alone! Cab must have set a lot of standards for being "hep"....I believe he also set the standards for "scat" .....I bet all those that came after would point to Cab Calloway as their inspiration for this style...What a fantastic and lengthy Career for the Cab man...
What a rare treat finding this gem. Acting was so bad it was great! Does anyone know the year ?
This is well worth the watch just for the historical aspect alone! Cab must have set a lot of standards for being "hep"....I believe he also set the standards for "scat" .....I bet all those that came after would point to Cab Calloway as their inspiration for this style...What a fantastic and lengthy Career for the Cab man...
Reviewer:
boffy_b
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
January 19, 2008
Subject: Great if you're a Calloway fan..
Subject: Great if you're a Calloway fan..
...but don't bother if you're not. The acting is painful to watch at times, but if you sit through it, you're rewarded with a nice long concert section at the end. Some may be disappointed by the lack of "Minnie the Moocher".
Am I the only one who thinks Cab looks like Charlie Chaplin while he's singing "St. James Infirmary"? Is that deliberate?
The only format here is MPEG-4(H.264), but it's at 640x480 and at sufficient bitrate that I did not see any encoding artefacts. The picture is clean, if a little soft. There is a bit of a hiss, but no more than is to be expected on a soundtrack of this age. The only real technical flaw is the large number of skips where the film has broken over the years.
Am I the only one who thinks Cab looks like Charlie Chaplin while he's singing "St. James Infirmary"? Is that deliberate?
The only format here is MPEG-4(H.264), but it's at 640x480 and at sufficient bitrate that I did not see any encoding artefacts. The picture is clean, if a little soft. There is a bit of a hiss, but no more than is to be expected on a soundtrack of this age. The only real technical flaw is the large number of skips where the film has broken over the years.
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