Big Fella

This easy-going musical has two main things going for it. First and foremost, there's Paul Robeson singing five of the movie's songs with his rich baritone voice, always a great pleasure even when the songs aren't too memorable. And second is watching Paul Robeson act in his natural personable style. The plot, with the police asking him to help find a missing boy, was just an excuse to fill in time between songs. But I also enjoyed Elisabeth Welch singing two nice torch songs, and the comedy provided by some of the rest of the cast. A big surprise was seeing the great Margaret Rutherford in a small unbilled role, right at the start of her movie career.

Dock worker Paul Robeson and sloon singer Elisabeth Welch shelter runaway Eldon Gorst, whose rich parents want him back.

It's a very slight story with the point being to show Robeson's easy-going charm with children, and to listen to him and Miss Welch sing. This they do several times over the course of 73 minutes, and it's a pleasure to listen to Miss Welch's bel canto, and Robeson's deep bass, but it's another case of a show where they should have thrown away the script and given the audience a straight revue.

Except for Robeson hanging on the Marseille docks and singing about the joys of...hanging on the Marseille docks, or Eliz. Welch's crooning an ode to Harlem in a Gallic nightclub, this sure is one dead film. C minus. PS...Good to see Robeson at a nightclub, sitting between two Caucasians and being served a drink by a white waiter 'stead of doing the serving or clearing the dishes, huh?

After starring in Song of Freedom together, Paul Robeson and Elizabeth Welch reunited in this, Big Fella. They end up temporarily caring for a rich white kid (Eldon Gorst) who's run away from his parents because he feels stifled. I'll stop there and just say it's wonderful to once again hear both Robeson and Ms. Welch singing to their heart's content whenever they get the chance. I was partly amused by the plot and some of the interactions though this is probably the most trifle of Robeson's British movies. Good thing it's only an hour and 10 minutes. Since this is Black History Month, I have to note also the appearance of Lawrence Brown as one of Paul's friends. Oh, and also Paul's wife Eslanda as the café proprietor who gives him a tongue lashing at one point. Both previously appeared with him in Jericho. So on that note, Big Fella is worth a look.

This is one of a number of films that Robeson made here in the UK simply because he couldn't get decent parts in American films because of the colour of his skin.Its just a shame that some of the films he made here,like this one were second rate.So the best thing to do is wait for the numerous musical numbers from both Robeson and Welch.He had a truly magnificent voice.