Tall, Tan, and Terrific

A delightful fast-pace movie this is starring the leading man and lady of Black Cinema, Monte Hawley and Francine Everett, two familiar and beloved faces of Black Cinema. The movie involved around a nightclub owner and his gambling problem which lands him in trouble for a crime he didn't commit and he loses his club and girl but all is solved and through it all wonderful entertainment. The girl band, Francine Everett's singing, The Two Fat Men, Myra Johnson, Edna Mae Harris, Mantan Moreland and the chorus girls entertained and keep the movie going. Handsome Dots Johnson is quite an actor along with Rudy Toombs, Monte Hawley needs no introduction, he was the top actor of his time, Barbara Butterbeans Bradford is very funny with Mantan Moreland.

Don't bother with this movie for its script, acting, direction, or editing. But do see it for a rare look at Mantan Moreland's stage comedy routine, Francine Everett's singing, and the other stage acts that are all supposedly performing at the Harlem nightclub that is its setting.

Tall, Tan, and Terrific (1946)

** (out of 4)

Duke (Dots Johnson) and Harry (Monte Hawley) are rival gamblers and soon a few bad words lead to some violence.

TALL, TAN AND TERRIFIC has a pretty basic story line, which is what I just described but don't let that full you. This forty-two minute movie really doesn't have that much of a story and instead it's more of a showcase for Mantan Moreland's stage routine. While the budget is ultra-low and there's nothing ground-breaking here, fans of Moreland will still want to check this out.

Moreland was a good character actor in a time when blacks weren't really given lead roles unless it was in a picture known as "race" pictures. Moreland made a great career at playing sidekicks, butlers and various comic relief parts in Hollywood so what makes this film interesting is that it gives us a glimpse of the routine he would do on stage when he was touring or playing small clubs.

I will freely admit that I enjoy Moreland's movie appearances but I thought the comedy routines here were rather bland to say the least. They certainly weren't funny, which is really too bad because the actor certainly had some comic talent. There are other routines as well including some music numbers and these two aren't anything great but they're entertaining enough as a time capsule to this era.

TALL, TAN AND TERRIFIC is a mildly interesting film that film buffs will want to check out. Others probably won't see too much appeal