Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark

Jon Brewer's documentary traces the life and singing career of Nat King Cole, with the help of several contributors including his widow and children, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Buddy Greco, Harry Belafonte and a host of others. We learn a lot about Cole's phenomenal talent both as a singer and pianist; and how, as his career progressed, he minimized his talent as a pianist so as to concentrate on his singing career. We also learn something of the difficulties he faced as an African American trying to prosper in a segregated society; on several occasions, while playing gigs in major centers like Las Vegas, he was forced to stay in squalid colored-only hotels, while the Euros enjoyed the benefits of first class accommodation. In the end Cole was rewarded with his own national television series on NBC; but it only ran for one season, as many stations in the South refused to broadcast it. Cole showed what was possible for an African American, so long as they were sufficiently talented, but he did it in an unaggressive way; what emerges most tangibly from Brewer's film is that he was a gentleman in all senses of the word. Although the film is ninety minutes long, we do not learn much about Cole's character; nor is there sufficient attention given to his contributions to the Civil Rights movement. There are rather too many adulatory comments from the participants, and not enough time given over to historical analysis. Some kind of dating would have been useful as well; we are not told when the television series was broadcast, nor are we really given much information about other significant dates in Cole's career. NAT KING COLE - AFRAID OF THE DARK is certainly watchable, but it is something of a disappointment content-wise.

It doesn't seem the right word but Nat King Cole was arguably the first black superstar and is certainly worth a screen biography, but this powder-puff tribute overdoes the schmaltz and straightens up and flies right, to coin a phrase, whenever anything slightly contentious appears in the narrative.

There's plenty of entertaining film footage of King in his classic, laid back style and there's no denying his artistry both as singer and initially jazz pianist. In the time-honoured tradition of screen biographies, noted contemporaries like Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett and Nancy Wilson all line up to speak warmly of the man and his undoubted musical legacy, although they're all prone to hyperbole at times. All through the film we're told that Cole was a veritable saint amongst men, until we later learn that his first marriage failed, that his original group objected to the imposed name change from the Nat Cole trio to Nat Cole and His trio and later that Mr Family Man extraordinaire had an affair not long before he died - no details of which are forthcoming, in fact blink and you'll miss the reference completely. Fleeting reference is also made to his adopted son who we're told in a screen pop-up, died in his 30's with no explanation of any kind (I have since learned he died of AIDS).

I could also have done without the Natalie Cole Show insert lauding her "Unforgettable" album of duets with dad, while the most shocking item in the whole documentary was the image of Cole "whited-up" for US WASP TV consumption, but again no background to this disgusting condescension is provided, such as the sponsor who insisted on it or even Cole's reaction to it. For all his supporters praise of his Gandhi-like passive non-resistance to the racism he undoubtedly experienced especially in the American South, this submission to the demands of white TV hardly casts Cole in a good light. Maybe it's just the reactionary in me but I'd have thought a little more of the man if he had spoken out against the discrimination he suffered rather than forever turn the other cheek. Even when attacked on stage in Alabama he can't bring himself to be anything other than blandly condescending about the incident to the reporters of the day.

Nat King Cole was a wonderful song-stylist and musician and by all accounts a decent man living in difficult times but he wasn't perfect and this over-adulatory biography whitewashes Cole's interesting life just as surely as the offending TV show mentioned earlier.

Yes, this documentary is made through rose-coloured glasses, but it's entertaining and sincere. It's been a long time since Nat 'King' Cole's death, but the producers give a respectable lineup of interviewees who knew Cole, including Tony Bennett and Harry Belafonte. But it's Cole's wife, the late Maria Cole, who is the most impressive witness to Cole's life, although she does admit he cheated on her. She has a lot of charisma and is a fine, elegant speaker. Thr doco points out that Cole's talents as a pianist were under-rated and forgotten, that he suffered racism, and that he was a good father. There's lots of great performance footage, and it makes you realise how many smash hits Cole had.

Well made look at a musical legend with talent to spare. The racism he had to endure was brutal but he seemed to be a saint (or the movie ignored any faults) so it's basically a clip show of great music rather than a deeper look at a life.

"Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark" is a documentary about the great singer that was apparently the work of his second wife, Maria. Because of this, I think some of the focus of the film seemed more like a family documentary than a documentary. For example, there is a portion that talks about Natalie Cole and her album she created singing over her deceased father's old tunes. Considering it came out two decades after Nat's death, it didn't seem appropriate for the film. Also, oddly, near the end Maria mentions Nat's having had an affair on her...something I don't think the viewers needed to hear...more like it gave her a chance to unburden herself. Plus, if she was going to talk about this, it was a bit odd considering she was dating Nat when he was still married to another woman. These are not so much complaints but give you an idea that some of the film seems like a family project as opposed to just a film about the man.

Apart from this, the documentary is wonderful and brings attention to one of the greatest voices of all time. Well worth seeing and lovely to listen to.