Anna Lucasta

This second adaptation for the big screen by Philip Yordan of his 1944 Broadway hit is more interesting for the fact of it's existence than what it actually achieves. A chance for Eartha Kitt to prove her mettle as a dramatic actress as a tart with a heart; she doesn't even sing the song that accompanies the credits - instead that falls to co-star Sammy Davis Jr.

It strongly resembles the early Garbo vehicle 'Anna Christie' (she even says "I want to go home" at one point) even down unfortunately to the tinny theatricality of the piece. Too bad Kitt never played Mata Hari or Queen Christina.

Rex Ingram registers strongly as her ogre of a father; but James Edwards as usual is wasted.

Eartha Kitt sizzles in this film about a tough young woman who we first meet in a San Diego bar, fending off unwanted advances by sticking a cigarette into a guy's neck. She's just scraping by, having been thrown out of her house by her father. We gradually get the idea she sells herself to sailors, one of whom is the fast-talking Sammy Davis Jr., who appears here in his first acting role. She's taken back home by her father for ulterior reasons, and meets an intelligent young college graduate (Henry Scott). Can she 'make good' with the young man, despite the shame of her past?

Kitt is fantastic, and plays scenes of defiance, anger, out of control partying, tenderness, vulnerability, and grief all very well. She's a delight to watch, as well as to listen to, with that fabulous, silky voice. Sammy Davis Jr. more than keeps up with her with snappy, hip dialog and a short dance scene that shows just how light on his feet he was. The script has plenty of innuendo, and Kitt's look when Scott asks her what she did down in San Diego is priceless. "I didn't go to college," she purrs. But my favorite line is when Davis Jr. says in an impassioned tone, "You and me, we're real people, Anna. We're the real stuff. Many's the time we set the Earth on fire. You stick with me and we'll burn it up!" It's a great scene with a lot of emotion, and he is marvelous in it.

The supporting actors in the cast are reasonably good as well. Rex Ingram plays her alcoholic father who would probably win the "worst father ever" award if it existed, and Frederick O'Neal is her opinionated brother-in-law who is also pretty hard to like, though both do fine jobs. Georgia Burke is the sweet mother who never loses faith in her daughter, and it's nice to hear her singing around the house. Aside from her singing and the nightclub music, however, the background music in the soundtrack is pretty mediocre.

The film does have a low-budget feel to it, and the quality of print that I saw was unfortunately much worse than others from this time period. For the most part it's pretty ordinary filmmaking, but I did notice some subtle things in the background of a couple of shots that were interesting. In one, as Anna wrestles with her sad past, assuming it won't be good enough for her new suitor, she stands in front of a photography store window which has pictures of smiling people, including a large one of a happy baby. In another, as she's with her father, trying to reconcile with him (which is a surprise given his past treatment), a stitchery hangs in the background saying "God is Love."

It was very refreshing to find that the film had no stereotypes. While it's a dysfunctional family straight out of Tennessee Williams and therefore a bit extreme, the script could have been performed by an all-white cast without a single change. I loved seeing Eartha Kitt and Sammy Davis Jr., especially Kitt, and it's no wonder Orson Welles called her "the most exciting woman in the world." She is as gorgeous as she is talented. There are a couple of moments in the plot that stretch credibility, and it gets a little melodramatic for sure, but it's also highly entertaining and deserves a higher average rating for the star power.

This movie is frequently on a basic cable channel this month but I had seen the movie years ago.It still holds up.I think Eartha Kitt captured the personality of "Anna" completely and Sammy Davis Jr. did a good job in the role of "Danny." I felt like I was watching a stage play and I was never bored.Since it was practically unheard of for an all Black cast to do a film where the characters weren't all servants,slaves or criminals ,I enjoyed the actors being like actors in most movies.Some better than others etc."Rudolph" was the weakest role,"Stella ","Kathy".and "Stanley" barely had anything to do but "Frank" was spooky since he kept smiling all the time even when he was hitting and abusing "Mr. Lucasta."The previous poster was incorrect when he said "Rudolph" was the son of evil,shifty "Frank."He was the son of "Mr.Lucasta's" very religious friend from down south who wanted the "Lucastas" to find a wife for his farmer son."Frank" was "Stella's" husband and the son-in-law in the family.I would love to have this movie on VHS or DVD.Eartha Kitt was on TV today and she is still very pretty and youthful looking.Funny since the movie was black & white you can't tell that Miss Kitt is very light-skinned as was the mother,"Kathy",and "Stanley" and another prostitute.The actress playing "Stella" years later would play "Mother Winslow" on "Family Matters." I have never seen the version with Paulette Goddard playing Anna but I would like to just to compare the two movies.

It took a long time for Philip Yordan's play Anna Lucasta to get made into a film and it turned out to be a good showcase for the talents of stars Eartha Kitt and Sammy Davis, Jr. The play ran on Broadway from 1944-46 and had 957 performances on Broadway. Several of the cast members in supporting roles returned for the screen. I'm sure that there were wartime references in the play that were cut out for the screen version as Sammy Davis, Jr.'s part was that of a sailor.

Sailor and general all around good time guy Davis's favorite call when in San Diego is Eartha Kitt in the title role. Some years earlier Kitt was caught getting down with some boy by her self righteous father and cast out of the home and drifted into prostitution.

But now her father Rex Ingram has come looking for her wanting her back. He thinks she will make a good wife for the son of an old friend from Alabama who has come to California. Henry Scott also has $4000.00 from his father and Anna's family who isn't the classiest bunch around also eyes him with that bankroll like an expensive cut of meat in a butcher shop.

She marries Scott, but Davis ain't finished. Soon enough Kitt has some real marital issues. Scott is a decent enough guy, but a bit naive as to the ways of the world, surprising for someone who wants a career teaching agricultural science like George Washington Carver.

As for Davis I think this role may have caught the eye of Otto Preminger who cast him in the very similar part of Sporting Life in Porgy And Bess the following year. Eartha Kitt shows off all her slinkiness that made her famous, but like Lena Horne Hollywood did not know what to do with her. I also think that she may have been a second choice behind Dorothy Dandridge good as Kitt is.

Anna Lucasta is a good film and a great chance to see Eartha Kitt and Sammy Davis, Jr. in their salad days.

When Sammy Davis Jr and Eattha Kitt act together it's dynamite and a feast for the professional cinéaste. But they are not alone. Equally prominent is Rex Ingram as the father in a completely wayward character that can't control himself, disoriented in life, lost in booze, all mixed up because of his beloved daughter, that he felt he had to banish from his life forever, without succeeding - he is the one who begs her to come back. This is a great play enacted with grim intensity and empathy concerning all the characters, including the mother, the suitor, the family and even the lower people at the joint. An important part is played by Elmer Bernstein's music, ingeniously illustrating the rapidly changing moods and trains of thoughts, also including a fabulous show scene with Sammy going solo - this is actually the apex of the film and story, a spectacular visualization of Anna's downfall and helplessness in the hands of the totally irresponsible Danny, who loves her none the less, but like everybody else, not even he can control his love or his feelings but drifts to the storms of his caprices. In fact, Anna, the fallen woman, adored and despised by them all, is the only one with a character, while the others are hopelessly and helplessly without. But what fabulous acting by these three main characters! This is truly a film to enjoy for a theater and drama gourmet. 9,5 would be my vote.