St. Louis Blues

Not a great film in the artistic sense, but it is all we will ever see of Bessie Smith in action, and the music is wonderful. All the more reason to criticize the NAACP's attempt to have all copes destroyed. The found the crapshoot scene demeaning. Fortunately, this attempt at censorship failed.

Years ago, Isabel Washington, who was the first Mrs. Adam Clayton Powell, told me how she came to play opposite Bessie in this 1929 two-reeler. "They wanted my sister, Fredi, who was already in pictures, but she had the flu and recommended me. When I auditioned, they said I was too light, so I told them that I could be dipped. They agreed and I got the part."

Fredi Washington is perhaps best known for her role in the 1934 Universal Pictures film, "Imitation of Life." Having served well to get Adam Clayton Powell elected, Isabel was divorced from him, and he married pianist Hazel Scott.

The only surviving footage of Bessie Smith "St. Louis Blues" is a fascinating glimpse at a legend and the world she lived in. Featuring a storyline painfully mirroring Smith's own personal life the short film is an interesting glimpse at black American life at the dusk of the Jazz Age. Despite the erratic nature of the film with its sketchy pacing and music it truly is a marvel to glimpse and hear Smith at her peak. Tall and slim with an amiable yet murky countenance brimming with the anger and violence she was known for her clear, stentorian and forceful voice transcends time with the one of a kind magic that elevates her music above her time. A marvel for history, music and posterity this is a must see for all lovers of art, history and culture.

Bessie Smith is a legendary Black entertainer from the Harlem Renaissance. However, sadly, this is the ONLY known film in which she appeared. So, for historical reasons, this short if like gold. Now I am sure some might not agree--as the film shows Black people gambling and carousing and doing a lot of stereotypical behaviors. However, this was THE predominate view given in both Black and White-produced films of the time and you can't expect a lot of enlightenment back in 1929. It is a portrait of who we were as a nation at the time and who we wanted us to be--and I say just accept it as a little window into the times and way people thought. Plus, remember, this is still the only way to watch Smith perform...so deal with it!

"St. Louis Blues" gets its name from the famous W.C. Handy song of the same title. It consists of Smith arguing with her gambling and carousing boyfriend as well as Smith smacking the crap out of one of Jimmy's floozies! He slaps her around and mistreats her...yet she begs him not to leave. I KNOW this is very negative--a terrible message for women then and now. BUT, as I said, it is what it is. What follows is Smith singing her very famous tune "My Man"--and she sings it with a lot of soul and style. It also is an interesting short because it plays much less like a typical music video of the age but like a mini-movie. Smith was some talent and it's a great window into the times--warts and all.

See why Bessie Smith was called the "Empress of the Blues" in this early sound short. An actress she was not, but the power and expression conveyed in her singing voice as she belts out the W.C. Handy composition of the title track is incredible. This film also gives you a rare glimpse of the talent of Jimmy Mordecai. One could only imagine what they could have accomplished had they been given the opportunity afforded other actors of their time.

Bessie Smith was known as the 'Empress of the Blues.' The singer emerged as one of the most major influences in American blues as well as one of the country's premier jazz vocalists during her era.

Smith appeared in only one film, a two-reeler, November 1929's "St. Louis Blues." The short's plot was based on one of the most recorded songs in history (over 2,200). Directed by Dudley Murphy and filmed in Astoria, Queens, New York, Smith was the rare cross-over artist who appealed to both blacks and whites when segregation was still entrenched in the United States.

The film follows the lyrics of W. C. Handy's 1914 "St. Louis Blues" about a deserted woman whose ex's "got a heart like a rock cast in de sea." In the movie, Bessie discovers her boyfriend (Jimmy Mordecai) making out with another woman (Isabelle Washington) in Smith's rented room. Bessie beats up the woman as her boyfriend splits. Later, Bessie catches up with him in a speakeasy. The two dance, only to have the boyfriend dip into her pocket to steal her bankroll. She laments the way her boyfriend treats her, singing the Handy song which showcases her wide vocal range.

Movie reviewer Mark Cantor labeled the movie "St. Louis Blues" as a 'foundational film' in the canon of jazz and blues which is luckily preserved. It was the pioneer of the short movie format that introduced black jazz and blues artists to the screen, including Mamie Smith, Noble Sissle, Eubie Blake, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Smith's life ended tragically at the age of 43 when she died in 1937 as a passenger in a fatal automobile accident. For future generations, "St. Louis Blues" gives a invaluable record of her impactful singing talents.