Boarding House Blues

This movie is less a film than a collection of routines from the black vaudeville circuit. The results are decidedly mixed as a movie but as a record of the routines and acts it contains its a historical document (then again many historical documents are not very entertaining) The plot has Jackie "Moms" Mabley running a boarding house for various performers. When times get tight they put on a show to help Moms out. Its threadbare and simply the excuse to hang the various routines and songs on. The bits are certainly better than the whole and while I did enjoy said bits, I was left feeling rather empty at the end. Definitely worth a look or two if you love vaudeville, or the history of comedy. Actually its worth a look see if you want some laughs and aren't particularly picky about annoying things like plot. As they say its worth a bag of popcorn.

I recently watched Boarding House Blues (1948) on Tubi. The storyline follows a boarding house in desperate need of money. To save their home, they decide to put on a talent show.

The film is directed by Josh Binney (Killer Diller) and stars Moms Mabley (Amazing Grace), Bull Moose Jackson, Dusty Fletcher (Killer Diller), Marie Cooke (Junction 88), and Sidney Easton (Paradise in Harlem).

The storyline is straightforward, but the routines are pure gold. The opening sequence with the monkey suit was wild, and the dancing throughout the film, especially the one-legged man's scene, was fantastic. My favorite part was the comedy sketch, which was a delightful mix of dialogue, riddles, and jokes. The sheer talent of the performers keeps you engaged from start to finish.

In conclusion, Boarding House Blues features an elite group of entertainers and is worth your time. I'd score it a 6/10 and recommend watching it once.

This time capsule review of Negro stage performers of the 30s and 40s... this is a small film of major talent and a perfect chance to see the almost unseen (to us whiteys) of black vaudeville stars only ever before heard about. One performer Woody Allen must have certainly known about is 'Crip" Heard, the one legged tap dancer... See Stardust Memories for where that info went. He is called "Crip' because he is a cripple..he has one arm and one leg but that doesn't stop him dancing himself into a frenzy...... and don't blame me for that anecdote..... It is in his intro in the film! The lindyhop dancers later in the film are enough to get the most exhausted viewer off the couch and leaping about in their own boarding house. Killer Diller, the 1947 remake with other talent incl Nat King Cole is equally thrilling.

Forget the "plot"--it's just contrived to string together various classic vaudeville routines and exciting musical numbers from Black performers of the 1940s. If you enjoyed Killer Diller (made by the same people as this one, and also featuring Dusty Fletcher and Moms Mabley), you'll want to see this one too. It offers a rare opportunity to see African-American vaudeville routines that were probably old in the 1920s, now performed in the waning days of vaudeville. Dusty Fletcher, best known for his smash hit "open the door, richard," is a wonderful physical comedian (her accompanied by some acrobatic person in an ape suit!), and ANY opportunity to see the legendary Moms Mabley should be taken advantage of. The musical performances by Anisteen Allen, Una Mae Carlisle, and Bullmoose Jackson are wonderful, and it's great to see bandleader Lucky Millinder as compere. There's also some off-the-wall "novelty acts" worked into the show, including the one-legged dancer "Crip" Heard. The emphasis here is on the acts you're watching, NOT on the filmmaking. All in all, this is a pleasant way to kill 90 minutes and also gives us a window into a form of entertainment long gone--classic African-American vaudeville.

There's a certain willful ease to some instances of dialogue or scene writing, characteristic of films of the 30s or 40s, that cares more about simply letting their audience have a good time than best storytelling judiciousness. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, of course, and it's certainly okay in this instance since 'Boarding house blues' makes use of that carefree thrust to provide steady entertainment. Between an excellent cast, Josh Binney's capable direction, fine contributions from the crew behind the scenes, and above all the sharp writing of Hal Seeger, the movie is consistently, solidly enjoyable from start to finish. It may not be immediately grabbing and revelatory, but it definitely earns a very high, enthusiastic recommendation for one and all!

It's not totally perfect, perhaps. One notices instances in which extra curt editing chops up a scene, or is particularly rough in transitioning from scene to scene, Some bits don't come off nearly as well as others, like the excessive deliberate stammering John D. Lee Jr. Adopts; any stand-up comedy or approximation thereof just kind of falls flat. It's also worth observing that for as fun as the picture may be, actual plot is kind of light, and ultimately mostly just serves as framing for the centerpiece - a variety show that fills the preponderance of the runtime. Yet by all means, such matters are at length quite minor, in no way substantially detracting from the value and instead being well outshone by it. And I can't argue much with the framing, either, since for one thing that centerpiece is woven pretty well into the story (such as it is), and for another, it's really great!

'Boarding house blues' serves us a wonderful cornucopia of black performers from the era, a true delight and a glimpse at cultural history that (a) was, infuriatingly, actively stifled at one time, and (b) is ever at risk of being forgotten outright. Especially being so far removed from the 1940s I can't say I'm specifically familiar with anyone appearing here, but so vibrant and lovely are their skilled performances that I would quite like to learn more about them all. Among so many others, Henry Heard absolutely stands out, and Una Mae Carlisle, and the extended set with bandleader Lucky Millinder and his collaborators is an absolute pleasure. To highlight only a few is hardly to count out anyone else, however, for very honestly, one and all are terrific. I'll add further that Seeger's screenplay is filled with fantastic wit in the dialogue and characters, complemented with sight gags and situational humor. Indeed, the variety show may be the core, but the feature is rounded out with no less amusement at the front and back ends. Factor in swell performances from the cast, including not least Moms Mabley and Marie Cooke, and in every most meaningful way, there's really no going wrong here.

Speaking as someone who broadly looks for narrative first and foremost in just about any film, I admit I was taken aback a little by the tack taken here. It's a small step outside modern conventions of film-making, and even most contemporary fare that was orientated toward dance or music had a more story-driven focus. Set aside one's expectations, however, and this is fabulously enjoyable all the way through, with marvelous contributions from all involved. I can very much understand how this won't directly appeal to all comers, yet there is tremendous worth here well exceeding whatever presuppositions we carry with us as viewers - and after all, is not the root purpose of cinema to entertain? However one may come about it, 'Broadway house blues' is a superbly fun picture all on its own and even more so in light of the corner of culture it illuminates. If you have the chance to watch, don't miss it!