User reviews

Vaguely based on the life of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson himself, STORMY WEATHER offers the story of a WWI vet who falls in love with a singer--and under her influence goes into show business, only to find that their careers draw them in different directions. As a story, it is pretty slim stuff... but as a collection of musical turns by some of the early 1940s best black talent, it simply can't be beat.

Robinson was, of course, one of the truly great dancers of his era. Made late in his career, this film doesn't really manage to capture the scope of his talents, but he remains a constant joy to watch. A very young and remarkably beautiful Lena Horne also offers several enjoyable songs, including one that she would go on to perform with increasing sophistication and ultimately make entirely her own: the title tune "Stormy Weather." In addition to Calloway and Horne, STORMY WEATHER offers great performances by such under-filmed artists as Cab Calloway, Katherine Dunham, Fats Waller (performing his signature tune, "Ain't Misbehaving"), the brilliant Nicholas Brothers, and Ada Brown, as well as the popular comic actor Dooley Wilson. Expect nothing from the story or production values, but you won't be disappointed by this rare glimpse at some truly remarkable talents.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Admirers expected Lena Horne to live forever, and her recent passing shocked those who thought she would always be with us. Thanks to her films, especially "Stormy Weather," she will be there whenever we spin the DVD of that 1943 Fox musical. A loose pastiche of musical numbers hanging from a thin thread of Bill Robinson's reminiscences, "Stormy Weather" is a priceless trove of talent. Director Andrew Stone wisely lets the performances play out without intrusion, and what performances they are. Beyond Lena Horne's unforgettable rendition of the title song, which became her signature, the film showcases Bill Robinson's incomparable dancing, Cab Calloway's song and dance routines, and Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'." Left breathless after these great musical numbers, viewers will gasp when the incomparable Nicholas Brothers top everyone and stop the show with one of their best performances on film. Only Astaire and Kelly were in the same league with Fayard and Harold Nicholas, arguably the finest sibling dancers ever. Fortunately, DVDs do not wear out and allow countless replays of the brothers' stylish and effortless dancing up, down, and around two flights of stairs.

Lena Horne surmounted the occasionally unflattering hairstyles in vogue during World War II and remained luminescent throughout the film. Her dazzling smile and comforting voice are missed when she is off screen. Although Bill Robinson is not a convincing romantic partner for Horne, small quibbles do not spoil this musical delight, whose only major flaw is its short 72-minute running time. With legendary performers at their peaks, "Stormy Weather" should have been twice as long. If 20th Century Fox could unearth outtakes from this film, the discovery would be the find of the century and a fitting coda to this plethora of now-gone talent that was sadly under-utilized during Hollywood's heyday.

Stormy Weather with Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Katherine Dunham, and the Nicholas brothers is a wonderful "dance vacation" for Vintage, Swing and Tap dancers. It was also a rather rare opportunity to see Katherine Dunham on Video. The video I watched was clear and had excellent sound. It was an uplifting and delighful "Smorgasbord" of music and dance of the highest order. I presented it to a high school group for an historical event. They were amazed and fascinated with the performances. The guys especially were impressed by the Nicholas brothers dancing.

To criticize this picture for its lack of plot, strained dialogue and (some) stiff performances is, I think, to miss the point. Here are a number of legendary performers captured for the ages on film. As great as they were, none appeared in more than a handful of movies - and performed "specialty" numbers in virtually all of those.

Their greatest work was doubtless performed in stage shows and night clubs, but at least we have "Stormy Weather" - a variety show with its acts strung together by the thinnest of plots (typical, by the way, of many musicals of its time) and featuring the most talented black entertainers of generations.

Stormy Weather (1943)

Don't watch this movie for its plot--it doesn't really have one. But in the style of more narrative musicals of the day, the many song numbers (20 of them) are strung together with a hint of a plot.

DO watch this movie, however. It has really amazing music, a lot of it adapted numbers by some of the best African American musicians from the time (Lena Horne and Cab Calloway star). You'll also see dancer Bojangles, and move lovers will recognize Dooley Wilson (from "Casablanca"). Jazz lovers might appreciate the Fats Waller presence for its history most of all.

And Horne, who sings and dances through much of the film, including a fabulous long arrangement of Stormy Weather that is somewhere between the great Arthur Freed/Gene Kelly choreographies and good old Busby Berkeley. In black and white.

You might think it's a shame the movie isn't more of a movie, holistically, but once you get over it and just realize its about some astonishing music, you're glad there isn't more stupid plot. The music sweeps everything else away.

A sensational treat for anyone who does NOT love musicals to re wire their brain into why 40s dance musicals are often a major discovery. In Australia in 1944 - and I am sure many other Anglo countries, this awesome musical was NOT released! It was considered 'not for us' by the dim censorship board of the time. It was seen in a major release in Sydney in the late 80s and scored a bullseye with modern audiences immediately. Other commenters here will fill you in on the storyline and some sneer pointlessly, but take the general consensus that this is the major showcase of black talent on film from the time. Seen in a cinema the audience nearly loses their mind (and seats ) during the finale with the Nicholas Brothers. I like the woman listed here who showed it to high school kids who loved it...and that is the real test of a great old' film. I have had the same unforgettable experience in cinemas showing this film. It is absolute dynamite! Teenage boys especially watching this get the shock of their young minds at a genuine 1943 rap scene on board a paddleboat. The 90s rap performer EEK-A-MOUSE definitely got his look from this film!

My summary is advice for what to do if you watch this film today, as if you are not 100% prepared, you might blow a gasket! This is because although the film is a nice retrospective of black American entertainers of the day, it also has a lot of race elements that would offend and embarrass a lot of folks today. So be prepared when you see some of the minstrels, outrageous costumes and the ways that a few of the acts behave...this was the time in which the film was made. I'm not excusing it--just explaining about the times. And, although the film sure has its flaws, compared to the way blacks were treated in many previous films, it's actually a good deal more sensitive than it might have been. In other words, watch the movie and understand it in its context. If you do this it should be a lot easier to appreciate the production.

Speaking of appreciation, the film is an amazing assemblage of talent including Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway and his orchestra, Fats Waller and the Nicholas Brothers--and quite a few other wonderful entertainers from the era. And, if you didn't have films like this and a few shorts, there would be little record of these acts. Are these the very best performances by these folks? In some cases, not--probably because the studio wanted a 'nice' product (in other words, highly sanitized) for widespread consumption by black and white audiences alike. And, there isn't a lot in the way of plot development here. However, if you'd like more representative works of the acts as they would have actually appeared in real life on stage, you might try watching many of the old Vitaphone short subject films--with many of these same folks starring in them.

Stormy Weather is a must see, if for no other reason than to view our past. The music is tops - the story line corny - the dancing is fantastic. Lena Horne's costumes are truly amazing - it would be nice if the movie has been in color to see this beautiful lady.

OK, I admit it. I have no cultural class. I don't recognize any of the performers in this movie except for Dooley Wilson (who played/sang the role of "Sam" in Casablanca) and Lena Horne whom I had the rare treat of seeing in Philadelphia when I was a tot. So I can't give you an educated critical review of this film.

But I can tell you there's some GREAT talent showcased. There are some tap dancing scenes that would make Fred Astaire hang up his hardshoes in shame. And for those of you sticklers who always stare at the musicians' fingers to see if they actually know how to play, THEY DO.

Sure, the plot is weak and cursory. But since when are musicals supposed to have a plot? The story was just enough to chain these performances together while not distracting from the show. And that's what this movie is all about; consider it an early American version of "American Idol" except with talent.

Most of all, it's just a fun ride. Lotta smiles throughout. It's a highly nostalgic trip through a sadly-overlooked corner of early American music (blues, ragtime, jazz). And from a cinematic standpoint, the presentation is very nice. The scene of trombonists with their long shadows cast against the stage walls is very memorable to me, as is the rousing title performance of "Stormy Weather" which, in Picasso-like cubist fashion, passes through 3 different planes of existence: the stage, the backstage, and the backstage dream. Very artistic.

If you weren't totally confused when you began reading my review, I hope you are now. Go watch the film already, you dork.

I watched both the straight and commentator versions on my DVD. One of my least favorite commentators. If I had a dollar for every "ahm" "ah" and "you know" interjected, I could pay off the national debt! Also, although this was an all African American cast, the ratio of very light skinned mulattoes vs. dark-skinned performers was much higher than what I have observed in the general population. This was especially noticeable for the nameless female dancers, who I thought were very good as well as beautiful and gorgeously costumed, despite the B&W filming.

With all the gorgeous costumes and elaborate dance and song numbers, this was truly a musical feast, interjected by a rather random series of introductions and personal interactions. This style of film may bother some people, but not me in this case. With all the talent assembled, it would have been counterproductive to try to develop a complex plot in this rather short film. After all, it was supposed to be a tribute to the career of Bill Robinson, who starred with Lena Horna. But, as expected, Cab Calloway, along with the Nicholas Brothers, made a bid to steal the show, in the latter part of the film. Actually, I enjoyed the more traditional song and dance numbers just as much, as well as Fats Waller. Lena Horne, although elegant in dress and style, as usual, unfortunately comes across as comparatively stiff and bland. Look for some insinuations of higher status of lighter skinned members of the cast vs. greater talent of certain darker skinned members. I was surprised by the comic Amos and Andy-like scene, where the actors put on black face, their natural faces apparently not dark enough to signify the stereotypical traits of full blooded African Americans(gullibility, laziness, easy humor, poverty, Negro music). Fats Waller died soon after doing his part for this film, on the train from LA back to NYC.

I was happy to see this group of great talents getting a rare chance to show their stuff.Sad to see talented black folks restricted to all black movies that were few and far between and many couldn't make a career out of it.Fats Waller died at 38 when this movie came out and Ada Brown only made 3 movies and died young also.This movie has style and was filmed at one of the major studios.Money was laid out on costuming and those hats and zoot suits are memorable.To be an black actress back then you played maids mostly ,musicians,or worked in a uncredited role.Glad this showcases the artists that were around then..

This all-black, all-singing, all-dancing (well, sort of) 1943 Musical just barely managed to scrape by on the skin of its teeth with an average rating of 5 stars from me.

This was clearly an "all-black" motion picture made by "all-whites" who obviously figured that what was good enough for whites, was also good enough for blacks, as well. And with that the talents of the performers in this picture were seriously undermined.

You could easily tell that the actors/singers like Lena Horne were being squeezed into really stupid situations and forced to perform bloody awful covers of songs that clearly showed some very poor judgement on the part of the director.

After watching the film Stormy Weather (1943), it was clear that the Hollywood movie making industry was headed toward a new era. The new era being that colored actors were recognized and not only that, spiced up the industry. This movie shied away from the usual parts actors of color would normally play, parts in which they were slaves or butlers and servants.

This truly showed the breakthrough of African Americans in entertainment and paved the way for how successful many have presently become. Specifically in this movie, it told the story of how a man of color worked his way literally from the bottom up. It began with Bill Williamson who came home from war in France, and was working in a basement restaurant when fate stepped in and reunited him with his love interest. It was because of Selina that he was working in the city hoping to step foot into the dancing business. When she recognized him, she insisted to the show's producer that he be put in the show. This was Bill's break that got him out of a basement restaurant to the "top" of a tree in production. This is where Bill made the most of this opportunity and showed off his abilities but in turn got him fired from the show. But that was all he needed and he was on his way to stardom.

Twentieth Century Fox really broke the mold with this movie in response to FDR's urging. It finally gave actors of color the chance to show off their tremendous talent also allowing them to have more of an equal role in society. Although there still were laws restricting the interaction between whiles and blacks in films, it certainly brought them out of the repetitive demeaning roles of slaves and servants. It was thrilling to be able to see the talents of these actors and all the skills offered through their dancing and singing abilities. All of the dance numbers and costumes really represented the time period. The way the dancers moved were both creative and unique, especially the indisputably impressive Nicholas Brothers.

Two all black cast musicals came out in 1943 and Lena Horne starred in both. Throughout her career and you can search her credits Lena Horne played very few parts other than Lena Horne. Her studio MGM didn't know what to do with her. In 1943 she did do Cabin In The Sky for MGM and on loan to 20th Century Fox she did Stormy Weather with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

Robinson also did specialty numbers in films. He had credits as characters, but his dialog is minimal. Relatively speaking it's minimal in Stormy Weather, but he did have a lead.

The plot itself is an excuse to hang a lot of standard song and dance numbers on. Robinson is a returning soldier from World War I and he meets and pursues aspiring singer Lena Horne. Robinson likes to entertain, but wants a home and family to come home to. Horne is career drive. Not too different from films that starred people like Alice Faye and Betty Grable at Fox.

Still with more dialog than usual, but still not much Robinson and Horne do create real characters. But seeing them sing and dance is what you paid to see in the movie theater. Especially Lena Horne singing the title song and I Can't Give You Anything But Love. Add Cab Calloway to the mix and Stormy Weather is a real treat for the eye and ear.

Music, not story, is the name of the game here. The film provides an avenue for black singers, dancers and musicians of the mid-1940s to show off their talents. Too bad it was that way but at least putting these acts on screen in a movie format wasn't just black folks "preaching to the choir." This film gave a lot of white folks a chance to see some great talent they might never have seen and, hopefully, helped some of these entertainers in their careers.

Bill Robinson and Lena Horne are the stars of the film, or should I say the main entertainers. Robinson is wonderful to watch throughout. He's not just a great dancer but an extremely likable guy. He comes across that way, anyway, and has in every film I've seen him. Horne has a good voice and a pretty face that became famous for almost never aging, but her songs are too slow and boring for my tastes, frankly.

Since I prefer a little more up-tempo, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway and The Nicholas Brothers filled the bill nicely. They were awesome. What little story there is centers around Robinson's character trying to break into show business. En route are also some funny lines and characters.

I'm glad to hear this is being put out on DVD in a few months. I'll pick up a copy.

Bill Williamson (Bill "Bojangles" Robinson) recounts his life to a bunch of neighborhood kids. He and his hustler friend Gabe Tucker returned home after overseas in the Great War. He falls for singer Selina Rogers (Lena Horne). The movie is filled with brilliant singers and dancing performances. Gabe returns to town to put on his own show but has no money.

This is a Hollywood film featuring an all African-American cast. It's a nice showcase of some iconic black performers. The plot isn't much. It mostly serves as an excuse to have the cast do their song and dance. There are some good ones. This is not to say that there aren't any troubling imagery. It is still a product of its times. There is even a comedy skit with blackface. It has the iconic titular song "Stormy Weather" sung by Lena Horne at about the one hour mark. The acting is mostly relying on the charisma of the performers. This is about the individual musical performances. One should see this simply for the legendary cast and their productions.

The film is one of two major Hollywood musicals produced in 1943 with primarily African-American casts, the other being MGM's Cabin in the Sky, and is considered a time capsule showcasing some of the top African-American performers of the time, during an era when black actors and singers rarely appeared in lead roles in mainstream Hollywood productions, particularly of the musical genre. This movie is timeless.Fats Waller,Lena Horne,Bill Robison and Cab Calloway - stunning stars.Lena Horne(Celina)was a cute and beautiful in this,it is sad it's not a color movie because in color she is probably more beautiful.Songs "Stormy Weather" By Celina(Lena Horne)"Ain't Misbehavin" & "That ain't right" By Fats Waller are classics and the funny Bill Robison.I personally don't like Cab Calloway but he was talented too i guess.Lena Horne was same hot as Marilyn Monroe when was so young.Waller is my favorite.

Well, here's another review of a Lena Horne picture after I just commented on Cabin in the Sky. She's quite luminous throughout the movie especially during the "Digga Digga Doo" number. The man she's falling for, however, is a bit old for her. He's Bill 'Bogangles' Robinson, basically playing himself as the famous tap-dancer who made it to the movies. Despite that, they looked good dancing together. Dooley Wilson, who was just gaining fame as Sam in Casablanca, has some funny scenes as Bill's old Army buddy, Gabe. Also appearing are Cab Calloway, Fats Waller (in his last film appearance before his untimely death), singer Ada Brown, dancer Katherine Dunham, and The Nicholas Brothers who are way awesome jumping on those steps. In fact, they're all good. I didn't like that comedy team that had to black up their faces but other than that, Stormy Weather was musically excellent from beginning to end. P.S. It wasn't until I looked at the cast list here that I found out Matthew 'Stymie' Beard had a part as a stage hand. Thanks for one of the commentators for identifying him as the one who says "Half-hour" to distract the chorus girls. And that the guy who played Chick Bailey was Emmett 'Babe' Wallace who I last saw with Nina Mae McKinney in The Black Network (which also had The Nicholas Brothers when they were much younger).

STORMY WEATHER is a very unique film in a few respects. Given the time period it was made in, having an all-Black cast was probably pretty rare. It also affords a look at Black entertainers that few other films of the time had done. Still, there are extremely racist depictions that might not sit well with modern audiences. That aside, though, STORMY WEATHER has some amazing musical and dance numbers which may be enough to make you temporarily forget how much of a minstrel show the film really is. My personal favorites were Lena Horne's opening number "No Two Ways About Love," the title song, and "Jumpin' Jive," which has some of the best dancing ever recorded on film, courtesy of the Nicholas Brothers. The plot is nothing to write home about, but in a lot of ways, that really isn't the point. It's a showcase of Black talent, for better or worse (there is a scene where two characters put on blackface for a very racist/stereotypical vaudeville sketch), and talent on display is top-notch.

A slight story, sure, about the fictionalized life of Bill `Mr. Bojangles' Robinson, and his on again/off again romantic relationship with a woman (played by Lena Horne, who strangely hasn't aged a minute by the time WWII begins at the end of the film), but I found it to be one of the single most entertaining and exhilarating films I've ever seen. This all black film may not be a masterpiece in terms of its cinematic technique, but it captures more than a dozen performances, each of which can itself be termed a masterpiece. Horne is one of the most beautiful singers who ever lived, not to mention that she herself was a stunning beauty. Her rendition of Stormy Weather is singularly, powerfully erotic. Robinson is great and has several fantastic numbers (he's obviously getting old, but he still has a ton of energy). Many other great black performers grace the screen, among them Fats Waller Katherine Dunham, Ada Brown, and the Nicholas Brothers, who deliver a dance that equals anything either Astaire or Kelly accomplished. Dooley Wilson does not sing, but he has a very funny supporting role (the film delivers big time in laughs, including a very amusing blackface scene). As many hugely entertaining performances there are in the first three-quarters, the film shifts into high gear when Cab Calloway shows up. I absolutely love this guy, one of the weirdest and most original stylists that ever existed in America. But it's not just his appearance that ups the ante. The film has an amazing sense of pace, and it builds steadily to a musical finale which can only be described as orgasmic. Stormy Weather is a testament to black art of the first half of the 20th Century, and the achievements must not be forgotten. This may very well be the best place to go if you want to discover them.

Ok so I just polished off this fat joint after a stressful day and flipped on the TV to find Stormy Weather on. Never heard of it? Me either. But it was good, two thumbs

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