Symphonie magique

Original title: Stormy Weather

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

YOUR RATING

Lena Horne and Bill Robinson in Symphonie magique (1943)

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Watch Stormy Weather: That Spells Trouble

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Comedy Drama Music Romance

The relationship between an aspiring dancer and a popular songstress provides a retrospective of the great African-American entertainers of the early 1900s.The relationship between an aspiring dancer and a popular songstress provides a retrospective of the great African-American entertainers of the early 1900s.The relationship between an aspiring dancer and a popular songstress provides a retrospective of the great African-American entertainers of the early 1900s.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Cab Calloway Orchestra
(as Cab Calloway and His Band)

Katherine Dunham and Her Troupe

Dance Troupe

Fats Waller

'Fats' Waller

The Nicholas Brothers

Dancers
(as Nicholas Brothers)

Ada Brown

Singer

Dooley Wilson

Gabe Tucker

Cab Calloway

Cab Calloway

Katherine Dunham

Katherine Dunham

The Tramp Band

The Tramp Band

Doris Ake

Dancer
(uncredited)

Juliette Ball

Dancer
(uncredited)

Lucille Battle

Dancer
(uncredited)

Matthew 'Stymie' Beard

Stagehand
(uncredited)

Talley Beatty

Dancer
(uncredited)

Lennie Bluett

Dancer
(uncredited)
…

Anise Boyer

Singer
(uncredited)

User reviews54

7.33K

Featured reviews

jaykay-10

Thanks for the memories

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.

7planktonrules

Take a deep breath....relax...now watch!

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.

7secondtake

As a movie it's without plot or form, but as a collection of great music it's fabulous!!!

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.

8Oaktown Charlie

Great music makes a great movie

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.

BLG-2

A gem

I remember watching this for the first time when I was a kid. I was blown away by the Nicholas Brothers' dance, especially when they jumped down those stairs . . . and it still blows me away! Slim storyline, and Bill Robinson was way too old to play a romantic interest of the young Lena Horne, but a great look at some of the biggest African-American stars of the day: Katherine Dunham, the great Fats Waller (who died later that same year,) Cab Calloway. I could have done without the blackface makeup of the comedy team, even though their skit was amusing. And look for a young adult Stymie Beard (of the Little Rascals) with two lines as a stagehand who is directed by Bill Robinson to call half hour to showtime for the performers.

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Final film of Fats Waller. On December 15, 1943, less than five months after the film's July 21 opening in Manhattan, Waller, age 39, died of pneumonia on a train stopped at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Having fallen ill during an engagement at the Zanzibar Room in Hollywood, he had boarded the Santa Fe Chief in Los Angeles and was headed for New York City.

Goofs
The first time Selena says "Bill Williamson" (in the first scene, before her character has met him) her mouth quite clearly says "Bill Robinson. Bill Robinson played Bill Williamson.

Quotes
Blackface Comedian #1: [Part One of the routine; Car breaks down] Whoa!
Blackface Comedian #2: What's wrong with it?
Blackface Comedian #1: Well, I'd...
Blackface Comedian #2: Where'd you have it fixed?
Blackface Comedian #1: I just had it worked on.
Blackface Comedian #2: Who worked on it?
Blackface Comedian #1: The man that's got the garage...
Blackface Comedian #2: Well, he ain't no good. The man you want is the man...
Blackface Comedian #1: I had him. He's the one that ruined it.
Blackface Comedian #2: Well, I see you got plenty water, but is you outta gas?
Blackface Comedian #1: No, it ain't that. I think maybe it's...
Blackface Comedian #2: Oh, it couldn't be that.
Blackface Comedian #1: Well, there ain't much wrong with it.
Blackface Comedian #2: What you need is some of them new gadgets. You know, the kind that you buy...
Blackface Comedian #1: I just bought some.
Blackface Comedian #2: Oh, not them. I mean the kind what fastens where they fits. A whole dozen'll cost about...
Blackface Comedian #1: That's too much money. I can't afford it. I got to get some that don't cost no more...
Blackface Comedian #2: You can't get 'em that cheap.
Blackface Comedian #1: Well, we can get the car fixed up good maybe for around...
Blackface Comedian #2: No, what you need is a new car.
Blackface Comedian #1: Yeah. The kind like my uncle had. He made a trip out...
Blackface Comedian #2: Did he go out there?
Blackface Comedian #1: Sure. I thought all the time he was gonna go...
Blackface Comedian #2: He did, but not that time.
Blackface Comedian #1: Well, what's he doin' now?
Blackface Comedian #2: Since he been back, he's been very busy gettin' ready for what he thinks...
Blackface Comedian #1: Is that so?
Blackface Comedian #2: Sure.
Blackface Comedian #1: Well, I guess like all bachelors, he's...
Blackface Comedian #2: No, no. Not him. He gonna get married.

Crazy credits
Written below the final credit screen, 'The End', is a promotional for buying war bonds. The plug states "For Victory - U.S. War Bonds and Stamps. Buy Yours In This Theatre".