Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A.

Gertie is a flirty show-girl staying at an island resort, like Maugham's Sadie Thompson. Some interesting characterizations and encounters, but nothing of huge interest. Not nearly as striking as Spencer Williams' religious fantasy movies "Blood of Jesus" and "Go Down Death".

Spenser Williams Jr. Is more familiar to people as Andy Brown of the old NBC TV. show AMOS AND ANDY. But prior to his television role he was a seasoned Writer,Actor,Director and Producer of All Black films. He had directed Midnight Shadow,Son of Engagi,The Blood of Jesus,Marching On,Go Down Death,The Girl in Room 20, Juke Joint,Dirty Gertie From Harlem U.S.A. and others. Gertie LaRue[Francine Everret] is on the run from her boyfriend in Harlem and hides on an Island,her acting company are forced to go with her,her flirting causes problems for the group,she becomes a source of temptation to the men of the Island. The film though entertaining attempts to tell a morality Tale which would discourage young Black Girls from following Gerti's example. Spenser Williams tells the story well. The acting was good but,could have been better. Transition,dialogue and action were very good. A lot of show packed into 60 minutes. A very good film.

Well known showgirl goes on the run and ends up on a small island hiding out with her band until things blow over. However she just can't give up her wild life style.

Spencer Williams, one of the few black directors of the period is at the helm here and while he turned out a great many films he wasn't a very good director. Actors are arranged in almost tableaux and the scripts are rather poor. Williams also tends to have the camera in one place with little variation. You have to give the man credit for the large number of films he turned out, but you really will wish he was a better filmmaker

As Williams movies go this film was better than most however its still a chore to get through, owing to the fact that the .

"I got a sugar daddy, a sailor, a marine, and a preacher man, if I want to take the time to work on him."

Amateurish acting and weak production value mar this 1946 film from director Spencer Williams. It's a spin on the W. Somerset Maugham story 'Rain' that old film fans may recognize from Sadie Thompson (1928) and Rain (1932), though here the story is altered and it unfortunately plays out like a misogynistic morality tale. Dirty Gertie, you see, is a stripper from Harlem who has a habit of stringing men along, and she's fled to a tropical island with her troupe because she fears getting murdered by her ex-boyfriend. There she meets a slew of male admirers, but runs afoul of a moralizing missionary.

While the film was awfully creaky, there was nothing amateurish about July Jones and Howard Galloway dancing, and their opening act to Dirty Gertie (Francine Everett) was worth the price of admission. Everett is beautiful and certainly appealing, but there wasn't much sizzle to her character, setting aside the scene where she kisses two men that she's dubbed "Big Boy" and "Tight Pants" after a night out. I liked the moment where she hears "Blues in the Night" being played and is haunted by memories, but there wasn't enough of this kind of emotional depth. Also, I have to say, it was an odd choice for Spencer Williams to play the voodoo woman, at least without shaving his mustache, even if it was interesting to see him.

The movie is effective as long as it sticks to the movie "Rain" script that it is adapted from. Unfortunately when it strays, it becomes pointless and dull. I suspect that director Spenser Williams didn't want to offend his audience with a portrayal of a Reverend lusting after a prostitute. Franchette Everett is excellent as Gertie. She brings the type of sensuality to the film that really lifts it up. It is a shame that she was not given more song and dance numbers. Franchette was called the most beautiful woman in Harlem and should have been a big star in Hollywood, but she refused to take racist roles.