King for a Day

Bill Robinson wants to get into the show, but the man who owns it doesn't want any amateurs (heh), so Bill wins it and finances it in a crap game, then the entertainers start singing and dancing.

It's one of the several all-Black short subjects that Vitaphone and other short-subject producers turned out. Although they played many theaters, they were conceived as something to offer the Blacks-only theaters of the era; producing a long-form race film (as films starring Blacks in the era were called) was not considered a viable business model, but a short subject was much cheaper to turn out, and the polish that Vitaphone could bring to a production like this was appreciated.

Although I could watch Bill Robinson and his easy-going, self-assured dancing endlessly, the big number is "Got the Jitters" featuring Babe Matthews, the chorus line and some great lighting by Vitaphone cameraman E. B. DuPar.

One of the stereotypes back in the day was that black men just loved to shoot dice. Not sure if that was the case but when I watch scenes like that in old films I think to myself this is better than scenes with whites where they were supposed to be menial. Gamblers they be, but they show their real selves in these scenes.

A crap game is what this musical short with Bill Robinson aka Bojangles is what frames it. Robinson's skill and luck with the painted sugar cubes gets him Ernest Whitman's show and then we see the show.

Which brings up something else, this looks very much like a Cotton Club Show minstrel show format and all. A lot of talent, but black people couldn't see it in their own neighborhood. What is worse than that?

Still enjoy Robinson's singing and dancing and all that goes with it.

Roy Mack was the great director of short black films, he wanted to show black entertainment, since he couldn't put it in movies, he put them in short films, which were great. These short films may not seem like much today, but back in the 30s and 40s, shorts were considered better then the feature film. Black film shorts always were great. It showed the latest dances, the latest singing styles, wonderful. Shows you how it was in that era. Wonderful black history. If you can find it, you'll love it. Some shorts are very hard to find, believe me I know, I started collecting black film shorts, but when you find it, you'll love it.

We're truly missing out on the old talent of the Harlem Renaissance; thank goodness this is so available. It has a charm you won't find today. If you like this film, I implore you to seek out on YouTube "102 y/o sees herself on film for the first time." It will encourage you to look up everything you can get your hands on!

Admittedly to me the story was somewhat disposable and took too long to get going and the Minstrel Man song and routine are a little uninspired and one of the least memorable parts of King for a Day. King for a Day is shot in beautiful black and white however, the music puts you in a good mood due to its infectiousness- particularly Smiles and Old Folks at Home-, and the choreography is witty and elegant. Some of the rehearsal stuff is amusing and the performances are solid enough, but Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and his tap dancing are what make King for a Day. Robinson has a really charming presence which makes him a likable performer and his character easy to root for, even better than when he was partnered with Shirley Temple. And his tap dancing is incredible, always precise yet with a simple elegance and with not a flat or heavy foot move. It's not "athletic" as such nor did it really need to be. Overall, a very nice short film that is worth seeing primarily for Robinson and the tap dancing because while not everything is entirely smooth sailing they work tremendously. 8/10 Bethany Cox