Hallelujah [DVD]

Finally, "Hallelujah" is on DVD. It's one of the greatest movies you ever want to see it's filled with music, drama, and even comedy with various great, unsung talents who became characters that you can relate to, forget the color, look at the talents and the stories, to some this movie may seem racial stereotypical but the talents of this movie become true actors and actresses and natural too. This film was nominated and I believe King Vidor won for the best director of picture. Obviously this is a sign of discrimination. Nina brought that movie alive for Vidor, without her Vidor wouldn't have won an Award but Hollywood wasn't ready yet to nominate a Black for anything even if they are deserving.This is Nina Mae McKinney's trademark movie, being very knowledeable of her work, I must say you shouldn't believe everything you read about her in books. She's one of many who so-called researchers don't know about but write what they think they know. They make her look like a one-hit wonder for sure. If you check her out in "They Learned About Women," "Safe In Hell," "Sanders of the River" with Paul Robeson, "Gang Smashers," "Straight To Heaven," "The Devil's Daughter," "Night Train to Memphis," "Pinky," "Pie Pie Blackbird," "The Black Network," and countless of others, you know she wasn't a one hit wonder. Many of her time said, she had the best chances of any colored girl. She was the first black to do many things. Nina was the first black beauty of Hollywood and even the first to star in European movies. She did more movies than Horne and Dandridge, many films that aren't even credited to her. Many of her movies are sitting in vaults collecting dust. She was the first Black to break stereotypes, showing Blacks could handle roles and be more than just Blacks, but human beings capable of playing any role given to them. She has many films where she let her light shine whether in acting, singing, dancing or comedy. Most of all her movies are available showing her versatile talents. Even in later years in Hollywood where she did play a maid she was more than just someone "maiding" around, she made her roles work in her favor and made herself apart of the cast, nothing stereotypical about that. She didn't think she was too good for a maid role but she love being on screen and playing versatile roles. When Hollywood wasn't in her favor, she had other talents to fall back on she was called a triple threat, she was a wonderful singer and dancer that performed at the most popular theaters and nightclubs in the U.S. and Europe even giving command performances for royalty. She has so much achievements to her name, more than most so it's stupid to dewell on what she didn't do....look at what she did do. There are things about her you all don't know, even professional researchers don't. I took it upon myself to research her life and career and what I came up with is astonishing, I feel I should tell her story since others have failed to and many lies have been told about her. Many of her contemporaries loved and respected her for being an all-around versatile entertainer. She did it all in show business. She was the first Black in many mainstream magazines, even on the cover of magazines like Time, Vanity Fair, Photoplay and so on. She recorded songs that are available, many movies to her name showing her versatile talents, many magazines and articles from her time era that she appeared in. She conquered Hollywood, Europe and Black Cinema. She was truly the hardest working woman in show business but you never know it if you read some of these early Black Hollywood books that include her. In her time, she was called the most beautiful woman of her era and the greatest acting discovery. She had the most fascinating life and she was one who didn't let others hold her back because of her race, she made others look at her talent besides her color and that's why she was one of the biggest stars of her time. Though many may not know her today, there are many early Black talents who were very popular stars in their time but forgotten today, its not their fault, some are remembered, some aren't because of not getting a chance to tell their story, but that's changing. Many like Nina Mae, Valaida Snow, Blanche Calloway, Una Mae Carlisle, Francine Everett, and many others are starting to get more recognition. I would like to correct a poster below...Nina was married first to the same man Billie Holiday married, Jimmy Monroe, secondly, she did not maid for famous white stars except for on the screen.Obviously, Dorothy Dandridge relative on here is either jealous others are getting more spotlight than Dorothy because no one but an idiot would put down someone else to make their relative look good, don't contradict yourself saying all should been looked at as positive movie stars than say such and such is better. If you don't like Nina, move on, let others have room who do, go post on people who you do like because you won't change our minds. I'm not particularly a big fan of Dandridge, can't understand her but I won't knock her or her fans. Obviously your jealous of something because we see the greatness in Nina Mae, her versatility, her being a great all around performer, no one makes it as she did who didn't have something. I'm not putting anyone a pedestal, I love all the individuality of the black actresses and all of them should be known, from Hollywood to Black Cinema. But many are shocked that they didn't know who Nina was and just now finding out about this great actress. Whites remember all their stars, Blacks should too. Nina was in a class of her own when it came to acting, she wasn't the sad, pitiful black girl type but rather fun, exciting and a natural. Your right about not putting blacks on pedestals, because Nina Mae, Fredi Washington, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Mildred Washington, Edna Mae Harris, Francine Everett, Suzette Harbin and Hilda Simms all got the same discrimination from whites and not fully given a fair chance to be an actress.I have a website on Nina Mae McKinney and other early Black female performers and actresses of the Golden Era that I think you will enjoy.[...]

This early talkie was advertised as being a musical even though it is actually a drama with some very good musical numbers included. The movie was set and filmed in Memphis with an all black cast and directed by King Vidor. In fact, this is King Vidor's first talking picture. By today's standards, it overflows with stereotypes. Yet, as Warner says in its disclaimer, these images should be kept alive rather than hidden away so that we may learn from them. By the standards of 1929, Vidor was actually sympathetic in his treatment of the characters considering the times. If you want to see really horrific jaw-dropping stereotypes, go watch the best picture of 1930-1, "Cimarron". It is not at all atypical of what went on in motion pictures in those days in how African Americans were portrayed. Apparently King Vidor was quite insistent on not giving in to these commonly accepted stereotypes as much as was possible in the late 1920's, since he even agreed to direct the film for free in order to tell the story he wanted to tell the way he wanted to tell it. This film is actually not about race at all. Instead Vidor intended it to be a look into rural African American culture as he observed it growing up in the South himself set within the context of a morality play.The plot is this - A family of sharecroppers, the Johnsons, have just finished harvesting the year's cotton crop. Being the oldest son, Zeke (Daniel L. Haynes) is responsible for selling the crop at market. Younger brother Spunk (Everett McGarrity) tags along. Zeke does as he is instructed, and gets good money in return for the family's cotton. However, things go wrong when Zeke is tempted by beautiful grifter Chick (Nina Mae McKinney) before he can return home with the cash. She and her partner "Hot Shot" procede to cheat Zeke out of his money. Zeke reacts violently when he discovers that he has been had both romantically - hurting his pride, and financially - hurting his entire family. Violence begets violence, and a tragedy ensues that brings about Zeke's religious conversion. He becomes a preacher, and takes up with a girl that is on the straight and narrow, much to the approval of his parents, his own father being a preacher himself. However, Chick soon returns to Zeke's life, at first mocking his conversion, then experiencing conversion herself while listening to Zeke preach. However, it seems Chick is just born to be bad. She tempts Zeke away from his devout girlfriend and his preaching, and eventually leads him to tragedy once again. After Zeke finishes his prison sentence for the violence he has wrought, he is seen being welcomed back into the loving arms of his family - a prodigal son returning.Although the movie does give us a rare glimpse into Black culture in the south during the early twentieth century, the story being told transcends race and time. It has much to say about how men and women of the cloth are only human and religious conversion often has only a temporary effect on changing a person's behavior when it comes to the temptations of everyday life. Extras include commentary by black cultural scholars Donald Bogle and Avery Clayton and there are two musical numbers sung by Nina Mae McKinney. One is "Pie, Pie Blackbird" and the other is "The Black Network". These two musical numbers have nothing to do with the film. The only connection to "Hallelujah" is that the featured performer just happens to be one of the leads in this movie. Finally there are some theatrical trailers for the film.

Tout commence par une belle journée ensoleillée consacrée à la cueillette du coton. Pour se donner du coeur à l'ouvrage les ouvriers de couleur noire sous la houlette de Dieu qui inspire tous leurs faits et gestes entonnent en choeur des chants adaptés à leur labeur. La récolte s'annonce bonne et la vente devrait leurs procurer des revenus avantageux. Tout s'annonce bien et il semble que rien ne puisse venir pertuber leur bonheur. Cependant de gros nuages s'ammoncellent à l'horizon en la personne de Zeke le fils aîné du Chef religieux de la communauté. Ce n'est pas qu'il soit foncièrement mauvais, un peu trop naïf peut-être, il est surtout la personnification de cette parole de l'Evangile "L'esprit est prompt mais la chair est faible" et avec l'apparition des problèmes qu'il engendre commence vraiment le film... un film musical empreint d'authenticité, à la limite du documentaire, tourné sur les lieux mêmes et dans les conditions réelles de vie des hommes noirs de l'époque. Ce chef d'oeuvre est aujourd'hui protégé et sa survie assurée. Détail significatif l'étiquette de l'enregistrement de la version française de la chanson "Waiting at the end of the road" que réalisa le chanteur Fred Gouin sur disque 78t pour la marque Odéon est ainsi libellée: "L'AME NOIRE" "A la fin de la Route" Leit-Moteiv du film "L'âme noire"... ce qui traduit exactement non pas le titre américain mais bien l'esprit du film de King Vidor... un roi du cinéma vraiment!

Cela faisait des années que je cherchais ce film, aussi, vous imaginez mon enthousiasme quand je l'ai reçu. Je le connaissais bien sûr et j'ai aimé ce film autant que la première fois où je l'ai vu...

C'est un chef d'oeuvre même si on peut penser qu'il a vieilli, ce que je conteste. Premier film tourné qu'avec des noirs, La musique et les danses nous replongent dans l'Amérique des champs de coton d'où s'exhalent une magnifique leçon de vie, et qui donne à ce film une valeur universelle. À découvrir ou à redécouvrir.