I saw a portion of this the other day when TCM aired it. Unfortunately, it was on while I was working out at the local health club, so I only got to see what was on while I was there. What I saw was wonderful and I regret that I could not view it in its entirety. The scenes I did see showcased velvet-voiced Nat King Cole; the following young and lovely actresses/songstresses--Ruby Dee, Pearl Bailey, Eartha Kitt (tiny waist!); the one and only Mahalia Jackson; and the truly incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. Every time I hear Ella Fitzgerald sing, I am struck by what an incredible gift she had; her voice was so sweet, so clear, so melodic and just plain lovely.
I was delighted to see this film and the talent showcased there. This is like an Ocean's 11--whether the original Rat Pack or the remake with Clooney et al--in that it's a veritable concentration of celebrity talent all in one film! It's a shame that our history created such divisions between Blacks and Whites that this show had to be produced for Black audiences; it's a fifty year old treasure, period. I'm grateful that TCM aired it.
It was interesting to see the struggle within Handy between "church" and "the world." There is a point where he is remembering his father's declaration that, "There are two kinds of music: the Lord's and the Devil's!" and it makes me think how often we decide what God does or does not want us humans to do with our talents and passions. I could see the beauty that Handy gave the church (in the songs he wrote) and the beauty that Handy gave "the world" with his jazz. It was such a burden to put on Handy that if he wasn't in the church, he was therefore not honoring God, vis-a-vis his talent. It didn't give him much of an option to have any concept of grace, but rather, created an either/or, all or nothing scenario, which is unbalanced at best.
As for the color/b&w argument, I personally think that B&W films allow the viewer to focus on the story itself. Sometimes color can be distracting to a film b/c it's just visual "noise."
Thank God they didn't ruin it with showy musical numbers (choreography and choruses--ugh) but left it to shine with tinkling and stellar jazz.
I would encourage you to watch this film; noteworthy storyline aside, the faces and voices alone are worth it.
