Director:
A. Edward Sutherland
Year: 1943
Rating: 5.0
Please don't send the PC police to my door. I had no idea what this film
was going to be about other than it starred Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour
without Bob Hope getting in the middle of them for a change. It turned out
to have more blackface than a party at a Virginia frat house. Imagine Der
Bingle in blackface and an afro wig. Not a pretty sight. In 1943 of course
this didn't raise an eyebrow among the white movie goers, but it is a different
story now and I can't imagine it gets a lot of play on TV. Now you can look
at this film through another lens if you wish - a historical one because
it is in fact based on a real person. Dan Emmett. Not that the film even
comes close to being historically accurate except for the high level basics
- Emmett was the first person to form an entirely blackface minstrel show
in 1843 and he wrote one of the more famous songs ever - but again not one
that is politically correct any more in parts of the country - but loved
in other parts - Dixie.