Hallelujah! (1929)

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

King Vidor (story)
Wanda Tuchock (scenario)

Release Date:

20 August 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Drama

Plot:

In a juke joint, sharecropper Zeke falls for a beautiful dancer, Chick, but she's only setting him up for a rigged craps game...

Plot Keywords:

Folk Song | Vamp | Spiritual | Swamp | Chain Gang

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Daniel L. Haynes	...	Zekial 'Zeke' Johnson
Nina Mae McKinney	...	Chick
William Fountaine	...	Hot Shot
Harry Gray	...	Pappy 'Parson' Johnson
Fanny Belle DeKnight	...	Mammy Johnson
Everett McGarrity	...	Spunk Johnson
Victoria Spivey	...	Missy Rose
Milton Dickerson	...	Johnson child
Robert Couch	...	Johnson child
Walter Tait	...	Johnson child
Dixie Jubilee Singers	...	Group performers

Runtime:

109 min | Argentina:106 min | USA:100 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Arkansas, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This was King Vidor's first sound film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Edge of Outside (2006)

Nina Mae McKinney- The First Black Movie Star

Nina Mae McKinney portrayed Chick in this movie. The untrained, natural singing, dancing, acting talent stole everyone's heart who saw this movie, even till this day she's still winning hearts. A great actress, after this movie people named her "The Black Garbo" and "The Dark Clara Bow". Being the first black actress, she had to represent her race well, and show that Blacks could act, and show Hollywood that Blacks could hold their own on the silver screen. Norma Shearer, John Gilbert, Irving Thalberg, and King Vidor was breath-taken by her acting, and after her you saw many white actresses copying her style, the hands on the hips and facial expressions. This movie isn't stereotypical at all, its about Black Life in the South, the music and styles of the time. Nina Mae was promised many more movies, but never did anything else, but singing apperances, shorts, and maid apperances. But she did get to show her acting in the independent black movies. If you ever get to see them, you won't be sorry. People say this movie was ahead of its time, maybe so, But Nina was lucky she got to show all her talents, singing, dancing, comedy, and acting. Even Blacks don't get to show all of that today. People say that Lena Horne opened the doors, thats false, Nina Mae McKinney did, representing the Black race well, and showing that we could act, open the doors for Blacks in the future in Hollywood.