Cabell Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the swing era. His niche of mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years.
Mantan Moreland was an American actor and comedian most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. He starred in numerous films. His daughter Marcella Moreland appeared as a child actress in several films.
Hi De Ho is a 1947 American musical race film directed by Josh Binney. Distributed by All American Entertainment, the film stars an all African American cast, led by Cab Calloway. It first showed at the Squire Theatre in New York, and would be shown in the more than 500 African-American theaters in the US.
Killer Diller is a 1948 American musical comedy race film directed by Josh Binney and released by All American. Academic and comedienne Eddie Tafoya wrote that "Killer Diller is really more concerned with showcasing black talent appearing at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater than it is with providing audiences with a satisfying story." The movie features The Clark Brothers, Nat King Cole, Moms Mabley, Dusty Fletcher, Butterfly McQueen, the Andy Kirk Orchestra and the Four Congaroos. René J. Hall was the film's arranger.
Astor Pictures was a motion picture distribution company in the United States from 1930 to 1963. It was founded by Robert M. Savini. Astor specialized in film re-releases. It later released independently made productions, including some of its own films made during the 1950s.
Francine Everett was an American actress and singer.
Rhythm and Blues Revue is a 1955 American concert film directed by Joseph Kohn and Leonard Reed.
Big Timers is a 1945 American musical comedy race film directed by Bud Pollard. The bottom of a poster for the film notes "The secrets of a chambermaid in a Sugar Hill Hotel!"
Basin Street Revue is a 1956 American film directed by Joseph Kohn and Leonard Reed. The film is also known as Basin Street Review.
Tall, Tan, and Terrific is a 1946 American film directed by Bud Pollard and starring Mantan Moreland.
It Happened in Harlem is an American musical comedy film directed by Bud Pollard and starring Chris Columbus, Phil Gomez, and Nicky O'Daniel. The film was partly shot at Smalls Paradise and released in 1945.
Robert M. Savini born Robert Madison Florett Savini August 29, 1886 in New Orleans, Louisiana, died April 29, 1956 in New York City, New York, was an American film distributor. producer and head of Astor Pictures.
Caldonia is a two reel American musical short film directed by William Forest Crouch and released by Astor Pictures in 1945. The film stars musician Louis Jordan and was produced by his manager Berle Adams. The film includes four songs performed by Jordan and his band: "Caldonia", "Honey Child", "Tillie" and "Buzz Me", which were also released individually by the Soundies Distributing Corporation of America.
The Joint is Jumping is a musical comedy film from 1949. A "race film" with an African American cast of performers, it was one of several such films produced by the All-American News film company and directed by Josh Binney. It was written by Hal Seeger. The 4-reel film was previewed in the Chicago Defender October 16, 1948.
One Dark Night is an American film released in 1939. Also known as Night Club Girl. It was directed by Leo C. Popkin. It was produced by Harry M. Popkin. The film features an African American cast including Mantan Moreland in a dramatic role.
Am I Guilty? Is an American film released in 1940 directed by Samuel Neufeld for the Supreme Pictures Corporation. A. W. Hackel was the film's producer.; his Supreme Pictures, which had produced dozens of Western films, planned a series of films featuring African American casts but this was the only one to make it to release. The screenplay was co-written by Earle Snell and George Wallace Sayre, based on a story by Sherman Lowe.
William Lewis Nolte (1889–1965) was a screenwriter and film director in the United States. He directed the musical film The Duke Is Tops released by Million Dollar Productions. It was re-released in 1943 under the title The Bronze Venus. He is credited as a production manager for the 1942 film Thunder River Feud and as a line producer on the 1947 film Shadow Valley. From 1949 until at least 1957 he was an assistant director on several films.
Come On, Cowboy! is a 1948 American Western film starring Mantan Moreland and Mauryne Brent. Goldmax Productions produced the film, and Toddy Pictures distributed it.
The Highest Tradition is a 1946 documentary film from the U.S. about African American war heroes. It was written and produced by William D. Alexander. It is a World War II era war propaganda film. Fredric March narrates. The film begins with stock footage of the Pearl Harbor it then transitions into profiles of African American war heroes.
She's Too Mean for Me is a 1948 American film starring comedian Mantan Moreland. It was one of two Goldmax productions. It is a comedy. In the movie, the character portraying Moreland's on-screen wife is after him in the film. It and Come On, Cowboy! were the last two films Ted Toddy produced. Irving Hartley was the cinematographer.
