Music Hath Harms

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Music Hath Harms
Scenes from Music Hath Harms (1929).png
Directed byWalter Graham
Screenplay by Alfred A. Cohn
Story by Octavus Roy Cohen
Produced by Al Christie
Starring
Release date
  • March 16, 1929 (1929-03-16)(United States)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Music Hath Harms is an American film released in 1929. A two-reel short it was produced by Al Christie. [1] The film stars Spencer Williams and Roberta Hyson with musical performances by Curtis Mosby and the Blues Blowers. It was part of the Florian Slappey series. [2] The story features a con man promising to wow an audience with a musical performance. [3] The film remains in existence and is available online.

Contents

The film series, based on Octavus Roy Cohen's Darktown Birmingham stories published in the Saturday Evening Post include racial caricatures and exaggerated dialect. [4] The film is one of three that survive from the series produced by Al Christie and is among the early "talkie" (with sound) films featuring African American casts. [4] The other surviving films from the series are Framing of the Shrew and Oft in the Silly Night . [4] Williams also served as the assistant director on the film although he received no credits. [5]

Cast

See also

References

  1. "Film Archive Music Hath Harms". 20's Jazz.
  2. McCann, Bob (December 21, 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. ISBN   9780786458042 via Google Books.
  3. Bradley, Edwin M. (June 14, 2015). The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931. McFarland. ISBN   9781476606842 via Google Books.
  4. 1 2 3 Liebenson, Donald (August 11, 2021). "Folk Art or Racial Stereotypes?". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  5. Bogle, Donald (2009). Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN   9780307514936 . Retrieved October 26, 2020.