…for not kowtowing to the "politically correct" censors and keeping the "All God's Chillun" number with the black singers and dancers intact.
IMHO,that was the best musical scene in the movie.
Ivie Anderson had a beautiful voice; I wonder if she she made records and/or sang in clubs such as the Apollo.
I also love the scene at the end when the newly rich black people run onto the track singing after Harpo won the big race.
One of the best movie endings, ever.
The examination scene was a misfire. Then Alan Jones decides to terrify small animals with his interminable howling. Thankfully we had that excellent jazz number to liven things up. Some music stands the test of time, some does not.
Reminds me of another film from this period with Alan Jones, Show Boat. In that case as well, every song featuring black actors was superior to the rest.
Allan Jones was a damn good singer --- his semi opera parts in ANATO are awesome --- as is Cosi Cosa ---
I find the part with the black people good but made better because of the Marx Bros antics --- and Allan "Sweet & Hot" Jones singing ---
I have a long memory. Consequently, I have always had and continue to have mixed feelings about TCM and Ted Turner's role.
Turner Network Television (TNT) originated the concept of colorization and loved to chop up old movies to allow more ad space. American Movie Classics (AMC) used to get the old movies that had dropped out of copyright status and were available to show, uncut and in their original black and white format (in many cases). These included "It's a Wonderful Life." One of their advertising points was that they did not colorize the way TNT did.
Ted Turner then created Turner Classic Movies (TCM). He bought up many of those copyrights that had gone to public domain. He suddenly became a 'born again' advocate against colorization and for letter box display. He denied access to the old movies to AMC and nearly destroyed that network. They survived by carrying commercials after being commercial free for years and later by producing there own programs.
Since those days TCM has contributed greatly to film preservation and they have a great, commercial free line up of movies. AMC has survived by becoming a different kind of network. So, the consumer (we) has reaped benefit overall. But I stop short of heaping accolades on TCM and Turner himself. Someday people will look back on him the way some look on the robber barons of the late 19th Century.
The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.
I'm glad what AMC has become. Otherwise, Breaking Bad, the single greatest television show ever made, would've never happened. I still watch AMC for films though. Maybe they're not uncut or commercial-free, but they represent a great deal of nostalgia for me since I've been watching AMC before TCM came on. Hell, I watched it more than HBO, and I still do.
"Why are you wearing a tux?"
"It's after six. What am I, a farmer?"
I agree that AMC and TCM have evolved in a path that has benefitted consumers overall. We have actually increased in our options for movies and made for cable periodic films. However, that AMC was tough and flexible does not exonerate Ted Turner and his methods.
I don't think he did anything illegal and I don't think I would be fair in labeling it even unethical. He simply played hardball business. When he found out how much the public likes unedited and minimally altered classic movies he and his corporation jumped on the bandwagon so hard that they knocked AMC off of it. I think we go lucky in this instance and that is not a good reason to pat Ted Turner or TCM on the back. I will watch their output because it satisfies my need. That is all of the approval or credit that he needs or deserves.
Look at what catering to the public has done to A&E and the History Channel. Discovery has suffered the same fate to a lesser degree. Ten to fifteen years ago PBS was on its way to the dustbin of history because those looking to learn from television could find much better programming than what PBS provided. Then Discovery, shortly followed by A&E/History discovered 'reality' shows. Now, ninety percent of their programming is drek that they call 'reality' TV. What they really have is scripted television pretending to be live documentary (sort of) using amateur actors. Some of it is educational and much of it is entertaining, but we have lost the great programming that they used to provide except for peeks at certain times of the year or if you are willing to watch in the wee hours of the morning and spend lots of time channel surfing.
By following the stampede toward the 'lowest common denominator' we get more and more junk TV and ever decreasing programming that seeks to actually teach and educate. We all get stuck watching what is more popular among the masses.
The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.