Paradise In Harlem / Burlesque In Harlem

Paradise in Harlem (1939): Black comic Lem Anderson is weary of doing his minstrel comedy on the vaudeville circuit. He dreams of becoming a serious stage actor and playing the lead in Shakespeare's Othello. As distant as this dream seems, it recedes even further when Lem witnesses a mob hit outside the theater. Forced to leave town or face death, Lem heads down south to find work, but his personal demons and a drinking habit bring this new life to ruin as well. Just as all seems lost, his impossible dream comes true when he is called back to New York to star in Othello. When the mobsters learn that he has returned to town, they resolve to silence him for good.

Burlesque in Harlem (1949): A provocative peek at a typical 1950 Harlem burlesque show, complete with racy slapstick comedy, bawdy blues singers, slick tap dancers, and voluptuous exotic showgirls in minimal attire. Legendary black comic, Pigmeat Markham, makes an appearance in a clever, fast-talking sketch about a sex clinic. Though tame by contemporary standards, these acts were definitely considered to be "adult entertainment" at the time. Burlesque in Harlem is a fascinating look at how society's mores have changed in the last half century.

Upplagd i sortimentet: 28 september, 2021