Josephine Baker - La Meme

[jo22338601]

Ms. Baker was agead of her times I truly admire her I was lucky to meet her niece back in the early 70's just wish I could have met her. She was fantastic and amazing Lynn Whitfiled did a superb performation in the Josphine Baker story.

[Gryphonalia]

She's free-dancing to a form that was couple's-dance everywhere in America. She's doing what we do today, when we can't think how to dance a foxtrot or a jitterbug, or something by some disco diva. But she's doing it onstage. That was the fresh part. She couldn't do it in America, because in America, where everybody is free, some people are more free than others, and Dancing is the tool of Satan, and communists, and well, you get the idea. So she went to France.

[operamichael]

She was so beautiful. In her early days, she had a life of glamour and excitement. She had an affair with the Crown Prince of Sweden, traveling in his private railway car.

[piou77piou]

2 words : amazings moves

[xxpwincessjamicex]

Am I the only one that can't hear the music. -.-

Wow She can DANCE.

[empressofthefrench]

@xxpwincessjamicex Nope, I cant hear it either. Lol

[deep71483]

That's where the 'stanky leg' dance came from!!!

[lm2727]

LMFAO i prefer her facial expressions over nicki minaj's

[mooki3babiiyonkerz]

Am I the only one who thinks of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" dance when looking at this??

[deep71483]

Beyonce got many of her moves from Josephine, that is true. I also see Josephine's influence in the "Deja Vu" video.

[SJONES810]

wow she can really move you can tell where we get most of modern day dances

[cinnamonbrandylite]

gotta love the girls at the back doing 'bored at the top of my lungs'.

And we're all so worried about them, now.

h.

[alkh3myst]

She's almost dancing sabar...

[creolelady182]

That outfit she has on -that would be in style today

[EmotionalShredd]

wooow man look at those sexy legs. oh man she is so sexy

[aderilus]

wow Josephine is as spirited as they describe in the movie... She's so beautiful.

[haxons11]

i think this woman is amazing! the dance, fashion, hair... she was a french star but american born. she went from extreme poverty growing up in the slums of St. Louis to being a Parisian actress. she was the envy of all french women :)

[ChristiePolke904]

they had to make those faces back then b/c the were required to be extra and put on a show entertainment was pure abd real back then not this non sense now a days

[corpvideopro09]

What year is this?

[VataniGia]

yeah its mainly the faces she makes but has anyone noticed yet that the move she keeps doing with her legs up is a move Beyonce has brought back. lol INTERESTING!!

[Trumblebee]

something about the way she moves scares me

[spindlegold]

It probably also has something to do with the quality of the film, and what it does to the speed of everything that happens. There's a sort of "uncanny valley" feeling to it.

Josaphine Baker is bangin', though. At least... She is during that famous banana dance!

[harlita]

I think she was wonderful! For the 20's and 30's.. what a pioneer!

[MTVoodoo]

she's an ABSOLUTE GENIOUS! Josephine will live forever!

[DeathShamans]

@MTVoodoo LOVE HER TOO because I am a saint louis! girl too (missouri) Ha!

[lyricism101]

=/. she looks odd to me.

[KeenandNifty]

I agree. The faces she makes are something, but its still fascinating to watch.

[boristhehedgehog45]

pfft are you a dumski or what

[Nat6881]

Her dancing is great why are all the people seated not looking at her???

[quitejaded]

I can totally see how they would be thinking "Wtf is she doing?"

[BE4eva16]

lol same

she's definitely unique if nothing else

[niquester]

Too racist perhaps??

[Nat6881]

yh ur probably right- :(

well times have changed and now people know talent :)

[luball416]

it could be in the perspective of today

[chris101971]

Her brilliance and courage will be forever unsurpassed. A true inspiration to anyone willing to fight for the life they want.

She was gorgeous.

[changingmythoughts]

is she really moving that fast?

[dafranx]

is that a silent film or not?

[Shayathreats]

I Have Such Respect for her

A Strong Woman, Warrior

R.I.P.

My Sistah

[RandomentalTV]

Oh my god she can outbeat any dancer out right now, she got killer moves, and to think this was before hip-hop and all that new jack swing. Wow, you go mama

[XoXanetaXoX]

I am doing a project for middle school now! I have chosen to write about Josephine Baker because she was so unique and talented. She was filled with confidence. She had inspired me in so many way!

[L0i7a]

I fell in love with josephine when i did a project on her when i was in middle school...she opened doors

[missionpsble08]

Too the negatives regarding this video of Josephine Baker perhaps if you had the opportunity or now took the time to understand the plight of what they were called Negro's you would understand why she rolled even her eyes she had the chance in France to survive she didn't like the U.S because of the horrific treatment her race endure. Hopefully this will clear up and add to you.

[bobduvar]

Sublime, magnifique, forcément décadent, forcément royale, forcément parisienne.

Joséphine, on t'aime toujours et pour toujours...

Montparnasse au temps des années folles.....

[Charline88]

One of France's biggest pride. RIP Josephine;)

[amaurea3000]

dude, she's awesome...

[OldskolFan]

She was use to the minstrel shows of her time and did that kind of entertainment before reinventing herself in Paris. She loved to make people smile and laugh with her crazy dances though. She could really dance.

[gogocartoon11]

great dancer

[LadyDayII]

One of the First Female Performers to Just bring her own style to the world...I love her dancing it is Similar to what I do...Its spirit FREE!!!

[FatHoElderlyCenter]

The "audience" is part of the set. It was customary at the time to put a set of actors in the background, so it look like a club, bar, or cafe scene.  The audience is in front of her.

[queenstylish]

I have the movie about her life

[dmif3]

As was stated eleswhere, Josephine Baker was also a comedian and was known to make faces during the course of entertaining. She is on nothing but a natural high and to suggest otherwise diminishes her tremendous talent and shows the ignorance of the person who makes the statement or suggestion.

[LoveTheSupremes]

At the time dancing like that would have been considered quite scandalous in the U.S.A. This is quite ironic from a country that's always boasting freedom. Freedom for white people only perhaps.

[randomuser1105]

Although she had her own style, lots of people were dancing like this in the US. It was mainly the toplessness that would've been considered scandalous here. She was mainly embraced for her "exoticism" in France. But yeah, the US is ironic like that. Freedom for the select few.

[Oualtaire]

Only at the start... Then she was embraced as a fabulous singer, a magnifiscent heart, a generous war hero (first woman to get the Croix de Guerre) and a Frenchwoman. ;-)

[randomuser1105]

Of course! I was speaking of when she first started out. =p

[collettestevie]

Way to go, Madame Baker! Show them how it's really done.

[anonymousfolife]

00:34 : Hahahah, check out her face and her eyes, it's like she took some XTC , Hahahaah :D

[Sierra757]

I realize now that she died in 1975 not at the age of 75, no need to call names it was a simple error I am far from being an idiot fact is I am a psychiatrist and if something so simple could upset you then you need to take your meds.

[Brinah]

where's there's music, there's Josephine!

[Sierra757]

whoo..rubber legs! no wonder she stayed fit well into her 70's.

[zcol504l]

you idiot josephine was born in '06 and died in '75 making her only 68 years old. fool........foolish

[mrmartinmartin]

Me to, and i'm a man!

[belleaspen86]

I want to be a flapper :(

[DiscountPotato]

Me too!

[Anderral]

wow, That woman can really move

[Auxane]

"Osez, osez Joséphine"! La plus belle pour toujours! ;-)

[langit]

i love how the lady behind her is looking at her in the beginning. hahahaha

[Tregnier52]

She's great! I love Josephine. She moved to France and had her rainbow tribe of adopted children well before Angelina Jolie (who I love as well).

[mewcupcake]

how doyouknow jose was bi?

[tigerlily86]

wow jesus christ..she can move!

[randomuser1105]

Too bad there wasn't sound...still awesome though.

[vampirewithhumansoul]

wow....

[troybrooks]

What an incredible mover. That is pure uncut talent. She is just so beautiful and magnetic.

[shahravar]

Awesome!

[eximod]

I'm in awe. I'd always wanted to see her dance. Thank you! This clip goes great with any kind of hard, fast music. You can choose your own soundtrack! Her voice was a great as her dancing. She wasn't one in a million, she was one in 10 billion! A monumental talent.

[jheggins13]

she look freakii 2 me

[lonelygurl8305]

Well she was bisexual so she probably was a freak!

[umcoeur]

How intelligent of you.

[Momejie]

Josephine was no freak....

[kenesto]

This film of the profound legend Josephine Baker is just sensational!!!To those unfamiliar with this monumental icon of histoy,the clip speaks volumes!With a one-woman-show like that,who needs sound!The picture quality has a sexy old-fashioned quality I enjoy!Thanks for sharing this patafion!!!

[sistashouse]

Wooooow!! The sista rocks the house!!! Fab quality thanks!!

[LemonVamp]

Wow! Amazing quality! Is this in colour? It looks like it is for some reason... Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

[eximod]

It's a hand tinted film, which is the best kind of color! :)

[Oualtaire]

Joséphine Baker forever! ;-)

[rohanmusic]

what a clip! thanks for putting it on.

[mochawitch]

OMG that's awesome!!!! Where has that been hiding all of this time?!? The quality almost makes it look as though they did it last week!!!! Wow!!!

[bootyfingers]

Sooooo Talented. Sooooo Under-appreciated.  I love this woman.

[hiriwabosi]

i've recently gotten into looking up stuff about her. Thanks a lot for putting this on. I love her crazy dancing ;)

[prjr1973]

Beautiful clip! thank you to who ever posted this. Josephine Baker was such a legend, one of the original grand divas.

[teteglitter]

This video quality is amazingly good!

Thanks for sharing this, I always wanted to see Josephine Baker 'in action' =)