I Wanna Be A Minstrel Man (1934)

[sterling851]

SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT A YOUNG AND LOVELY BARBARA PEPPER IN THIS WONDERFUL MUSICAL NUMBER

[richinkle1]

That is indeed a 23 year old Lucille Ball on the far right at around 0:46, looking very beautiful and blond, and showing an early flair for comedy even in that 3 second snippet!

[eric5906]

This is awesome. Thanks for posting. Wonder what songs will stand out during the Great Depression of 2011?

[jdcc061]

Yea, I think that is Lucille Ball at 0:46 on the very far right with blonde hair (she was a blonde as a Goldwyn Girl)...the girl that winks....

[atpcfi]

I spotted Lucie Ball at 0:46 then she blended into the chorus. I guess she was starting out in Holywood

[justasondheimbaby]

that kid had talent with a capital T

[LesThanEver]

This kid is pretty good, the message too awful for me to digest easily. I don't expect to him come out with "it Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" but it would be awesome. Anyone know his name?

[antoniod]

A minstrel was (usually) a White man in Blackface, so it really wasn't controversial. But It's interesting that a Black child could dance on stage with white women, since a Black adult couldn't.

[shifragri]

I'm surprised this wasn't controversial for its time. A bunch of white women singing about how much they love a minstrel i.e. Black male.

[Sargenet]

A very blond Lucille Ball at 0:46.

[markleerook]

I believe that's actress Lynne Carver at 1:30 zoom-in into the clip(blonde on the right) i know she is in there somewhere.

[arielforeman2004]

That's harold nicholas of the Nicholas Brothers

[lukemack]

whats so racist about it ..its cute

[tayloreh]

@lukemack well the time in history makes it very easy to see it racist whether it really was or not, minstrelsy (and then vaudeville) was rooted for about a century by this point in European and American culture as a way for 'white faced' people to mock black people. It can be seen as a way to try and justify slavery. This performance can be seen as trying to assimilate a black kid into white culture as a way to deny his own.

Though If this was done today I think it'd be cool. Awesome voice.

[amastara]

@lukemack hes singing about aspiring to be a buffoon which was the only option for African American entertainers at the time..so it is racist ( because come on, who really want s to do that?) because the best and highest obtainable thing that a black person could be is a fool according to their beliefs. i know that was the time they lived in but since you asked...he is a talented little boy though :-)

[EBanonymous]

@amastara

Thank you for pointing that out.

Getting a little black boy to sing about how he wants to degrade himself as a "Jim Crow" or "Zip Coon" character id like Germans getting Jews to say hpw much they want to depicted as greedy bank owners who steal chilfren and want to conquer the wrold.

This is so racist. Only one defference. The Germans recognise their racism & it's not tolerated. The Americans condemn German racism & STILL pratise their own racism. SLavery, lynchings aren't funny

[SodiumCyanide]

@EBanonymous Yes they are

[amastara]

@EBanonymous nicely put. and the sad thing is that America was founded and built around Racism, Germany was not, therefore though they had a period where they did unacceptable things to Jews (Gays, Jehovah's witnesses and te disabled) they can let go of racism easier than Americans can, hence the reason why there are still some inequities. (dont get all gay on me people i realize our president is black and we have come a long way but still, that doesn't mean racism is dead)

[EBanonymous]

@amastara

True. In fact racism is the US is stronger than ever. The CERD (UN Treaty on Elimination of Racism) cites dozens & dozens of violations: racially segregated areas, police brutality, extra high number of Blacks in prison, stealing the Western Shoshone Tribe's land etc.

There's banning ethnic studies in Arizona or the crimes against immigrants (hundreds dead) in federal prison; jailing No More Deats for giving migrants water & calling ambulances. It's a country build on racism

[amastara]

@EBanonymous WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT ABOUT ARIZONA?! really?! that's insane! i know the books from my Mexican American history class was recently banned in Arizona because it pointed out many of the obvious facts about their history and how brutally whites treated Mexican's its been deemed racist towards whites..yeah. white America needs to get over this fear of black/any other non-white ethnic group-domination...its not healthy for anyone...i also didnt know about the Shoshone Tribe =( sad.

[EBanonymous]

@amastara

Those people don't have a fear; they have a deep hatred. They know it' not "reverse racism" but they do it anyway; the UN said it.

Democracynow . org and others reported that they banned ethnic studies, and people are protesting it. Banning the history book is separate, but it's along the same lines.

If you rely on school to learn, then you're doomed. Try "A People's History of the US" by Zinn; he discusses that war & cities Polk & others.

[amastara]

@EBanonymous well i learned something new today lol =)

[paismoi]

Yes, @ 0:45 Lucille Ball is fourth in the line (to the far right)

[hungarianguy]

The composer, Burton Lane, sure must have liked this melody. He re-used it for Fred Astaire in the movie "Royal Wedding" when Astaire sings "You're All The World To Me". That's the song he sings when he dances on the walls and ceiling.

[bottomgrooves]

minstrel shows disgust me. racist as hell.

[bearcub410]

the Nicholas bothers were incredible what talent . not like the duds of today . thanks

[eric5906]

That little nigger sure could sing and dance.

[Adamodevadam]

I've fallen in love with ALL girls in this clip :DDD

[mightyboosh22]

I have fallen in love with this boy. He is the sweetest child i have ever seen.

[LSchoemer]

This is a great movie

[sayward12]

That is Lucille Ball, this is her second (Eddie Cantor) movie, and after seeing her first, Roman Scandals, this is a step up in terms of modesty!

Guess the Production Code started cracking down in 1934.

[Georgewos]

I was wondering the same thing. Why was the part with Eddie Cantor singing Mandy and Me removed. Too polictically incorrect.

[newrochellephoenix]

I think - one of the girls might be Lucille Ball.

[jeffray1944]

why was the second part called "mandy and me" removed?

[tankbukkake]

those chicks are so hot .

and yes, I know there all dead now.

[izlude2]

@tankbukkake how old might they be at the time of filming?

[JackCelliars]

An interesting clip from that era (actually one of the better samples I've seen in a while). Thanks for posting it.

[DreamsCumTrue469]

This is not the full song from this movie as I remember seeing it. As I recall, after Harold sings, I'm almost certain Fayard arrived in the scene and they do what I recall was a very impressive dance number. I also seem to recall that Eddie Cantor was also in the scene for this song...maybe in blackface.

[hufasa]

Harold Nicholas can be seen in The Five Heartbeats at 70 something years old. Plays "Sarge". I had no idea when I first saw that movie how important that old dancing guy was. Then I saw the Stormy Weather clip. Thank goodness for YouTube. Can anyone make out the lyrics for this song?

[bchfront]

Sure, he married my mother! She was actually a great beauty, who had all the men after her. But my father, oh, he was really a "boy about town" I gather back in the 40's -- saw a pic of him with Linda Darnell, whom he had also dated, also he went with Ruth Roman. What a guy! I love your stuff, by the way. I watched my video of "Kid Millions" over this weekend, because of your clip, and thought it was a ridiculous picture, but those musical numbers! Thanks again,stj -- R.J.

[bchfront]

Great number! Burton Lane, who composed it,was like all the songwriters of that time, an extremely nice, modest man. He would later recycle this tune for Fred Astaire in "Royal Wedding". I had the great honor of being seated at a dinner, just a few-years ago, next to Fayard Nichols and his wife. Again, like all the really great ones, very nice! My father used to date a Goldwyn Girl of a later-era (the 40's) named Martha Montgomery, he always talked-about. And I spotted Lucille Ball in here! R.J.

[stjn00]

Gosh! That's a swell story! Your dad had great taste in women! :)

[errolfan]

@bchfront With a saucy wink @ 0:47.

[OnYourTodProd]

check my minstrel man trailer =)

[heeter71]

That kid singing is one of the Nicholas Brothers!

[garrettsambo7]

That little boy is cute!

[oldcremona]

Interesting bit with the tambourines.

[1singlet]

what a bunch of beauties! is that kid singing?

lovely scene!

[1singlet]

Harold Nicholas! Sure is singing! It took me a while to figure it out!

[Dutchfan33]

The Goldwyn girls in this clip are:

Janice Jarrat [1.23]

Wanda Perry [1.25]

Helen Wood [1.27]

Charlotte Russel[Left]and Bonnie Bannon[right][1.31]

Left to right:Vivian Keefer,Marylou Dix,Ruth Moody and Lucille Ball [1.35]

[Dutchfan33]

Caryl Lincoln??? [left] and Irene Bentley 1.53

Barbara Pepper [Left] and Mary Lange 1.55

Janice Jarratt [left] and ???1.57

??? [left] and Mae Madison 1.58

Mary Jane Carey [left] and Charlotte Russell 2.01

[Dutchfan33]

Oops,That must be:

Janice Jarrat [0.34]

Wanda Perry [0.35]

Helen Wood [0.37]

Charlotte Russel[Left]and Bonnie Bannon[right][0.40]

Left to right:Vivian Keefer,Marylou Dix,Ruth Moody and Lucille Ball [0.45]

[Dutchfan33]

*Vivian Keefer was a topmodel,who appaered as a showgirl in a couple of movies.

*Mary Lou Dix appaered in a couple of three stooges-shortsand played bit-parts in a couple of Frank Capra-movies,sadly she committed suicide in 1963.

*Ruth Moody was voted "most beautiful chorusgirl" during the filming of "the gold diggers of 1935",a year after this film.she maaried tennis-pro Lester Steofen in 1935,retired,and died in 1990.

[stjn00]

Wow! Write a book about all these gorgeous girls! :) Thanks for the information!

[Machetazo1]

Yeah I woulda committed suicide if I had to play in all these racist movies too ! Haha!

[SteffiFashionista]

thanks for info, Dutchfan

Its always good for those wonderful Classic Movie chorusgirls to get a namecheck!

[juanieboy12]

This melody was reused in "Royal Wedding" where Fred Astaire sings and dances on the ceiling.

[stjn00]

You are so right! Thanks!

[kspm01]

Thanks for the many awesome clips you've been uploading these days!

[stjn00]

I suppose you're right. She was a Goldwyn Girl at this time. Thanks!

[songplugger]

Lucille Ball at the far right at 00:45!