It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Boarding House Blues (1948) – Musical #767

Studio:
All-American Pictures

Director:
Josh Binney

Starring:
Mom Mabley (billed as Jackie Mabley), Dusty Fletcher, Marcellus Wilson, Marie Cooke, Augustus Smith, Johnny Lee, Emory Richardson, Harold Cromer, Sidney Easton, Freddie Robinson, John “Spider Bruce” Mason, John Riano
Specialty Acts: Lucky Millinder and His Band, Una Mae Carlisle, Bull Moose Jackson, Berry Brothers, Lewis and White, Anistine Allen, Paul Breckenridge, Stump and Stumpy (James Cross and Eddie Hartman), Lee Norman Trio, Henry “Crip” Heard

Plot:
Mom (Mabley) runs a boarding house of entertainers in Harlem, and shares with her tenants that they are broke and the land lord is going to kick them. To help raise money for rent, the boarders put on a show.

Trivia:
• Only film of some of the performers, including Paul Breckenridge, Una Mae Carlisle, Henry “Crip” Heard and Anistine Allen.

Highlights:
• All of the dance and musical performance, including an amazing dance by “Crip” Heard, a disabled dancer with one leg. I also liked The Berry Brothers.

Notable Songs:
• “You’ll Never Know” performed by The Berry Brothers
• “Throw it Out of Your Mind” performed by Una Mae Carlisle
• “It Ain’t Like That” performed by Una Mae Carlisle
• “We’ve Got Rhythm to Spare” performed by Stump and Stumpy (James Cross and Eddie Hartman)
• “We Slumber” performed by Paul Breckenridge with the Lucky Millinder Band
• “Let It Roll” performed by Anistine Allen with the Lucky Millinder Band
• “Yes I Do” performed by Bull Moose Jackson with the Lucky Millinder Band

My review:
Performer Jackie “Moms” Mabley had a career that spanned six decades, from the 1920s until her death in the 1970s. She was a groundbreaking performer, including being the first woman to perform at the Apollo Theater in 1939. Her signature comedic act involved playing an older maternal character with a bucket hat and oversized shoes. Mabley would tell jokes, sing and tap dance.

If you couldn’t make it to see this performance on vaudeville in the 1940s, you get to see Moms Mabley act in this film, and transform into her stage persona in the musical, “Boarding House Blues.”

In the film, Moms runs a boarding house that is in trouble. Her show business boarders don’t often pay their rent and mom can’t play the landlord for her house. To help raise the money, the boarders put on a show.

“Boarding House Blues” is known as a “race film,” starring an all-Black cast for segregated audiences. Produced between the dawn of film through the early 1950s, these films were produced outside of major Hollywood studios.

While the film’s plot is slim, the musical performances are amazing. I loved seeing The Berry Brothers and Una Mae Carlisle perform. I especially loved “We Slumber” performed by Paul Breckenridge with the Lucky Millinder Band. And much of the humor and comedic scenes earlier in the film are like watching a vaudeville comedy sketch. This whole film is like watching vaudeville on screen, and that’s a treat!

But my favorite parts? “Boarding House Blues” introduced me to Henry “Crip” Heard, an incredible disabled dancer. Heard was a dancer but was injured in a wreck, which resulted in him losing his right arm and leg. Heard continued his dancing career, and we have an opportunity to see one of his performances in this film.

It’s also definitely a treat to see Moms Mabley in this film. Outside of her act, she gets to be dressed like a glamorous woman as the landlady.

This film is a treat filled with excellent musical and comedic performances. And luckily, it is fairly accessible, with a DVD release and several online uploads. And funnily enough, the movie takes place during Leap Year, just like this year!

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