The Melancholy Dame (1929) | Early Black Talkie

[@brucebelcher4995]

It's great to see Evelyn Preer in a talkie movie. I've listed to her sing jazz and blues for years, and I have seen her in silent movies, but seeing this is wonderful.

[@stevendrake9591]

I love old race movies and the picture and sound quality is excellent. Thank you very much.

[@ljb7869]

The dancefloor scene in the beginning is so lovely. The music is also the finest of the era.

[@ristobenjie]

That couple who when the man spun around and the woman put her hand on his head, that was beautiful, their energy was electric

[@timefortea1931]

I loved that scene. The music was great and don't the people look so smart!

[@steelneedles]

@@timefortea1931 The people did have style then . Their lives were hard and when they went out they'd dress up in their best and behave well. Today - whilst I don't say this about everyone - we are well enough off to be able not to value things ( including relationships ) and behaviour can sometimes be vulgar.

[@ravingrays248]

It's good to see a a film with spencer Williams in it I'm a huge fan of his.

[@vanessaclark3443]

I wasn't expecting this to be so sharp and funny, such strong characterization and Sappho and Jonquil were so sassy, the whole cast was hilarious, this was so good that I was sad when it ended.

[@creswellformey7654]

The great Evelyn Preer in a talkie! Mike, you rock!

[@carolb9524]

Enjoy seeing these historic films

[@1920sman]

The music the band plays is King Oliver's composition Snag It - played twice (0:57-2:20 and 6:52-7:50), and a popular song with music by Peter de Rose and lyrics by Jo' Trent called I Just Roll Along (Having My Ups Having My Downs) (played 3:23-4:29). Snag It was published in 1926 as a band orchestration arranged by Mel Stitzel. I Just Roll Along was published in 1927 and as well as sheet music a band orchestration was published the same year which was arranged by Kenn Sisson. I believe they use parts of these orchestrations here, but jazz them up considerably.

[@steelneedles]

Interesting detail, thank you for it. Do you know who the singer is at the very start of the film singing " Melancholy Mama ?" I can't find anything about him on the 'net and I think he is good. The song " Melancholy Mama " doesn't seem to have been a hit as I have been unable to find any mention of it being recorded by anybody on 78 rpm records.

[@johnnyace1954]

I love this!! I want to see more!

[@colstonlchinese]

Nice. Thanks for sharing.

[@brildidge9523]

Who is the guy singing at the intro of the film ? I can't see any credits for him. Does anybody know who he is? He's rather good !

[@fredleejohnson9281]

Another great classic B&W FILM Thank you so much I'm just saying wow'wow. Black first

[@2koolken]

Hard 2 believe this was 90 years ago. How many mother's mothers and father's fathers of 1 family have come & gone since then? Great, great, great (great, great) grandmother/father...

[@lastdays3148]

Rest In Sleep to my Adopted Parents,my mother was 3 years of aged and my dad was 1 years of aged in 1929. I love seeing films from that 20s and 30s Era🙋🏾‍♀️

[@waynedumas5523]

I love the old days

[@tailor-mademedia1406]

The character *Jonquil Williams* reminds me of this sister called *Redbone* who lived up the block from me in DC. Always kept some shit goin'. She was funny as hell, though.

[@garymattscheck9066]

She makes me think of a young Ethel Waters.

[@timefortea1931]

Loved this film. Interesting characters and Sappho was a tough lady as was Jonquil! Roberta and Evelyn had beautiful bright teeth! Dentistry wasn't very good in those days, so I wonder how they kept them that way. I was impressed by the picture and sound quality; I've seen films from the 1930s not half as good as this quality.

[@nelsonhughes9683]

These are some amazing discoveries.

[@cbread208]

Very nice ending, I didn't see that coming LOL

[@timefortea1931]

Yes, that was a good one wasn't it!

[@jimbeck3230]

JW is more scary than Big Mike. This is a great short. Thanks for posting this.

[@Reggie-The-Dog]

Spencer Williams, who played Andy Brown in the television adaptation of Amos and Andy, wrote the dialog for this movie. Just a little trivia for you!

[@Penrose-wi6tx]

The man who played her husband was her real life husband in real life. Edward Thompson played in a lot race movies.

[@youforget1000thingsaday]

Our ancestors were one of a kind. Evelyn was a WOMAN.

[@lesthebest3171]

Evelyn Preer, the First Lady of Silent Race Cinema, Talks for the First Time on Screen, was a thrill for audiences in 1929. This Christie Comedy Series made history as the first talking film to feature an all black cast. Newcomer Roberta Hyson however stole the movie and ended up being feature in all six of the series dealing with Octavus Roy Cohen racist satires of black life in the South.

[@Themaddprof]

These were based on Octavus Roy Cohen's (white writer)crude satires of "Comic" novels of Black life in Birningham. But the use of a Black cast adds zest and flair to these stories.

[@ristobenjie]

I love this film, May The Most High Bless Everyone in this cast

[@colstonlchinese]

She was the star of Oscar Micheaux's film WITHIN OUR GATES

[@reelblack]

Yes. Good snag. And Spencer Williams 20 plus years before Amos n Andy.

[@garymattscheck9066]

When I played a Victor I have by Bennie Moten she said "That's jitterbug music!"

[@ItsTheG]

LOVE ❤️ 👏🏾😄‼️

[@CrawDaddyJohnny]

This is our History !

[@JQAMERICANA1]

I never knew what melancholy meant

[@monakw]

Permanent...hella name.

[@b1bo840]

must be all white people makin' these comments.. geeezzz

[@brildidge9523]

Why ? And if you have something profound to say then why not say it instead of complaining.

[@johnallen7259]

Dresses are women clothes and pants belong to men.Women are not supposed to be wearing pants and men are not supposed to be wearing dresses. Now today men are wearing women dresses and carrying women’s purses.This sinful world will tell us that’s old fashion, and times have changed. Then why didn’t God our Creator change too! Hebrews 13:8

[@kerrijacobs1433]

Ugh! Why did they have to talk like that though?!

[@brildidge9523]

On the face of it I would think that too - especially as historians would tell you that these films were not made for white audiences. However, it was a different time and all sorts of people then accepted their status as dictated by the mainstream society. Artistes from minorities played the roles that they were expected to play, whether they be black, female, gay , disabled or whatever. They were great people all the same and pioneers who gradually opened the tight doors for those who came after. The dialect - although it perpetuated the stigmas - was probably not as offensive at the time as how we would see it today. We have a more educated and sensitive outlook now. People from minorities know they have rights and are not willing to let themselves be belittled. Let's watch these old films and try to look beyond the prejudice and bigotry in the dialogue and you'll see good acting, comedy, singing and wonderful entertainers. Yes, the talking style is awful but it doesn't tell us everything about the story or the actors. These films are also great social history if only because they show how things were - and the bad things of the past we must learn from.