Stormy Weather

1943

Comedy / Drama / Music / Romance

4
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 80% · 42 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 80% · 1K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.3/10 10 3137 3.1K

dancer jazz musical tap dancing singer scat singing

Plot summary

The relationship between an aspiring dancer and a popular songstress provides a retrospective of the great African-American entertainers of the early 1900s.

Director

Andrew L. Stone Photo
Andrew L. Stone

Top cast

Florence O'Brien Photo
Florence O'Brien as Tucker's Gold-Digging Girlfriend
Dooley Wilson Photo
Dooley Wilson as Gabe Tucker
Vivian Dandridge Photo
Vivian Dandridge as Dancer
Fayard Nicholas Photo
Fayard Nicholas as Dancer
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
714.06 MB
1280*962
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 17 min
Seeds 2
1.29 GB
1436*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 17 min
Seeds 12

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 8 / 10

A Trove of Classic 1940's Musical Numbers

Admirers expected Lena Horne to live forever, and her recent passing shocked those who thought she would always be with us. Thanks to her films, especially "Stormy Weather," she will be there whenever we spin the DVD of that 1943 Fox musical. A loose pastiche of musical numbers hanging from a thin thread of Bill Robinson's reminiscences, "Stormy Weather" is a priceless trove of talent. Director Andrew Stone wisely lets the performances play out without intrusion, and what performances they are. Beyond Lena Horne's unforgettable rendition of the title song, which became her signature, the film showcases Bill Robinson's incomparable dancing, Cab Calloway's song and dance routines, and Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'." Left breathless after these great musical numbers, viewers will gasp when the incomparable Nicholas Brothers top everyone and stop the show with one of their best performances on film. Only Astaire and Kelly were in the same league with Fayard and Harold Nicholas, arguably the finest sibling dancers ever. Fortunately, DVDs do not wear out and allow countless replays of the brothers' stylish and effortless dancing up, down, and around two flights of stairs.Lena Horne surmounted the occasionally unflattering hairstyles in vogue during World War II and remained luminescent throughout the film. Her dazzling smile and comforting voice are missed when she is off screen. Although Bill Robinson is not a convincing romantic partner for Horne, small quibbles do not spoil this musical delight, whose only major flaw is its short 72-minute running time. With legendary performers at their peaks, "Stormy Weather" should have been twice as long. If 20th Century Fox could unearth outtakes from this film, the discovery would be the find of the century and a fitting coda to this plethora of now-gone talent that was sadly under-utilized during Hollywood's heyday.
Reviewed by 8 / 10

Full of Music and Dance. A Real Treat.

Stormy Weather with Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Katherine Dunham, and the Nicholas brothers is a wonderful "dance vacation" for Vintage, Swing and Tap dancers. It was also a rather rare opportunity to see Katherine Dunham on Video. The video I watched was clear and had excellent sound. It was an uplifting and delighful "Smorgasbord" of music and dance of the highest order. I presented it to a high school group for an historical event. They were amazed and fascinated with the performances. The guys especially were impressed by the Nicholas brothers dancing.
Reviewed by 7 / 10

Rare Glimpse of Early 1940s Black Entertainers

Vaguely based on the life of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson himself, STORMY WEATHER offers the story of a WWI vet who falls in love with a singer--and under her influence goes into show business, only to find that their careers draw them in different directions. As a story, it is pretty slim stuff... but as a collection of musical turns by some of the early 1940s best black talent, it simply can't be beat.Robinson was, of course, one of the truly great dancers of his era. Made late in his career, this film doesn't really manage to capture the scope of his talents, but he remains a constant joy to watch. A very young and remarkably beautiful Lena Horne also offers several enjoyable songs, including one that she would go on to perform with increasing sophistication and ultimately make entirely her own: the title tune "Stormy Weather." In addition to Calloway and Horne, STORMY WEATHER offers great performances by such under-filmed artists as Cab Calloway, Katherine Dunham, Fats Waller (performing his signature tune, "Ain't Misbehaving"), the brilliant Nicholas Brothers, and Ada Brown, as well as the popular comic actor Dooley Wilson. Expect nothing from the story or production values, but you won't be disappointed by this rare glimpse at some truly remarkable talents.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
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