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Poster: Marysz Date: Jul 24, 2005 11:57am
Forum: movie_of_the_week Subject: Re: MATINEE AT THE BIJOU MOVIE OF THE WEEK: THE TRAILER!

Both Christine Hennig and berberry make good comments about the trailer. The credits open with a noisy build-up--"The Big Time Musical Extravaganza that had the Big Town Cheering Month After Month!" before it lets the audience know that the performers in the film are black. It shows us a tuxedoed, white Broadway audience watching the Broadway version of "Cabin in the Sky" to give the film respectability. Could the sight of all those sophisticated white theater-goers make the film more acceptable to white audiences? Or would they have been already attracted by "the glowing songs that have made Hit Parade History"?

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Poster: Spuzz Date: Jul 26, 2005 2:03pm
Forum: movie_of_the_week Subject: Songs vs story?

I'm not even 100% sure the audience was watching a performance of 'Cabin In The Sky' even.

What really gets me is that there's no real mention of any story. Just the songs. Was that normal for musicals trailers? I am not convinced that it was. I think the studios were hiding something.

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Poster: Marysz Date: Jul 28, 2005 11:04am
Forum: movie_of_the_week Subject: Re: Songs vs story?

I think the studio was really walking on eggs. They really weren't sure how to promote this musical. Usually in trailers for musicals, wouldn't they show some clips of the dance routines? I haven't seen Cabin in the Sky in a while, but I think the Ethel Waters number was from the film . . . but I'm not sure about the Lena Horne or Duke Ellington.