It Happened in Harlem is an American musical comedy film directed by Bud Pollard[2] and starring Chris Columbus, Phil Gomez, and Nicky O'Daniel.[1] The film was partly shot at Smalls Paradise and released in 1945.
| It Happened in Harlem | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Bud Pollard |
Production company | |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
The film includes performances by various musical acts including Dotty Rhodes and "Pitter-Patter" Pitts (Juanita Pitts). Rhodes was a dancer at the Cotton Club.[3] Pitts was a female tap dancer who dressed and danced like a man.[4]
The 30-minute film relies on a thin plot to showcase various performers.[5] Stills and advertising for the film survive.[6]
Plot
editA very popular singer is drawing large crowds to his Smalls Paradise performances when he receives his draft notice. Ed Smalls then begins the task of auditioning someone to replace him. A somewhat unknown young singer with a loyal following tries to audition for the job but is not considered. One of his very loyal fans goes to Smalls to convince the owner to give the young man a chance.[1]
Cast
edit- Christopher Columbus
- Phil Gomez as Frankie, the soda jerk
- Nicky O'Daniel as Little Miss Brown
- Juanita 'Pitter-Patter' Pitts as "Pitter-Patter" Pitts
- Dotty Rhodes as self
- Slick and Slack as self
- Milton Woods as Billy Bond
- George Wiltshire as Ed Smalls of Smalls Paradise
- The Paradise Chorus
References
edit- ^ a b c Richards, Larry (1 January 1998). African American Films Through 1959: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography. McFarland. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-7864-0307-3.
- ^ "It Happened in Harlem". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 29 October 2021. [dead link]
- ^ Company, Johnson Publishing (December 8, 1985). "Ebony". Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "'Tap in Time' salutes dance legends". 22 February 2013.
- ^ Pitts, Michael R. (April 19, 2019). Astor Pictures: A Filmography and History of the Reissue King, 1933-1965. McFarland. ISBN 9781476636283 – via Google Books.
- ^ "It Happened in Harlem (1945)".
External links
edit
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