No Time for Romance is a 1948 musical directed by Corney Cook. The film was noted for having an all-Black cast and for being one of the few all-Black films to be filmed in color during the era.[1][2]
| No Time for Romance | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Corney Cook |
| Written by | Vivian Cosby |
| Produced by | Byron O. Anderson |
| Starring | Eunice Wilson Bill Walker Austin McCoy |
| Cinematography | Paul Cantonwine |
| Music by | Austin McCoy |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $60,000 |
Plot
editA struggling L.A. nightclub performer (Eunice Wilson) and bandleader (Austin McCoy) have a shot at success with their new song, "A Lovely Day."[3]
Cast
edit- Eunice Wilson as Cynda Drake
- Bill Walker as J.T. Richards
- Austin McCoy as Ted Wayne
- Shirley Haven as Marie Gerald
- Joel Fluellen as Drums Miller
- Mildred Boyd as Barbara Gerald
- Jay Brooks as Lefty
- DeForest Covan as Charlie Byron Ellis
- Byron Ellis and Louise Franklin as Byron and Beau Dance Team
- Ray Martin as Ringer Gordon
Production
editShot in Burbank, California, for a budget of around $60,000,[4] No Time for Romance was intended to be the first feature of six produced by Norwanda Pictures, a motion picture company owned and operated by Black filmmakers.[5] However, it appears that the company folded shortly after making No Time for Romance, although the 1948 western Sun Tan Ranch—which features many of the same actors—appears to also have been a Norwanda Pictures production.[3][6][7][8]
Release
editThe film showed in a few Black theaters in Los Angeles but was mostly forgotten about until the producer's daughter discovered the film in the family attic in 1983.[3] The film was released on VHS in 1991.[3]
References
edit- ^ "30 Sep 1948, 14 - California Eagle at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ "King Cole Trio on Ciggie Show". The California Eagle. 19 Aug 1948. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ a b c d "No Time for Romance". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ "Sepia Firm Finishes First Film". California Eagle. 26 Aug 1948. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
- ^ "Norwanda Productions to Release First All-Sepia Full-Length Pic". The California Eagle. 14 Oct 1948. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Leyda, Julia (2016). American Mobilities: Geographies of Class, Race, and Gender in US Culture. Columbia University Press.
- ^ Richards, Larry (2015-09-17). African American Films Through 1959: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-1052-8.
- ^ Cripps, Thomas (1993). Making Movies Black: The Hollywood Message Movie from World War II to the Civil Rights Era. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507669-1.
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