TTT
Black History month
My modest contribution to Black History Month is
to reveal the existence of an unrecognised Hollywood movie portrayal of
Florence Mills.
The movie is the 1952 Paramount Somebody
Loves Me.
It's a
somewhat fictionalized account of the lives of Broadway/vaudeville greats
Blossom Seeley and her husband/partner Benny Fields.
Critical reaction
was that the film was mediocre but Betty Hutton’s performance as Seeley was
sensational.
It's a languorous ballad featuring Florence as a lonely
wanderer dressed in overalls, carrying a little bundle over her shoulder.
Betty Hutton
performs it in a light blackface make-up.
While blackface is generally
distasteful, here it is clearly a genuine tribute to Florence Mills.
What we have is Betty
Hutton portraying Blossom Seeley portraying Florence Mills.
Why this makes sense is
discussed in detail at:
Somebody
Loves Me
A quick look at pictures below of Florence and
Betty Hutton performing the song will soon dispel any doubts about the
intention in the movie.
TTT
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