Our Movie of the Day is the musical Stormy Weather, one of the few Hollywood films starring an African-American cast in the pre-civil rights era. Essentially a movie filled with concert performances from some of the biggest names of the day, including Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, the Nicholas Brothers and the legendary Lena Horne (above) singing the title tune in an unforgettable movie moment. It was rare to see films with black characters as the leads in the Old Hollywood days, but this particular film provided a showcase for talents which rarely got the chance to be seen by a national audience. I couldn't find a trailer for this one, but just watch this clip of the Nicholas Brothers' acrobatic tap number from the movie below and tell me that's not one of the most incredible dance sequences ever put to film. Amazing.
The Nicholas Brothers:
