The Easton Public Library’s classic movie series continues Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. with a screening of the 1943 all-Black musical “Cabin in the Sky.”
Directed by Vincente Minnelli in his feature-film debut, the movie features some of the era’s leading Black performers, including Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. The allegorical folk tale helped launch Minnelli’s celebrated career at MGM, which would later include “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “An American in Paris,” “The Band Wagon” and “Gigi.”
“Cabin in the Sky” faced significant challenges before and during production. MGM executives balked when producer Arthur Freed paid $40,000 for the rights to the short-lived Broadway show. At the time, all-Black casts meant limited distribution, particularly in the South, where many theaters refused to book such films. Black leaders also raised concerns that a film with a Black cast—but a white producer, director and writer—might repeat the stereotypes seen in the 1936 Warner Bros. adaptation of “Green Pastures.”
We’ll explore all this and share some history of other early Hollywood films created and produced by Black artists. Hope you’ll join us and be part of what promises to be a stimulating evening.
