Music Hath Harms

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Music Hath Harms is an American film released in 1929. A two-reel short it was produced by Al Christie.[1] The film stars Spencer Williams and Roberta Hyson with musical performances by Curtis Mosby and the Blues Blowers. It was part of the Florian Slappey series.[2] The story features a con man promising to wow an audience with a musical performance.[3] The film remains in existence and is available online.

The film series, based on Octavus Roy Cohen's stories published in the Saturday Evening Post include racial caricatures and exaggerated dialect.[4] The film is one of three that survive from the series produced by Al Christie and is among the early "talkie" (with sound) films featuring African American casts.[4] The other surviving films from the series are Framing of the Shrew and Oft in the Silly Night.[4] Williams also served as the assistant director on the film although he received no credits.[5]

Cast[]

  • Spencer Williams as Roscoe Griggers
  • Roberta Hyson as Zenia Sprowl
  • as Florian Slappey
  • Nathan Curry as Prof. Aleck Champagne
  • as Sam Ginn
  • Harry Porter as Willie Trout
  • Curtis Mosby as Orchestra Leader
  • Mosby's Blues Blowers as the Band

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Film Archive Music Hath Harms". 20's Jazz.
  2. ^ McCann, Bob (December 21, 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. ISBN 9780786458042 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Bradley, Edwin M. (June 14, 2015). The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931. McFarland. ISBN 9781476606842 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b c Tribune, Donald Liebenson Special to the. "FOLK ART OR RACIAL STEREOTYPES?". chicagotribune.com.
  5. ^ Bogle, Donald (2009). Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307514936. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
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