You may think no gal made has got a shade on Sweet Georgia Brown, that is until you've met Undine. She's worst than Hard Hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah, GA! The moment you see her over in the corner feelin' up on some other man, you know that she's not to be trifled with yet you love her. And only little Harold Nicholas, way up past his bedtime, was safe when she breezed in the club with that home-girl swag and sized up the competition with "I knew her before she straightened her hair" and commenced to whuppin' ass!
Undine was a mess! Ask the Hollywood producers who "blackened" her up with greasepaint because they thought she was too light-skinned! Or just ask Paul Robeson! No disrespect to Mr. Robeson, but Fredi Washington's brief role in 1933's The Emperor Jones is sometimes all you need to see in this movie. Undine will undo you and leave you that way - as well she should for that dark makeup they smeared on her face. Take a look for yourself!
The legendary stride pianist, James P. Johnson is heard on the piano soundtrack in the salon scene where a very butch Jackie "Moms" Mabley is the proprietor. It's said that a very young Billie Holiday is somewhere in the nightclub scene but never appears directly on screen, and little Harold Nicholas does just fine without his brother Fayard dancing way past his bedtime. Robeson, now about 35 years old is still as handsome as ever.
Is it wrong for a brutha to have a crush on Mr. Robeson? For me, dude just exudes all this sensuality and excitement. I find him terribly attractive and his politics get my juices running too! Damn, I feel a li'l guilty right about now but I can't help it.
And peep this, his son ain't bad either!
Posted by: Greg | September 12, 2011 at 11:10 AM
I think I first saw "Emperor Jones" at a screening back in 76 (I was cutting highschool classes--a lot of 'me). I also fell in lust...I mean, love when seeing Paul Robeson. He was magnificent. I remember seeing him in "Sanders of the River" where he appeared in nothing but a loin cloth...I was in heaven.
Also, Corey, I know you've seen the Empress Bessie Smith's short "St Louis Blues". I read that the "yella woman" in the movie was Fredi Washington's sister, Isabel--who shortly after married Adam Clayton Powell. (I used to admire Powell until I found out he was a ruthless gay-basher against Bayard Rustin...oh, well).
I would love to have been alive back then--and Gay...but in Harlem, not down in Georgia.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | September 12, 2011 at 12:15 PM
@Greg, now you KNOW we acknowledge ALL crushes in this space and we fully support anyone who crushes Mr. Robeson. There is NO NEED to feel guilty because we totally GET IT .... trust me, we UNDERSTAND! LOL! Robeson is one of those old-school brothas where the imagination just runs a little wild with the black funk of it all!
@Derrick, YES! MAGNIFICENT is the perfect adjective to describe Big Papa Paul! There's something about seeing him in those costumes from the Emperor Jones that makes me WEAK! And that VOICE! Okay, let me stop!
And, I totally agree with you about Adam Powell. Not only did he bash us from the pulpit (and in articles for Ebony magazine) but as a notorious womanizer, the way he threw Isabel under the bus for Hazel Scott also reveals another very ugly side to him. Speaking of Isabel Washington Powell, I have a post in the works on her that I'm sure you will enjoy.
Posted by: Corey | September 12, 2011 at 01:38 PM
Have you seen those nude pics of Robeson? You should post them. They are great!
Posted by: Brandon | September 12, 2011 at 03:23 PM
@Brandon! Yes, I've seen them, Brandon. I posted them last year and then EVERYONE ELSE started posting them - which is EXACTLY why I'm holding on to a VERY RARE PHOTO of Fredi Washington that a Canadian reader sent me. Just as soon as I put it up -it'll be EVERYWHERE! But soon .....
Posted by: Corey | September 12, 2011 at 03:32 PM
She won't undo me! He certainly will, but her, nevah!
Posted by: Greg | September 12, 2011 at 08:19 PM
Is that two men dancing together on the right-hand side of the screen, between 0:09 and 0:14?
My understanding is that this film was made before the Code was rigorously enforced, so maybe that is possible.
Posted by: Jim | September 17, 2011 at 05:18 AM