Graceful, talented, beautiful, accomplished. These are just some of the words that come to mind when we think of Lena Horne – one of the greatest performers of our time who passed away on Mother’s Day, 2010.
Although Lena Horne is best known for her singing, her impact on movies cannot be overstated. She made her film debut in a little known race movie named “The Duke is Tops.” (Also known as “The Bronze Venus.”) At the time, she was only 21 years old and legend has it that she was never paid for her performance in this movie because the producer ran out of money.
 Lena Horne became a major movie star however, after she agreed to sign a contract with the Hollywood studio MGM. This was a historic moment because Lena Horne’s contract guaranteed that she would never have to play the role of a maid or “mammy” in any film. This broke a longstanding, negative stereotype of Black women in film. For years, the NAACP had been trying to get Hollywood to change this stereotyping of Black women and Lena Horne was the one who forced them to do it.
But given the racial climate of the time, MGM wasn’t eager to give her significant movie roles so Horne did not appear in many movies. Since she was a talented singer, Horne often made cameo appearances in movies as a nightclub singer. This was done in order to make it easier for racist Southern movie theatres to cut her out of the film and show it to their patrons.
Nevertheless, while under contract with MGM, Lena Horne did star in two Black cast musicals that have since become treasured  classics – “Stormy Weather” and “Cabin in the Sky.”
In the only book that she personally wrote about her life entitled "Lena" , Lena Horne describes the conflicts she encountered during her Hollywood studio time. Needless to say, it was not easy and she considered it to be one of the most difficult periods in her life and career.
It wasn’t until twenty years after her initial MGM experience that Lena Horne starred in another movie. The film, "Death of a Gunfighter"
was a western. The movie was controversial because the storyline contained an interracial romance between her and Richard Widmark which was still a taboo topic in a 1960’s film.
Lena Horne reappeared on the screen in 1978 in the famous Black classic movie “The Wiz” as Glinda the Good Witch. This turned out to be the last film that she would star in as an actress.
Lena Horne will be especially missed by her family, close friends and the countless adoring fans who are heartbroken by her passing. However, her impact on the entertainment world will never be forgotten. She opened doors for those who followed her with a grace and class that continues to be rare.
LENA HORNE’S MAIN MOVIES
Cabin in the Sky. A wonderful all Black cast musical starring Lena Horne, Ethel Waters and Eddie”Rochester” Anderson. This was one of the few Hollywood studio produced movies to have an all Black cast. One of the reasons why MGM signed Lena Horne to a contract was because they wanted her for this specific movie.
Stormy Weather. Many people consider “Stormy Weather” to be Lena Horne’s signature song. This movie help to make this song famous and forever etched it in people’s minds as Lena Horne’s song. This is another excellent all Black cast movie made by a Hollywood studio. Lena Horne stars in this film with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and a host of other famous Black entertainers.
The Duke is Tops. This was Lena Horne’s first movie role. She was only 21 years old when she made this film and she had just given birth to her daughter Gail before making it. This movie is often overlooked because it is a “Race Movie” meaning that it was made specifically for Black audiences during segregation.
Death of a Gunfighter. Lena Horne starred in this western with Richard Widmark. The storyline includes an interracial romance between Horne’s and Widmark’s characters which was highly unusual for the time. This movie has not been released on DVD, so you can only purchase it on VHS video from resellers at this time.
The Wiz. Lena Horne starred in this famous all Black cast movie as Glinda the Good Witch. This was the last movie that she starred in as an actress. At the time that she made this film, Lena Horne’s son-in-law, Sidney Lumet, was the director.
LENA HORNE BOOKS
Lena. By Lena Horne and Richard Schickel. This book was first released in the sixties and is the only book that Lena Horne wrote about her life. Since it was first published years ago, it only covers her career up to that point, but it is a very interesting book to read. This book is no longer being published, so you have to purchase it from resellers.
The Hornes: An American Family. By Gail Lumet Buckley. This book was written by Lena Horne’s only daughter. Lena Horne came from a socially prominent and politically active family. Thus, you not only get to know more about Lena Horne but also her entire family and the role they played in African-American history.
Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne. By James Gavin. This is a traditional, thoroughly- researched book about Lena Horne’s life. Unlike the book that Lena Horne wrote about herself in the sixties, this book is more exhaustive because it covers more of her career and offers an objective, intriguing perspective of her life.
LENA HORNE MUSIC
To see a selection of Lena Horne music, both on CD and Mp3, we suggest that you visit the Lena Horne store at Amazon by visiting Amazon's Lena Horne Music Store and Clicking Here. |
