The Duke is Tops
(1938)

Director: William Nolte

Key Cast: Ralph Cooper, Lena Horne, Lawrence Criner, Monte Hawley, Neva Peoples, Vernon McCallum, Edward Thompson, Johnny Taylor, Ray Martin, Guernsey Morrow, Charlie Hawkins

Rating: Approved

Genre(s): Musical

"The Duke is Tops" is an all-Black cast musical that was made for African-American audiences. It was meant to be a quickie film that would be made in ten days. The film was indeed made in a short period of time, but it also fell short financially. Before the movie was completed, the producers ran out of money. However, the cast stayed on, to complete the film.

Starring Lena Horne in her first film role, "The Duke is Tops" is about a beautiful songstress destined for stardom. (Lena Horne plays the songstress named Ethel Andrews.)

In order to not hold her back, Ethel's manager and sweetheart, Duke Davis (Ralph Cooper), reluctantly signs over her contract to big-time New York producer. 

Now unemployed, Duke lends his show-business savvy and talent to an old friend’s traveling medicine show. 

Sadly, he follows Ethel’s success from a distance, but destiny has its own designs on the separated couple.

∙  This was Lena Horne’s first feature film.  She was only 21 years old at the time.

∙  Lena Horne had delivered her first child, Gail, only four months prior to making this film. At the time, Lena Horne was no longer performing, but when she was asked to do this movie, she agreed, primarily because she needed the money at the time. She was never fully paid for her performance in this movie.

∙  Ralph Cooper, who stars in this movie with Lena Horne, was nicknamed “The Dark Gable” because of his rugged, good looks.  He founded and emceed the famous Amateur night at the Apollo Theatre in 1934.

∙  The traveling medicine man show that is shown in this film is considered a realistic portrayal of these types of shows that really traveled through the country backwoods.

∙  "The Duke is Tops" was shot on a shoestring budget in only ten days.  It was rumored that most of the actors weren’t fully paid for their performances, including Lena Horne.

∙  "The Duke is Tops" was also released as "The Bronze Venus" in 1944.

Buy The Duke is Tops Movie DVD
"The Duke is Tops" was Lena Horne's first
movie screen role. She co-stars in this
all-Black cast film with Ralph Cooper.

The Duke is Tops and Hi-De-Ho Two-Movie DVD
The Duke is Tops can also be purchased on a two movie DVD from Amazon.com.  This two movie DVD contains The Duke is Tops and Hi-De-Ho, another Top 100 BlackClassicMovies.com film.

Buy The Duke is Tops and Hi-De_Ho Two-Movie DVD

 
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