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From the late 1930s on, Louis Armstrong (1901-71) was one of the very few African Americans to appear regularly in Hollywood films. He could always be counted on to enliven a movie, and he saved several from oblivion. He appeared in 28 full-length films plus several short features from 1931 to 1969, and the various roles he played contribute to the history of the African American in cinema. The Armstrong movies also stand as a history of the struggle to win respect for jazz, along with the corollary themes of classical music versus jazz, and new jazz versus old jazz. As a bonus, in many of these films Armstrong also plays a pivotal role in helping the white star overcome musical and/or personal difficulties.
From 1931 to 1969, jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader Louis Armstrong (1901-71), was one of few African Americans to appear regularly in Hollywood films. By examining his appearances in 28 full-length films and several short features (see appendix), one can gain a fuller appreciation of his performing persona than can be had through a study of his recordings alone. Armstrong's work in film also documents the struggle to win respect for jazz. New Orleans (1947), High Society (1956), Paris Blues (1961), and A Man Called Adam (1966) in particular illustrate the acceptance of jazz as legitimate musical expression. Additionally, the various roles Armstrong played-from stable hand Gabe in Going Places (1938) to himself in Hello Dolly! (1969)-contributed to the history of the African American in cinema. In many of these films-those just mentioned plus The Glenn Miller Story (1954), The Five Pennies (1959), etc.-he plays a pivotal role in helping the white star overcome musical and/or personal difficulties. He was also responsible for the liveliest moments of many movies, and he saved some (such as Atlantic City, 1944, and The Beat Generation, 1959) from immediate oblivion.
Difficulties with band personnel and his marriage initially helped steer Armstrong into the movies. To escape a deteriorating working relationship with his friend, drummer Zutty Singleton, and a mortally wounded marriage with his second wife Lil, in 1930 he made the trip from Chicago to Los Angeles and took up residency at Frank Sebastian's New Cotton Club in Culver City. The Club's proximity to...