St. Louis Blues (Paramount Pictures) (1958)

FABULOUS BEALE STREET BACKGROUNDS STAR-STUDDED FILM ‘ST. LOUIS BLUES’ (Day Before Opening) Storied Memphis, gaudy Beale Street, the turbulent world of the blue note and the man who discovered it arrive tomorrow at thee. Siew a Theatre with Paramount’s “St. Louis Blues.’”’ The story of W. C. Handy, the VistaVision filmization of the life and Still No. P4121-1 MatiA The fabulous Nat “King” Cole heads a cast of rhythm-and-blues greats in Paramount’s “St. Louis Blues,” VistaVision biofilm due STONE ees at the ....... Theatre. Nat ‘King’ Cole Plays Life of Blues Creator The first major acting assignment for Nat “King” Cole, in Paramount’s “St. Louis Blues,” was termed a “downright eerie” experience by the recording star. The King portrays W. C. Handy, creator of the blues, in the VistaVision musical drama currently at the sneer Theatre, and he found that the fabulous Handy’s life coincided remarkably with his own. “Both of us were the sons of ministers,” he pointed out, “and both our fathers firmly disapproved of our playing jazz. It took a long time before my father became reconciled to my singing, as it did with Mr. Handy.” Cole stars opposite Eartha Kitt, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and Mahalia Jackson in the Handy career story. —® times of the genius of jazz is packed with a glittering roster of top performers of the music that set the world dancing and singing. In his first major acting role, Nat “King” Cole stars as Handy, and starring with him are tempestuous Eartha Kitt; nightclub and screen favorite Pearl Bailey; all-time-great rhythm-and-blues artist Cab Calloway; the country’s leading female vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald; and world-renowned gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson. In support are Ruby Dee, Juano Hernandez and a half-dozen noted instrumentalists. Rarely has a single film combined so much talent or had so colorful a story to tell. Rhythm-and-blues was born out of turmoil, the unrest of Handy’s life as well as of the Mississippi River roustabouts and the denizens of Beale Street’s honky-tonks. Inspired and compelled by that wild world and its primitive music, Handy fought his bitterly opposed religious family, personal misfortune that would have finished another man and the lures of Memphis itself to create a new music form and bring it from Beale Street to Carnegie Hall. The story of his titanic struggles, backgrounded by lusty Memphis, is the story of “St. Louis Blues.” W. C. Handy Original Tune Sung First Time in Film Among the fourteen famous songs of W. C. Handy heard in Paramount’s “St. Louis Blues,” curTently sat thee. 4eee Theatre, is a Handy original titled ‘Morning Star,” written some thirty years ago but never before presented. A change of pace from the immortal rhythm-and-blues rousers, the tune is sung by Nat “King” Cole, who portrays the creator of the blues opposite Eartha Kitt, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and Mahalia Jackson. Reminiscent in quality of some of Cole’s most memorable hits, “Morning Star,’”’ with new lyrics by Mack David, is headed for the top as a new Cole gem. Still No. 11528-73 Mat 2A Struggling songwriter Nat “King” Cole, on the trumpet, steps along in a Beale St. parade, in scene from Paramount’s “St. Louis Blues,” VistaVision delighter due ........ BUS or ie es Theatre. Eartha Kitt, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson round out great star cast in biofilm based on life and music of W. C. Handy, creater of the blues. 2 ‘ST. LOUIS BLUES’ TELLS RHYTHM-FILLED STORY OF W. C. HANDY AND THE BIRTH OF THE BLUES (First Story) “St. Louis Blues,” the star-packed story of the man and the songs that began America’s rhythm-andblues age, will arrive ........ at TeiEN. eee Theatre, with an unprecedented array of top artists performing in the Paramount VistaVision filmization of the life and career of the fabulous W. C. Handy, creator of the blues. Portraying Handy is Nat “King” Cole and starring with him are Eartha Kitt, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and worldfamed gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. Ruby Dee and Juano Hernandez are featured along with noted instrumentalists Barney Bigard, Teddy Buckner, George ‘“‘Red” Callender, George Washington and Lee Young. Set mostly in Memphis, cradle of the blues, “St. Louis Blues” is the musicand drama-filled story of the man who fought the stern dictates of his religious father, deep personal misfortune and the pitfalls of the wild world of the honky-tonks to become America’s foremost blues songwriter. To his credit along with the immortal “St. Louis Blues” are such classics as “Beale Street Blues,” ‘Careless Love,” “Memphis Blues” and “Yellow Dog Blues,” and fourteen of his songs, instrumentals and spirituals are performed by the film’s great cast. Music for “St. Louis Blues” was arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Allen Reisner directed from Robert Smith’s and Ted Sherdeman’s. screenplay, with Robert Smith also producing. Still No. 11528-9 Mat 1B Winsome twosome are Nat “King” Cole and Pearl Bailey, heading great star cast of Paramount’s VistaVision “St. Louis Blues,” at the rounds Pegetewe Theatre. Busy Stars Hit Road To Keep Movie Date Getting the six stars of Paramount’s “St. Louis Blues” together for filming turned out to be a problem in logistics for Robert Smith, producer of the story of W. C. Handy, creator of the blues. The scintillating sextet of the VistaVision musical drama now at [Rove eee ee Theatre is made up of Nat “King” Cole, who rushes from recording studio to club and TV dates; Eartha Kitt, booked continuously all over the world; Pearl Bailey, in constant demand in the country’s plush bistros; Cab Calloway, touring for the State Dept. in “Porgy and Bess”; Ella Fitzgerald, always on tap for records and theatres; and Mahalia Jackson, perennially busy as the country’s most famous gospel singer. A case in point is Pearl] Bailey. Miss Bailey had to travel 600 miles a day—from Las Vegas to Hollywood and back, sleeping in the back seat of a car—to keep a club date and work in “St. Louis Blues.” Still No. 11528-21 Mat 2B With Nat “King” Cole at the piano, Eartha Kitt warbling and Cab Calloway listening speculatively, the song that began America’s rhythm-and-blues age gets its first hearing, in scene from Paramount’s “St. Louis Blues,” VistaVision musical drama arriving abe Sola eta at the ........ Theatre. Pearl Bailey, Ella Fitzgerald and gospel singer Mahalia Jackson also star. ‘ST. LOUIS BLUES’ AN ABSORBING FILM OF FAMOUS MUSIC AND ITS CREATOR (Review) The deeply moving story of a man torn between his unquenchable need to write the music that was to become America’s own rhythm-and-blues and his duty to a father who bitterly opposed his career is the core of “St. Louis Blues,” which opened yester day at they... Theatre. A film at once dramatic, inspiring and rich in music and the raucous color of its Memphis backgrounds, the Paramount VistaVision presentation is based upon the life and music of W. C. Handy, creator of the blues, and both the life and the music make wonderful entertainment for the entire family. By casting the music world’s top performers in dramatic roles, producer Robert Smith and director Allen Reisner have achieved not only a rousing showcase for Handy’s immortal blues tunes but an honest and realistic human story. In his first major acting assignment, Nat “King” Cole is perfect as Handy, the young musician who finds his cue in the work songs and spirituals of the roustabouts and fights his family, the pitfalls of success and personal misfortune to bring the blues from Beale Street to Carnegie Hall. The talented Eartha Kitt is the tempestuous Creole beauty who lures him on to ever greater heights to secure her own fame as a singer, and irresistible Pear] Bailey warmly plays the vital Aunt Hagar, a valiant ally against his stern minister father. Cab Calloway, Mr. Hi-Di-Ho himself, is the schemer who buys Handy’s first great song for a mere fifty dollars, and Ella Fitzgerald, cast as herself, displays her justly-famed voice in nightclub sequences. A special treat is worldrenowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, as the choir singer whose spirituals keep him rooted in faith when fate strikes him down. Pretty Ruby Dee, the girl who stands by him through adversity, fine actor Juano Hernandez, as the father who believes blues is music of the devil, and a half-dozen master instrumentalists ably round out the supporting cast. Fourteen of the songs that launched the rhythm-and-blues age and still keep it going are heard in superb arrangements by Nelson Riddle. The title song and such gems as “Beale Street Blues,” “Careless Love,” “Yellow Dog Blues,” several spirituals and “Morning Star,” a lovely Handy song never before performed, are the musical counterpoint to a thrilling story that is America’s very own gift to the world. Top Recording Stars Sing Famed Handy Tunes in Film The country’s top male and female rhythm-and-blues recording stars, Nat “King” Cole and Ella Fitzgerald, sing the music that launched the world’s jazz age in Paramount’s “St. Louis Blues,” VistaVision musical drama _ based on the life and music of W. C. Handy, creator of the blues. The King and Ella star opposite Eartha Kitt, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway and Mahalia Jackson in the Memphis-backgrounded film curTENGLY AL TENE cece wcanete ce Theatre. Fourteen of Handy’s great blues and spirituals are heard, among them the immortal “St. Louis Blues,” “Beale Street Blues” and “Careless Love,” in arrangements by the noted Nelson Riddle. Mat 1C Recording great Nat “King” Cole stars as songwriter W. C. Handy in Paramount’s star-studded “St. Louis Blues” ats s c.s.. Theatre, Eartha Kitt, Pearl Bailey, also star.