''It Happened in Harlem'' is an American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Bud Pollard Bud Pollard (born John Evelyn Godson; May 12, 1895 – December 17, 1952) was a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter, film producer and actor. Pollard is known for such films as '' It Happened in Harlem'', '' The Black King'', '' Tall, ...

and starring Chris Columbus, Phil Gomez, and Nicky O'Daniel. The film was partly shot at

Smalls Paradise Smalls Paradise (often called Small's Paradise and Smalls' Paradise, and not to be confused with Smalls Jazz Club), was a nightclub in Harlem, New York City. Located in the basement of 2294 Seventh Avenue at 134th Street, it opened in 1925 and ...

and released in 1945. The film includes performances by various musical acts including

Dotty Rhodes Dottie or Dotty is a feminine given name or nickname (most often a short form of Dorothy) which may refer to: People * Dottie Alexander (born 1972), keyboardist for of Montreal, an American indie pop band * Dotty Attie (born 1938), American ...

and "Pitter-Patter" Pitts (

Juanita Pitts Juanita Pitts was an African-American tap dancer. During performances, she was known to wear a tuxedo and Oxford shoes, which was common attire for male tap dancers at the time. However, during her life she "danced in relative obscurity". Pitts w ...

). Rhodes was a dancer at the Cotton Club. Pitts was a female tap dancer who dressed and danced like a man. The 30-minute film relies on a thin plot to showcase various performers. Stills and advertising for the film survive.

Plot

A very popular singer is drawing large crowds to his Smalls Paradise performances when he receives his draft notice. Ed Smalls then begins the task of auditioning someone to replace him. A somewhat unknown young singer with a loyal following tries to audition for the job but is not considered. One of his very loyal fans goes to Smalls to convince the owner to give the young man a chance.

Cast

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

* Phil Gomez as Frankie, the soda jerk * Nicky O'Daniel as Little Miss Brown * Juanita 'Pitter-Patter' Pitts as "Pitter-Patter" Pitts *

as self *Slick and Slack as self *

Milton Woods Milton Woods was an actor. He was in several films. In 1946, ''Newsweek'' described him as the "colored Basil Rathbone". In 1951, ''Jet'' reported that he directed of the American Negro Repertory Theater, touring the country in a trailer. Filmog ...

as Billy Bond *

George Wiltshire George Wiltshire (also known as George Wilshire, born October 21, 1901 - died December 4, 1976) was an American character actor He appeared on stage, film, and television. He was perhaps best known for portraying Ed Smalls, the proprietor of famed ...

as Ed Smalls of

*The Paradise Chorus

References

External links

* 1945 films 1945 musical comedy films Jazz films Films set in Harlem African-American musical comedy films American black-and-white films 1940s American films {{musical-comedy-film-stub