JUKE JOINT (1947) **

Before finding fame playing Andy on the old Amos n’ Andy Show, Spencer Williams directed a dozen movies in the ‘40s specifically for black audiences.  These “race films” as they were called, may be a little creaky and cringey to today’s audiences, but they are an important history lesson.  While most African-American actors were reduced to servant roles in mainstream pictures at the time, these pictures were able to showcase their talent in major roles in front of and behind the camera.

Williams stars as Bad News Johnson, a conman who rolls into a southern town with his best friend Corn Bread Green (July Jones).  Bad News passes himself off as a big-time theatrical actor and cons Louella (Inez Newell) into giving them free room and board in exchange for giving her daughter Honey Dew (Dauphine Moore) “acting lessons”.  After Bad News helps Honey Dew win a local beauty pageant, she discovers her younger sister Florida (Katherine Moore) is going to run off with a man to Chicago.  That’s when Louella shows up to raise hell. 

Juke Joint is less than an hour long, but it feels a lot longer than that.  Williams gets a few funny lines, but the cinematography and editing is rudimentary at best.  Potentially humorous scenes dawdle and fizzle out mostly due to the static camerawork and undisciplined editing.  Also, there’s no real resolution in the last act as the movie just kind of comes to an end.  Still, Williams’ performance keeps it watchable. 

Naturally, Williams gets the best line of the movie when he tells Jones, “You’re so dumb you think Veronica Lake is a summer resort!”