THE PLOT THUS FAR
Before Madonna, even before Marilyn, there was Josephine Baker (Lynn Whitfield), an African-American entertainer who rose from the crumbs of St. Louis society to become the toast of Paris nightlife in the 1920s and ’30s. After escaping the vaudeville circuit in the United States, she gains fame and glory abroad for her scantily clad “banana dance.” But when she returns to America, she must confront the racism she left behind.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
HBO did an outstanding job with “The Josephine Baker Story”. It was entertaining and sexual, eye-opening and thought provoking. It covered American society as well as French and even gave us some insights into Josephine’s heroics and patriotism during WWII and her push for equality of the races in the U.S. military.
The confrontation at the Stork Club was factual including the beginning of her public argument with the then powerful, nasty, and pro-segregationist Walter Winchell. When she was broke and was evicted from her Chateau the men who threw her out did not know that they were tossing out the Black Pearl. They insisted that the old lady they evicted was the housekeeper, not the glamorous Josephine Baker. Her life was one that is so big and unbelievable that it has great possibility to fall into the area of legend and folklore.
Her indomitable spirit is brought to life in Whitfield’s strong performance. Josephine is remembered for her scandalous costumes and risque dancing yet, as this movie proves, she had much more to contribute to humanity. The performance by Blades is also top-notch. As for the costumes, they are revealing yet always stunning. In summary, this movie deserves an audience and one wider than the African-American community.
The Blu-Ray comes with an audio commentary from the lead actress, writer and producer. There are no other special features, but the DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track really overpowered the dialogue. The 1080p transfer is pretty strong, but still it feels like everything was mixed low for a TV-movie from the early 1990s. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase. Lynn Whitfield’s performance simply can’t be denied.
RELEASE DATE: 01/17/2012
