Roundtable Presentation: Stormy Weather (1943)
Stormy Weather is a 1943 musical directed by Andrew L. Stone. Stormy Weather made history being one of the earliest films with an all-Black cast to be released by a major American studio (being released by Twentieth Century Fox). The film follows the story of Bill Williamson as he recounts it years later in a series of flashbacks which depict his return from serving in World War I. Upon returning to the US, Bill meets Selina, a famous singer and performer. Over the course of the film, Bill grows closer to Selina as he travels to New Orleans in order to pursue the dream of becoming a performer himself. The film is full of numbers which employ jazz and swing music from the early half of the twentieth century.
What are the social aspects within the film’s narrative that align with the film’s songs?
Stormy Weather uses its songs in order to develop the diegesis and tone of the film, in addition to exploring its themes further. The film’s focus on romance and connections between people is explored through its use of songs like “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby”, “Aint Misbehavin” or the titular “Stormy Weather”. The film pointedly distances itself from making commentary about larger societal and cultural issues, however, as the setting which the characters occupy is devoid of any mention of race or class.
How do the historiographies of previously recorded songs inform audience relationships with the musical’s narrative and performers?
The historiographies of previously recorded songs help to inform audience relationships with Stormy Weather’s story, characters, and relationships between characters. By intertwining the film’s narrative with familiar songs, Stormy Weather situates itself within the tradition of American jazz and swing. By employing songs which had already built rich histories in American musical tradition, Stormy Weather enriches its narrative centered around performance and art. These known, preexisting songs are used as short hand for narrative development and fit seamlessly into the conceit of the film.
What musical genre/style drives the film’s score, and how does the genre/style (re)define the film as a musical?
Stormy Weather primarily employs jazz standards in developing its sonic tapestry. Its choice of songs covers a century’s worth of music – from the mid-1800s to the 1940s. Many of the songs used by the film were written or originally performed by Black artists like Ethel Waters or Andy Rafaz. By highlighting jazz music in a film depicting an all-Black cast, Stormy Weather helps to reclaim jazz within the Black community after a generation of appropriation by white audiences.
However, as most of the creative body behind Stormy Weather was white, the film depicts Black characters and narratives through a white lens. The film employs minstrel songs in its catalogue like “De Camptown Races”. The song was written in inaccurate AAVE and was intended to be sung in minstrel shows by white performers wearing blackface. “De Camptown Races” was introduced by the Christey’s Minstrel in 1850 and would be performed in minstrel shows throughout the nineteenth century.
While Stormy Weather was historic for its representation of the Black community, it also perpetuated harmful stereotypes through its ties to minstrelsy. The film opened up opportunities for Black actors, singers, and dancers in Hollywood by highlighting Black talent in leading roles; however, it fell short of making any statement on the treatment of people of color within companies or studios and it offered little characterization for its cast, a result of its own ties to racism and racist attitudes.
I think it's interesting how your film uses its soundtrack to subtly address the complexities of race and performance without overtly engaging in societal commentary. Your insight into how the film navigates the depiction of Black talent within the constraints of the era's racial attitudes adds a critical layer to understanding the musical's historical context and impact .
