On J List of Movie Reviews
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The Josephine Baker Story (1991)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
3/08, 3/26
3/08:
The Josephine Baker Story is another TV movie special I saw back then when it was released on HBO.
Despite not remembering much, it's a good biopic. The first half plays out like
The Great Gatsby which is a compliment. Then, there's a ten to
fifteen minute lag, slowing things down, before picking up the momentum in the second half.
Nonetheless, it's entertaining. Brian Gibson's direction is deft, adhering well to the rules of a biopic. Lynn
Whitfield gives a terrific performance as Josephine Baker and seems to have taken on a lot of tasks to fulfill
the demands of her character.
Although the story ranges across the spectrum from the beginning to the end of Josephine's life, it's been
highly informative. After the end of the movie, I looked up the internet to learn more about her background
which is fascinating. Reuben Blades slightly overacts but doesn't ruin the picture.
All in all, it's Lynn Whitfield who single-handedly carries The Josephine Baker Story.
3/26:
Lynn Whitfield does everything to give the best performance of 1991 in The Josephine Baker Story.
Completely forgotten today, Josephine Baker was a big star in France during the 20's, and that was unusual
for a black female, especially coming from the United States. Being light-skinned helped; otherwise,
she would've never gotten this far.
The film mentions a lot of details about Josephine Baker's life, and they're quite accurate: her struggle
for acceptance in the United States, the racism she faced, the Stork Club incident involving an asshole named
Walter Winchell, the resistance work for the French which is unfortunately 100% omitted on screen, the
prestigious awards she received for it, the fact she was asked to take over after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
was assassinated, the twelve children she adopted, the wild animals for pets, and her bankruptcy despite
becoming the richest black female entertainer in the world.
All in all, if you hear the name "Josephine" and don't know what the reference means, then by all means
proceed with The Josephine Baker Story.