Classic Film Review, Minnelli's Cabin in the Sky

Musical Fable Dazzles with Jazz Greats Ethel Waters & Lena Horne

Sep 19, 2009 Susan Z. Swan

Vincente Minnelli's debut film as director was the MGM musical Cabin in the Sky. It featured an all-black cast which shone in its acting, singing and dancing.

Cabin in the Sky is a fable of temptation and redemption, a dreamy tale of the power of faith and love. In heaven’s corner is Petunia Jackson (Ethel Waters), whose deep Christian faith and love of her husband, Little Joe, bring her the support of “de Lawd’s” General (Kenneth Spencer) and a flight of angels. In hell’s corner sits Little Joe (Eddie “Rochester” Anderson), a small-time gambler and frequent backslider, egged on by Lucifer Jr. (Rex Ingram) and the “employees” of the Hotel Hades, including Louis Armstrong as the devil’s trumpeter.

Joe promises Petunia to reform, but sneaks out of church just as the altar call is given. When Joe is shot over gambling debts, Lucifer Jr. is delighted, camping out in Joe’s bedroom awaiting the inevitable that will allow him to collect a new soul. The power of Petunia’s prayers brings heavenly intervention though and Joe is granted a 6-month reprieve to shape up (and head to that lovely “cabin in the sky”) or face the consequences. When Lucifer Sr. threatens Jr. with demotion if he can’t clinch the capture of Joe’s soul, Jr. turns to the seductive Georgia Brown (Lena Horne) for help.

An adaptation of the 1940 Broadway hit, the movie has echoes of such classic movies as Topper (1937), the Wizard of Oz (1939), and Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), with spirit beings interacting with the real world and dream sequences with actors in double roles (even the tornado from the Wizard of Oz makes an appearance!). The dramatic tensions between the power of community and the pull of ambition show roots in Gershwin’s 1935 folk opera Porgy and Bess as well.

High production values from MGM and Arthur Freed

Slated by Arthur Freed, producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals, as an “A”-quality production, Cabin in the Sky got the star treatment with art direction by Cedric Gibbons, costuming by Irene, and sound direction by Douglas Shearer. The Broadway choreography by Katherine Dunham and George Balanchine grounds most of the film’s dance sequences while the remarkable dance number “Shine,” featuring John “Bubbles” Sublet who originated the role of Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess, was directed by an uncredited Busby Berkeley.

Cabin in the Sky marked Vincente Minnelli’s first MGM assignment as a director, followed immediately by Meet Me in St. Louis. His painterly touch developed as a set and costume designer for Radio City Music Hall and Broadway is evident. One key factor in the film’s look was the choice to reprocess the film entirely in sepia tint. Minnelli talks in his biography, I Remember It Well, about the decision as one that “transformed” the film, with the sepia creating a “soft, velvety patina” that made it seem “more magical” – an element that was vital to his developing vision of film making.

A Musical Who’s Who of Black Talent

The movie’s stand-out cast includes Ethel Waters, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Lena Horne, and Rex Ingram. Musical grace notes are added by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, and the Hall Johnson Choir. The resulting blend of jazzy tones, soulful ballads, and inspired dancing and acting made for an exceptional film, truly a must-see musical comedy.

The talented cast showcased songs written by Vernon Duke (music) and John Latouche (lyrics) for the Broadway production (“Cabin in the Sky,” “Honey in the Honeycomb,” and “Taking a Chance on Love” ) as well as three new songs added by Harold Arlen (music) and E. Y. Harburg (lyrics), including the Oscar-nominated “Happiness is a Thing Called Joe” and bouncy “Life’s Full O’ Consequence.”

Special moments in Cabin in the Sky

There are any number of special moments in Cabin in the Sky. However, three in particular should be watched for: (1) the church singing at the beginning of the film which passes phrases of a hymn across a series of richly voiced characters; (2) Bill Bailey's backslide step in dancing to “Taking a Chance on Love,” which is credited as the first recorded instance of moonwalking; and (3) the strutting surrealistic entrance of patrons to the nightclub from outside, through the door and onto the dance floor.

Cultural and racial context of Cabin in the Sky

Because of segregation which amounted to an American apartheid, it was not unusual for there to be theatre and movie productions with all-black casts at the time Cabin in the Sky was made. Indeed, independent film companies had been making movies with all-black casts since the nineteen teens, according to Rick Thompson of Senses of Cinema, with only a few films coming from major Hollywood studios in the 20s and 30s: Hallelujah! (1929), Hearts in Dixie (1929), and The Green Pastures (1936). Clubs such as the Cotton Club and the Savoy offered a proving ground for talent development. The Federal Theatre Project of the 30s created opportunities in the legitimate theatre, with landmark productions including the 20-year-old Orson Welles’ 1936 “voodoo” Macbeth, said by historian Wendy Smith to have “electrified” Harlem.

As lobbying efforts from the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and government agencies under the Roosevelt administration increased during World War II, the major studios responded with MGM’s Cabin in the Sky (1943) and 20th Century Fox’s Stormy Weather (1943). Both featured Lena Horne, one of the first blacks to be groomed for stardom and the first to be signed to a contract with a major studio, a contract which specifically prohibited the studio from casting her in racially stereotyped roles. Horne’s experience was not particularly positive, according to sources on the Black Classics Movies website, but she helped open the door for other actors of color over the next few decades, making Cabin in the Sky not only a great musical, but an important stepping stone in the civil rights movement.

The copyright of the article Classic Film Review, Minnelli's Cabin in the Sky in Classic Films is owned by Susan Z. Swan. Permission to republish Classic Film Review, Minnelli's Cabin in the Sky in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Original MOvie Poster, Cabin in the Sky (1943)	Film Frame, Ethel Waters, Eddie Anderson	Film frame, Tempting of Little Joe Jackson
Film Frame, Lena Horne & Eddie Anderson	Original Movie Poster, Cabin in the Sky (1943)