Burlesque in Harlem
Encyclopedia
Burlesque in Harlem is a 1949
revue film directed by William D. Alexander
that features a cast of singers, dancers and comedians who were prominent on the so-called chitlin' circuit
of vaudeville
theaters and nightclubs that exclusively presented African American
talent.
The plotless film is hosted by Dick Barrow, who sings "Juice Head Baby", and the main headliner is the comedian Pigmeat Markham
, who performs a sketch called The Love Making Bureau.
Other performers in the cast include the dancer Gertrude "Baby" Banks, the singers Jo Jo Adams and Hucklebuck Jones, the striptease contortionist Tarza Young, and the tap dance duo Slip and Slide.
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
revue film directed by William D. Alexander
William D. Alexander
William D. Alexander was an African American film producer.Alexander was born in 1916 in Denver, Colorado, or in Missouri. He grew up in Colorado and was educated at Colorado State College of Education, now the University of Northern Colorado, and Chicago State University...
that features a cast of singers, dancers and comedians who were prominent on the so-called chitlin' circuit
Chitlin' circuit
The "Chitlin' Circuit" was the collective name given to the string of performance venues throughout the eastern and southern United States that were safe and acceptable for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers to perform during the age of racial segregation in the United...
of vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
theaters and nightclubs that exclusively presented African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
talent.
The plotless film is hosted by Dick Barrow, who sings "Juice Head Baby", and the main headliner is the comedian Pigmeat Markham
Pigmeat Markham
Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham was an African-American entertainer. Though best known as a comedian, Markham was also a singer, dancer, and actor...
, who performs a sketch called The Love Making Bureau.
Other performers in the cast include the dancer Gertrude "Baby" Banks, the singers Jo Jo Adams and Hucklebuck Jones, the striptease contortionist Tarza Young, and the tap dance duo Slip and Slide.