Filmspotting’s six-film Minnelli marathon kicks off with the director’s 1943 debut, CABIN IN THE SKY. Despite the folk musical’s troubling racial characterizations, the all-black musical is redeemed by astonishing performances from Ethel Waters, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, and Lena Horne, along with memorable numbers for the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, John William “Bubbles” Sublett, and tap-dancer Bill Bailey. The movie also offers an early showcase of Minnelli’s brilliant camerawork and gift for staging song and dance.

Next week: 1944’s “Meet Me in St. Louis”      

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