Big Timers (1945)

Despite words to the contrary on both the back cover of the VHS and cheap budget public domain DVD of this film, (and the IMDb credits listings as well), I can assure you that Moms Mabely does not appear in this film, not billed as Jackie or Moms or anything else. Her name is not in the credits, and after viewing the quickie musical I discovered why ... because she is not in the movie either. Despite that major disappointment, it is still another fascinating low-budget song and dance film with an all-black cast from director Bud Pollard, who specialized in these kinds of pictures.

The film starts with a statement written on the screen, "This story is about the poor folks who work for the rich folks." Stepin Fetchit plays a butler who mumbles and drinks martinis. He seems to be a character suffering from mental illness of some sort, as he swats at flies in the air that aren't there and compulsively scratches at his neck, mumbling all the while. Like most of the low budget all black musicals, the story is nearly non existent, and simply used as a way to tie together many song and dance routines. A woman hosts a show in her apartment and presents, "... the boy with the crazy feet!" He tap dances (without the sound of any tapping) to the music of an all female swing band. He jumps up on top of the piano at one point tapping up a storm. The girls play an instrumental called 'Start Swingin' and also back up Stepin Fetchit on a strange number. Fetchit sits at the piano and performs a drawling rap, most of which goes by so fast it is hard to catch. Much of it seems to be "put it down! put down the pork chop ... the cat'll get it later ..." He then moves into a comical, if not totally confusing song and shuffle with an African American dwarf dressed as a bellboy. The film is quite short at 36 minutes, and Fetchit's mumbly character is fascinating and fun to watch. It was filmed on a cheap set in Fort Lee, New Jersey. I wondered if perhaps I missed Moms Mabely somehow, but I watched Boarding House Blues (1948) directly after and it stars the missing comedy queen. The face and voice of Moms in BHB is unmistakable. It does not appear in Big Timers for even a second. Too bad.