Ep 29: Lena Horne in Cabin in the Sky (1943)

Stereotypes about 'good' and 'bad' women are dismissed in Cabin in the Sky(1943) through stylish turns in costume and musical numbers. The all African-American production makes it possible to draw similar conclusions about racial stereotypes. Vincente Minnelli's directorial debut was a star vehicle for Lena Horne, but the picture also claims success through the nuanced performance of Ethel Waters. Ethel Waters plays a woman with a hotline to the lord as well as the ability to perform a nightclub song about female sexual desire. I close the episode with an excerpt from Lena by Lena Horne.