Big Fella
| Big Fella | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | J. Elder Wills |
| Written by | Claude McKay (novel) Ingram D'Abbes Fenn Sherie |
| Produced by | Henry Passmore J. Elder Wills |
| Starring | Paul Robeson Elisabeth Welch Roy Emerton James Hayter |
| Cinematography | Cyril Bristow George Stretton H.A.R. Thomson |
| Edited by | Brereton Porter Douglas Robertson |
| Music by | G. H. Clutsam Will Grosz Eric Ansell Jack Beaver |
Release date | 8 April 1935 |
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Big Fella is a 1937 British musical drama film directed by J. Elder Wills and starring Paul Robeson, Elisabeth Welch and Roy Emerton. It is loosely based on the novel Banjo by Harlem Renaissance writer Claude McKay.
Plot
Big Fella is set on the docks and streets of Marseilles. Paul Robeson stars in the leading role, as a street-wise but honest dockworker who struggles with deep issues of integrity and human values. Elisabeth Welch plays opposite him as a café singer in love with him. Robeson’s wife, Eslanda Robeson, appears as the café owner.[1]
Reception
The movie received high praise, particularly for the music, featuring Robeson and Welch, Robeson's performance.
Cast
- Paul Robeson as Banjo
- Elisabeth Welch as Amanda 'Manda'
- Roy Emerton as Spike
- James Hayter as Chuck
- Lawrence Brown as Corney
- Eldon Gorst as Gerald Oliphant
- Marcelle Rogez as Marietta
- Eric Cowley as Ferdy Oliphant
- Joyce Kennedy as Mrs. Oliphant
- Dino Galvani as Gendarme
- Anthony Holles as Gendarme
- Margaret Rutherford as Nanny
References
- ^ "MRS. ROBESON DOES EXIST". The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939). Brisbane, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 12 January 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
External links
- Big Fella at IMDb
- Big Fella is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
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