Search

Leadbelly

1976, Movie, PG, 126 mins

starstarstarstar
Fine biopic of famed black blues/folk singer Huddie Ledbetter, known as Leadbelly, who wrote or adapted such classics as "Goodnight, Irene," "The Midnight Special," "Rock Island Line," and "The Bourgeois Blues." Ledbetter's hard life is related in flashback from his early teens to his last term in prison (he also served twice on chain gangs). The film shows how he he was victimized by racism but does not minimize the complexity of his erratic personality--often manifested in outbursts of violence. Though several of his songs are rendered well here by HiTide Harris, backed by Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, David Cohen, and Dick Rosmini, LEADBELLY focuses less on the man's musical artistry than one would wish. Still, this is a very informative film, beautifully photographed by Bruce Surtees, with fine performances by almost everyone in the cast, especially Robert E. Mosley in the title role. leave a comment
Advertisement
Leadbelly - No Stranger to the Blues
Buy Leadbelly - No Stranger to the Blues from Amazon.com
From TRO - The Richmond Organization (Paperback)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $14.96 (as of 9:56 AM EST - more info)
The Midnight Special: A Novel about Leadbelly
Buy The Midnight Special: A Novel about Leadbelly from Amazon.com
From AuthorHouse (Paperback)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarnostarnostar
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $17.54 (as of 9:56 AM EST - more info)

more Leadbelly products

Advertisement