Cabin in the Sky

(USA/1943—directed by Vincente Minnelli) 

Mortally wounded while gambling, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson gets a heavenly reprieve thanks to prayers from his wife Ethel Waters, but Rex Ingram’s “Lucifer Jr.” has a secret weapon in the battle for Anderson’s soul: Lena Horne’s sultry and sweet Georgia Brown. Despite the competition, Waters proves to have “everything you’ve got and a whole lot more.”

Director Vincente Minnelli’s first major movie musical cast of some of the top Black talent of the day, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, Butterfly McQueen, and Mantan Moreland—but above all Cabin in the Sky remains a stunning showcase for Waters’ legendary singing and comic genius. (98 min.)

This program is part of a companion series of film and music events presented in celebration of Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971, on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts Feb. 4–June 23, 2024. Regeneration is organized by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.