Directed by Allen Reisner • 1958 • United States
Starring Nat King Cole, Eartha Kitt, Cab Calloway

A cast of African American musical legends—including Nat King Cole, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, and Mahalia Jackson—star in this song-studded retelling of the life of W. C. Handy, the influential composer and musician known as the “Father of the Blues.” Tracing Handy’s journey from his childhood in Memphis—where his preacher father insists that he only use his musical gifts in service of the church—to his rise to fame as a popular songwriter, ST. LOUIS BLUES is a dazzling showcase for its megawatt cast, which also includes actors Ruby Dee and Juano Hernandez.