Tall Tan And Terrific

2322. TALL, TAN and TERRIFIC (1946-USA). With MANTAN MORELAND, FRANCINE EVERETT. A spiffy all-black-cast musical in which the famed character comedian Mantan Moreland is featured as himself. He is one of the performers appearing on stage at the Golden Slipper, a popuÂlar Harlem nightspot. The Slipper is owned by Handsome Harry, who recently has lost a wad of money to a slick and crooked gambler named Duke. The gambler covets the Golden Slipper and is eagerly expecting to soon be in possession of the club. The conflict between Harry and Duke evenÂtually escalates into murder, with the murder weapon being Harry’s stolen gun. This plot serves as the backdrop for a series of toe-tapping musical numbers featuring leggy chorus girls and sure-handÂed boogie woogie jazz pianists, a classy all-girt orchestra and a zippy tap-dancing duo. Not to forget Moreland cracking up the crowd with his comedy and a sultry and disarming torch singer known as T.T.&T. (which stands for Tall, Tan and Terrific). She is played by Francine Everett, a lovely actress with the looks and talent to have made it big in Hollywood. She just might have, had she not been working at a time where opportunities in the movie business for attractive black singer-actresses were practically nil. 42 minutes. ÒAll BlackÓ Musical