Vintage Video Of The Week

Most people think the late Lena Horne's first movie was Stormy Weather. Not true. In 1938, when Ms. Horne was 19 years old, she starred in a musical called The Duke Is Tops (re-released as The Bronze Venus in 1943). These "race movies" were prevalent in the 1930s and 40s, usually low-budget and made strictly for the African-American audience.

Above is a scene from The Duke Is Tops/The Bronze Venus with Ms. Horne singing "I Know You Remember".

SPECIAL NOTE: Tonight, the Turner Classic Movies channel will pay a special tribute to Ms. Horne with a collection of films from her movie career: The Duke Is Tops, Panama Hattie and Cabin In The Sky. The tribute will begin at 8pm EST. For more info, check out the TCM website.

Enjoy!