Hallelujah (1929) User Reviews

Early MGM Soundie gives Voice to an Invisible Culture

[st-shot · 8/10 · 23 February 2008]

One isn't sure if director King Vidor does more harm than good with the first major film studio sound production featuring an all black cast. While the film marks a progressive first in the industry, negative stereotypes abound. The story (also by Vidor) concerns a family of sharecroppers with the oldest son Zeke as the film's main character. It's a back breaking existence amid orderly squalor but the family retains high spirits in spite of their downtrodden social status.

After picking their cash crop Zeke along with his younger brother Spunk bring it to market to sell. With cash in hand Zeke decides to let off a little steam at a local dive where he is targeted as a rube by Chick a bar room seductress and her accomplice Hot Shot. He is quickly relieved of his cash by the two and things go from bad to worse when Spunk coming to fetch Zeke is accidentally shot and killed. A devastated Zeke turns to preaching and achieves a sizable following when Chick re-enters and diverts Zeke's spiritual vocation back to carnal desire. He once again abdicates his responsibility and runs off with Chick who soon bored with him once again takes up with Hot Shot, this time with disastrous results for all.

Hallelujah is a film of great power filled with scenes of incredible passion. A mass baptism down by a lake featuring hundreds of extras and a Saturday night church revival are riveting and daring in their intensity and energy. The church scene in particular is filmed and recorded with an audacious energy unlike any other from the early sound period. The wildness of this scene does however call into question the depiction of American blacks in the twenties by Hollywood. Segregation was very much a part of the American way back then and for many whites this film may have been their first exposure to black culture beyond jazz which was quickly dominating the country's music scene. In addition Zeke the male lead is portrayed as incapable of holding in check his libido while the female lead Chick is presented as an immoral, shameless, conniver.

In the lead roles Daniel Haynes as Zeke is not much of an actor but he does have an imposing presence and fine baritone voice. Nina Mae McKinney as Chick is a bit over the top most of the time but one has to admire the pluck of her monomania, particularly in one scene where she takes a fireplace poker to Hot Shot, informing him in no uncertain terms that nothing will get in her way of being saved. Fanny Belle DeKnight as Mammy Johnson nobly portrays the family matriarch while Rosa Spivy as Johnson's other love interest suffers with stoic dignity and beatific understanding.

Vidor must be commended for his desire to make this economically unsound project. He was as big as any director in Hollywood (The Crowd, The Big Parade) at the time and he waived his salary to get it made. His insight into black culture is respectful but at times naively heavy handed. With the best of intentions he does stumble along the way but with Hallelujah he presents us with a valuable document about race perception in that period as well as give a segment of uniquely American culture an opportunity and a stage to be more visible. The problem is there is a good deal of negativity to be found in Vidor's sincere and bold effort.

A lot to unpack

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 5 February 2019]

A film that has a lot to unpack, and a lot to consider. It was made with an all-black cast by director King Vidor with what I believe were good intentions, has some fantastic performances, and tells a good story, but it touches a nerve with its stereotypes. What was liberal in 1929 is known to be backwards today, and this is what makes it such a complicated film. I enjoyed it for its positives and would suggest viewers not dismiss the film entirely, but I'll start with acknowledging the problematic parts, at least the way I see them, FWIW.

As African-American intellectuals like Lorraine Hansberry, James Baldwin, and others explained it so well in the late 1950's, one of the mechanisms white Americans used to cope with the outrageous horror of slavery after it ended was to continue thinking of blacks as somehow different than human. An outright racist considered them lesser, inferior beings. Well-intentioned liberals often embraced the idea that they were a simple, rhythmical people, steeped in Christianity, and possessing a deep wellspring of forgiveness. This reduced the collective guilt over a horror which simply could not be faced, and which to this day has not been reconciled. The liberal view of the day, what we see manifested in this film, is of course preferable to what we might see from someone like D.W. Griffith, but either characterization is dangerous, and robs African-Americans of their humanity.

In the film, the characters are way too happy being poor and picking cotton. I mean, it's better than 'Gone with the Wind', where they're happy to be the slaves of masters who are portrayed as benevolent and genteel, but it still falls into the trap of thinking of them as just simple folk who like to dance after a long day in the field. See, they're all free and happy now, slavery is over, and we certainly don't need to think about some form of reparations for our part in 300+ years of slavery and the death of upwards of 100 million Africans. The film is trying to give its mostly white audience a window into African-American life, similar to how the 'expedition' films from the period presented Polynesians, Inuits, etc ... many of which were made with cultural condescension, and it's telling that there are no white characters, discriminating against them or terrorizing them, as if they were in their own little bubble, or on an island somewhere. And unfortunately, coming along with the singing, dancing, and revival preaching are stereotypes. One of the worst is in the way the main character (Daniel L. Haynes) simply cannot control himself around women, and one (Nina Mae McKinney) in particular. Even though we may see some of that in white individuals from other films (Lionel Barrymore as a preacher in 'Sadie Thompson' from 1928 comes to mind), here it's associated with such a negative stereotype, the sexual aggressiveness of black men, and amplified by Haynes's eyes twitching in tight shots.

On the other hand, I think we have to give the film and Vidor some credit too. To make his first sound picture with an all-black cast is impressive. The main story line could have been based on white characters, and we see a range of human emotion and folly. The musical performances and the dancing from the main characters and various others are excellent. Daniel L. Haynes has quite a presence, and his deep voice and preaching style might just convert you if you're not careful. I loved his imitating a train chugging down the tracks in one of his sermons. Nina Mae McKinney is a revelation too - so well-cast, conveying depravity, wildness, deceit, and contrition all very well. It's all the more impressive considering she was just 17 years old when the film came out, and 16 when it was filmed. The acting is a little uneven, consistent for the period, but one thing I noticed was that the performances are uniformly less reserved and restrained, and that along with pretty damn good sound quality results in more energy and vibrancy on the screen - especially as it compares to other early talkies in 1929 and 1930, many of which are incredibly creaky and brittle. I had a little bit of the same feeling I had about 'Stormy Weather' (1943), another film containing stereotypes, that the performances transcended the narrow framework they were placed in.

Because of all of the concerns about race, I think some of Vidor's great shots in the film get overlooked. He shows us the cotton ginning process, and Haynes up on a huge lumber saw cutting long boards from a tree. He gives a shot of a fantastic drummer in a ragtime band, throwing and catching his sticks as he plays. He shows us the orgiastic gyrations of a wild church scene with excellent camera work, and gives us a chase through a swamp that was likely influential to other filmmakers. Lastly, while McKinney's character falls into the age-old (and misogynistic) temptress type, we also see that she can take care of herself, in one scene beating the hell out of a guy with a fireplace poker after he tries to force himself on her, which despite the violence was frankly great to see.

The bottom line though ... was this film a step forward? That's hard for me to answer. It's worth seeing and the dialog which probes a little deeper than the extreme positions (e.g. distilling it down to "old-timey racism" or "what's the problem, there's no racism here") is worthwhile. If you want to get a better window into the African-American experience from this period, however, you should check out 'Within Our Gates' (1920) by director Oscar Micheaux.

Sure to ruffle some politically correct feathers, but important for its historical value....

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 26 August 2010]

I am very happy that Warner Brothers Video has released this film. Although it's very politically incorrect when seen through today's lenses, it is a very important historical document--plus it shows a side of Black-American culture you just don't see otherwise. Fortunately, instead of burying the film and pretending it doesn't exist (like Disney has done with "Song of the South"), they added a brief prologue that explains the context for the film and apologizes for ruffling some politically correct people the wrong way! As a history teacher, I am thrilled that they did release this Oscar-nominated film--especially since they show a side of black culture from the era apart from the famed 'Harlem Renaissance' in New York!

The first 30 minutes or so has little actual plot. The film is set in the deep South and the people are all very poor black farmers--and is told in the colloquial terms of the day for such folk. Some might ruffle (especially as some of the portrayals seem a bit over the top), but it also features wonderful black spirituals, dancing and culture--albeit sanitized and reshaped by Hollywood for general consumption.

After the first half hour, the plot begins. Zekial is flush with money after selling his cotton crop. A crafty and evil woman pretends to care about him but actually sets him to lose the money in a rigged craps game. Zekial realizes what happens and opens fire--and accidentally hits an innocent person. He disappears and is not seen for some time. When he does return, he's now a preacher--his life supposedly changed and reinvented. What will this preacher do, however, when he one day meets up with the same 'lady' and the slick gambler who robbed him and set his life on this new course? Watch and see for yourself.

Whether or not you see this film should all depend. If you are dyed in the wool 'Politically Correct Person', you should avoid it or at least have a few drinks first to calm your nerves! If you are a history teacher or film historian, DEFINITELY watch it. If you are a casual viewer wanting some fun....well, this is NOT the most funnest film you can find--it is definitely challenging viewing and very dated (and yes, I KNOW you don't say "most funnest", thank you). Regardless, for its time it was actually pretty liberal and quite a positive step for the white power structure that the film was made....even if it still falls way short when seen today.

By the way, for a sound film from 1929, it has amazingly good sound and the print quality was excellent. It appears to have been very well restored--something that can't be said of many films of this era.

Jagged, but a jem through and through

[Kieran_Kenney · 21 July 2004]

I probably don't need to go into the historical facts about this movie or the plot, as this had probably been expunded in numerous other comments. Personally I think that Hallelujah is a beautiful and powerful film, sympathetic to African Americans, and I think it's remarkable that it was produced at all.

Hallelujah is a huge production, with hundreds of extras. The cast was made up of mostly unknowns. Cast members like Fally Belle McKnight and Victoria Spivey apparently never made any other films, and leads Daniel L. Haynes and Nina Mae McKinney were obviously getting started. The cast is very good, I thought, especially Spivey (a veteran of the stage) as Rose. Haynes is okay in the beginning, seeming a little uneven in his role as well-meaning rogue Zeke, but the final scenes allow him to prove the commanding presence he could muster as an screen presence. Nina Mae McKinney is a power-house. A short, curvy beauty with an interesting voice, she has something of a young Myrna Loy. In fact, I just recently saw a still from a Loy film called The Squall where Loy looks an awful lot like McKinney.

Movies like Hallelujah are an acquired taste. When I first saw it, I was distracted by the crudeness of the sound, the jagged editing and the overall unevenness of the movie. Sure, two or three years later, Hollywood was turning out glossy productions like Red Dust and Blond Venus, with highly polished editing, clear sound and more mobile camera-work, but this is 1929. Sound film-making techniques had yet to be smoothed out. The crinkles of a young process actually add charm to this film, if you know to expect them.

I'll admit as well that, when I first saw Hallelujah, I was irritated by the voices. There's a lot of screeching from the women, and a great deal of mumbling as well. A second viewing, though, allows one to see past these "irritating" aspects and appreciate the voices for what they are. This way, Fanny Belle McKnight's agonized cries of sorrow and her singing the children to sleep is more touching than it is grating.

It's hard to know what else to say about the film. For all it's shortcomings, it's a touching film, lyrical even. I think it's a wonderful production, and I doubt it would not have been made much differently by a black director. Plus, one must agree, King Vidor was a far better craftsman than Oscar Micheaux. 9/10

Interesting Historical Document, But Not Very Entertaining

[evanston_dad · 6/10 · 1 July 2008]

"Hallelujah!" is fascinating from a film history perspective. King Vidor created the first Hollywood film with an all-black cast, and depicted in almost documentary fashion what life was like for poor blacks living in America's deep South. Alas, any interest the film held for me was purely academic -- as a film, it's otherwise rather boring.

The nominal plot focuses on Zeke, who lives with his large family and helps with their cotton-picking business. We watch him struggle with the demons that plague mortal man -- like gambling and horniness -- give into them, repent, give into them again, repent, and so on, until he comes back at the end to the family who loves him. Indeed, family and religion are the two dominant pillars around which these poor folk anchor themselves, much as they are in any culture. Much of the film consists of long scenes depicting a sermon, a baptism, a local dance. There are countless scenes of characters lifting their hands to heaven, praying to Jesus to guide them. It's all rather dramatically inert, and the film is too long. If you are religious yourself, I imagine these scenes might have a certain power to them. I found all of the weeping and wailing tiresome after a while.

Credit must go to Vidor, though, for even bothering to make this film at a time when much of America didn't care all that much about the black people. The movie is a memento of the role film can play in leading cultural progress.

Grade: C+

An Uneven Film, But It Should Be Seen

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 15 May 2014]

"Hallelujah" is a very interesting film. For that reason alone, it should be seen. It has an all-black cast and it was released in 1929, just as sound was first being used in films.

However, it is a very uneven production. We should give it some slack because of when it was produced, but not to mention its deficiencies would be dishonest. The acting, the lighting, the sound--all are uneven. Sometimes it is distracting, sometimes not.

Zeke (Daniel L. Haynes) is the central character. He lives with his large family, growing cotton. When the crop is harvested, he and his brother have it processed and baled. They deliver it to the riverboat and sell it on the dock. There in the city, with the money burning a hole in his pocket, he is introduced to some unscrupulous characters. He is naïve and obviously unaware of some basic rules of life and film: Never shoot with another man's dice. Never take a knife to a gunfight. And never, never go for a woman who gives her attentions to the highest bidder.

The story is filled with clichés and stereotypes, and it frequently drags. It has its compelling moments, like a chase through a swamp. But what bothers me most is the overly-dramatic acting. This is partly due to the fact that many of the scenes were couched in religious fervor. There are revival scenes, baptism scenes, scenes of general praying. In fact, the entire film is presented as a religious parable. Often when the characters speak, it is as if they are preaching. This interferes with the authenticity of the action, making some characters seem more caricatures than real people.

"Hallelujah" is a musical. Songs accent almost every scene. Most of them are gospel/spirituals. But the two best songs were written by Irving Berlin ("At The End of the Road" and "Swanee Shuffle").

Way ahead of it's time. A work of genius.

[grasshopper54 · 10/10 · 10 February 2003]

In 1929, MGM began the process of converting to sound. They were almost the "latecomers" of sound conversion compared to their competitors over at the Warners lot; Warners' Vitaphone was pretty much in full swing by 1929 after having experimented with orchestral sound on film in 1926 in "The Better 'Ole" and "Don Juan" and then with actual voice embedment on film in "The Jazz Singer" the following year.

Even for such a major film studio like MGM, the cost was almost prohibitive, so Louis B. Mayer was skeptical about financing a major film epic featuring an all black cast. In the first half of the 20th Century, the major film studios catered mostly to white audiences, so a project of this nature was almost unheard of. Director, King Vidor was personally convinced that this film would be a success at the box office that he offered to match MGM dollar for dollar in producing this film. That said, the executives at MGM agreed, reluctantly, to take on this project.

I was totally surprised by the candidness of the material. From the way the major studios depicted black people as individuals of little or no importance, usually portraying them in a very negative way, I was at first skeptical. I expected more singing, dancing and stereotyping. Little did I know what a surprise I was in for! MGM could not have done a better job at portraying individuals with such humanistic qualities. As with most backdrops featuring blacks, it takes place in the cotton fields of the South; the motion picture industry failed miserably to depict black urban or middle class life until decades later.

Amazingly, most, if not all, of these actors were untested individuals on the screen or stage. Vidor's direction, along with these actors' willingness to succeed on the screen, created a work of art for the cinema. A huge box office success, "Hallelujah" was an oasis in an otherwise all-white world of big business cinema. It is a shame that the movie moguls at the time did not take further advantage of the acting talents of minorities.

Leonard Maltin could not have put it more succinctly when he said about Hallelujah: "King Vidor's early talkie triumph, a stylized view of black life focusing on a Southern cotton-picker who becomes a preacher but retains all-too-human weaknesses." Definitely a home run! A must see!

A great story of human redemption

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 18 August 2012]

This early talkie was advertised as being a musical even though it is actually a drama with some very good musical numbers included. The movie was set and filmed in Memphis with an all black cast and directed by King Vidor. In fact, this is King Vidor's first talking picture. By today's standards, it overflows with stereotypes. Yet, as Warner says in its disclaimer, these images should be kept alive rather than hidden away so that we may learn from them. By the standards of 1929, Vidor was actually sympathetic in his treatment of the characters considering the times. Apparently King Vidor was quite insistent on not giving in to commonly accepted stereotypes as much as was possible in the late 1920's, since he even agreed to direct the film for free in order to tell the story he wanted to tell the way he wanted to tell it. This film is actually not about race at all. Instead Vidor intended it to be a look into rural African American culture as he observed it growing up in the South himself set within the context of a morality play.

The film opens as a family of sharecroppers, the Johnsons, have just finished harvesting the year's cotton crop. Being the oldest son, Zeke (Daniel L. Haynes) is responsible for selling the crop at market. Younger brother Spunk (Everett McGarrity) tags along. Zeke does as he is instructed, and gets good money in return for the family's cotton. However, things go wrong when Zeke is tempted by beautiful grifter Chick (Nina Mae McKinney) before he can return home with the cash. She and her partner "Hot Shot" proceed to cheat Zeke out of his money. Zeke reacts violently when he discovers that he has been had both romantically - hurting his pride, and financially - hurting his entire family. Violence begets violence, and a tragedy ensues that brings about Zeke's religious conversion. He becomes a preacher, and takes up with a girl that is on the straight and narrow, much to the approval of his parents, his own father being a preacher himself. However, Chick soon returns to Zeke's life, at first mocking his conversion, then experiencing conversion herself while listening to Zeke preach. However, it seems Chick is just born to be bad. She tempts Zeke away from his devout girlfriend and his preaching, and eventually leads him to tragedy once again. After Zeke finishes his prison sentence for the violence he has wrought, he is seen being welcomed back into the loving arms of his family - a prodigal son returning.

Although the movie does give us a rare glimpse into Black culture in the south during the early twentieth century, the story being told transcends race and time. It has much to say about how men and women of the cloth are only human and religious conversion often has only a temporary effect on changing a person's behavior when it comes to the temptations of everyday life.

If you get your hands on the DVD of the film - unfortunately now out of print - there are two musical numbers sung by Nina Mae McKinney really showcasing her talent. One is "Pie, Pie Blackbird" and the other is "The Black Network". Unfortunately this is as close to fame as beautiful Nina Mae McKinney could ever get in America at the time. Highly recommended as a tale told with heart by King Vidor and performed by a stellar African American cast.

Nina Mae McKinney- The First Black Movie Star

[msladysoul · 10/10 · 23 April 2003]

Nina Mae McKinney portrayed Chick in this movie. The untrained, natural singing, dancing, acting talent stole everyone's heart who saw this movie, even till this day she's still winning hearts. A great actress, after this movie people named her "The Black Garbo" and "The Dark Clara Bow". Being the first black actress, she had to represent her race well, and show that Blacks could act, and show Hollywood that Blacks could hold their own on the silver screen. Norma Shearer, John Gilbert, Irving Thalberg, and King Vidor was breath-taken by her acting, and after her you saw many white actresses copying her style, the hands on the hips and facial expressions. This movie isn't stereotypical at all, its about Black Life in the South, the music and styles of the time. Nina Mae was promised many more movies, but never did anything else, but singing apperances, shorts, and maid apperances. But she did get to show her acting in the independent black movies. If you ever get to see them, you won't be sorry. People say this movie was ahead of its time, maybe so, But Nina was lucky she got to show all her talents, singing, dancing, comedy, and acting. Even Blacks don't get to show all of that today. People say that Lena Horne opened the doors, thats false, Nina Mae McKinney did, representing the Black race well, and showing that we could act, open the doors for Blacks in the future in Hollywood.

Hallelujah! is King Vidor's All-African-American Opus

[tavm · 7/10 · 3 August 2006]

King Vidor had always wanted to make an all-black feature. Hallelujah! was his chance in the early talkie era. Zeke (Daniel L. Haynes), a poor cotton farmer, falls for Chick (Nina Mae McKinney) who's a mercenary honky-tonk girl. After his younger brother gets killed in the line of fire, Zeke repents and becomes a preacher. Chick sees Zeke perform and initially makes fun of him but when she feels alone while the rest of the congregation follows him, she also repents. Zeke falls for Chick again watching her do so. Months later, Chick goes back to her two-timing ways with her previous paramour with Zeke eventually catching them red-handed. She dies in Zeke's arms after falling off paramour's wagon. After killing paramour, Zeke goes to jail eventually going back to work and family as movie ends. The two leads are good although only McKinney got some work in small feature roles and shorts. Her last notable part was in Pinky (1949). If you're interested in early African-American film work, by all means seek this one out!

Not what it's cracked up to be

[funkyfry · 3/10 · 11 October 2002]

Somewhat pretentious all-black film set in antebellum south. Features just about ever stereotype in the book -- it opens with negro spirituals and cotton picking, leads to fast dames and crap games, and ends up in murder -- and there is nothing here that is surprising or even really thrilling. Some good old songs well sung, convincing atmosphere, but poor story and acting make for a below average put to sleeper.

A son is killed due to the senseless stupidity of another son. He is forgiven and goes on to become a revered preacher who ends up sinning yet again.

[chemiche3 · 10/10 · 4 February 2005]

Hallelujah, may be an old black and white film from 1929, but I found it incredibly moving. First, I had no idea that Hollywood made an all black film in 1929, just out of the Silent film era. So, what a treat it was to see 'Hallelujah'.

This story is about a poor close knit religious family somewhere down South. There's a saying that , "Religion is the Opium of the People". This film shows that there is some truth to that as faith seems to drown out grief.

When the film opens we see the entire family working together to harvest their cotton crop. This is the only source of income for the family for the entire year. Later the family celebrates their harvest when they are interrupted by their neighbors Adam and Eve and their eleven kids. They want to do the right thing and get married, after years of living together and having eleven kids. While Pappy 'Parson' Johnson (Harry Gray) marries his guests, the oldest son, Zeke (Daniel L. Haynes) goes inside and lusts after Missy Rose (Victoria Spivey). She's a beautiful young woman adopted into the family. She is afraid of his advances, but they end up in a passionate kiss.

In the morning the crop is loaded onto a wagon and the two older boys, Zeke and Spunk (Everett McGarrity) head off to the cotton gin, where its nicely processed into a bale and sold. The income from their crop is $100. Of this money Zeke is supposed to buy things for his family, clothes, shoes, food stuffs. Instead Zeke abandons his loving brother and runs off to the pier. There he sees a beautiful mulatto woman, Chick (Nina Mae McKinney) dancing. Zeke is mesmerized. Chick hurls insults at Zeke, but after Zeke pulls out his family's earnings she Chick walks away with him. They end up in a juke joint where Zeke is conned out of all the money by Chick and her partner Hot Shot (William Fountaine). When Zeke realizes he's been had he fights for the money. Hot Shot pulls out a gun shooting indiscriminately, Zeke grabs it and shoots as well. Spunk who was searching for his brother and just found him at the bar is fatally wounded. We don't know who fired the shot that killed him.

Mammy (Fanny Belle deKnight) senses something is terribly wrong when she sees her older sons bed empty. She started wailing and the family prays for the boys. The next morning Zeke returns home with his brother's body instead of the goodies or money that the family was waiting for. A wake is held and Zeke repents his sins and becomes a preacher. Zeke's style: he becomes the conductor on a train headed for heaven, complete with stops. When Zeke says this is the last stop all the sinners in the crowd flock to the train on the track to Salvation,.

Zeke's preaching leads to prosperity for his family. They travel by their own train to Revivals. In an unnamed town Zeke meets Chick and Hot Shot again. They taunt him terribly. Chick ends up at a Revival and is saved. She returns to be baptized to the dislike of the family. Viewers can feel the sexual tension and lust Zeke feels for Chick. After the baptism, Zeke carries Chick to a tent as if possessed, and is about to make love to her when Mammy intervenes. That night Zeke seems to be soul searching and asks Missy Rose to marry him.

The next day there's a spiritually charged sermon followed by a Holy dance. Chick bites Zeke on the hand like a viper, breaking his resistance, the next thing he is running out the Church into the darkness with her in his arms. Missy Rose goes running after them into the dark begging for Zeke's return.. Realizing that she's lost Zeke she cries in such a mournful way viewers can feel her pain.

Next Zeke goes to work in a factory to support Chick, but its obviously tiring hard work for him. Hot Shot finds Chick and meets her at their home while Zeke is away at work. One night Hot Shot returns for Chick. Zeke is tired and sleeping at the table when a stone thrown by Hot Shot at the window wakes him. Zeke gets his shotgun and shoots at the fleeing couple. He runs after them. He incredibly fast catching up with the wagon. The wagon get stuck in the mud overturning, and throwing Chick in the mud. She's mortally wounded.

While Chick is dying she pleads for Zeke to take her out of the mud. She speaking like she can't see him, she says the Devil is coming for her. Zeke doesn't realize Chick is dying and she dies in his arms. Hot Shot returns to check if Chick is okay. Realizing that Chick is dead, Zeke chases Hot Shot down in the swamp and kills him.

Zeke lands in Prison on a Chain Gang but is later paroled. He returns to his family who are happy to see him and we're lead to believe that he ends up marrying Missy Rose.

At times this film feels like a play, and one might get annoyed by the stereotypes. The photography is that of the time, right out of the Silent film Era. Even with its technical flaws, this is a powerful film whose message is valid today.

They say that King Vidor used his own funds to make this film and it was originally meant to be a silent film. Considering that there weren't many Black films made in the early 20th century, King Vidor needs to be commended otherwise we wouldn't be talking of Hallelujah now.

Long but effective all-black production...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 31 August 2011]

Director King Vidor also produced and worked on the screenplay for this amazing early talkie, a pet project of the filmmaker's which was touted to be the first picture with an all-black cast (it was later revealed to be the second). The rise and fall of black preacher Brother Zekiel (Daniel L. Haynes) in the sweaty, sinful South is filled with vivid performances and stunning dramatic moments, though the movie tends to exhaust one with its overlength and hallelujah choruses. Engrossing and emotional, nevertheless, with a memorable finale. The original treatment was by Richard Schayer, with dialogue by Ransom Rideout and narrative structure from Wanda Tuchock. **1/2 from ****

Highly entertaining,thank you TCM

[mojo2004 · 6 October 2004]

I want to thank TCM for showing this movie and all others that wouldn't see the light of day. Yes this movie is crude in all phases of a movie coming together today. Since it took place in 1928 it's wonderful. My mother grew up down south in N.C. so yes a lot of Blacks were poor,picking cotton,living in shacks and finding release in either the church and or what was called the "devil's business" ,vice. The first time I saw this movie I wanted to cry, everything was so sad,and ugly but it held my interest. I hated how Zeke abandoned his family and I wanted them to hate him too.The "hootchie mama" Chick was very pretty and had a natural performing talent. I felt sorry for her when she died since she only wanted to be free. Funny thing about the movie is all over the U.S. the same story about Church,Sin, the Man of God, and the Heathen Woman is still going on.I love old movies with shaky film,missing dialouge,unskilled actors and all. It's a walking, talking bit of history unfolding before your eyes. I think as I watch the movie, did any of the actors make something of themselves? was anyone shunned for even doing this? did any church come out for the movie since I know many churches probably were against it. I saw the remark about it being racist and I disagree. It's a fact that Blacks sang as a release from the real world and all the misery that awaited them day after day. What would have been racist is if the actors had been White but in blackface. TCM showed this yesterday 10/5/04 and it's the 4th time I've seen it.I rate this 8/10.

A milestone set to music

[Bill Slocum · 7/10 · 11 October 2002]

Did you ever notice that early sound pictures somehow seem older than late silent films? Maybe it's because the pacing is off. Everyone in the industry was just getting the rhythm of motion pictures right in silent form when somebody stuck sound into the mix. It was one thing to act on stage, but film work requires different timing, more natural projection, and (especially in the early days) the ability to get one's performance across a set of very unsophisticated cameras and microphones. Most early talkie actors had little experience and no clear idea what they were supposed to do, because it wasn't something anyone had much practice in.

Of course, "Halleujah's" actors had even more of a problem in that sense, because if there weren't many talkies in the first place, there were that many less featuring black actors. And "Halleujah" is all black actors. Was this maybe the first "Blaxplotation" film? Could be. One thing's certain: You won't find nothing white on that screen but cotton, and that's quite something for 1929.

Also quite something is Nina Mae McKinney, one lovely bundle of chocolatey sweetness, as she is introduced while we see her jitterbugging on a dock in a short skirt with a lucky 7 dice motif. The wrong woman to flash your wad at, as in money. Those eyes, that smile... She's Halle Berry for the Hays Code days, and she is quite special to watch, a bad girl with ragged streaks of gold running through a conniving heart. If it hadn't been for the time, and had she been given the chance to develop and work off the rougher edges of her craft, she could have wound up as celebrated as Garbo, instead of a brief if captivating film-history footnote.

The rest of the cast is good if not as arresting, and the film captures a very authentic feeling right from the get-go that draws you in and keeps you there, even after the story starts to drag a bit in the second half. Yes, there's a lot of things that will bother the politically correct, the first word in the script is "Mammy," the three little brothers can't afford clothes without patches but still wear tap shoes, and there's scant King's English to be heard. But understanding the times it was made, its hard not to relate to this very human story of redemption and forgiveness.

Was "Hallelujah" a particularly religious film? I don't know. Most every person embracing religion seems to be made out to be either a sap or a hypocrite, and Zeke in preacher mode is right enough unbearable. But there is a real spiritual dimension to this film, that of finding strength and determination in a world of misery and woe. There's also some eerie, arresting scenes: Chick whaling on Hot Shot when he tries to stand in the way of her "path to glory;" the ride of doomed brother Spunk through the red-light district of the town; and the baptism sequence with the high wails of the congregation set against the hushed majesty of a bucolic forest. Much good music, too, not helped by a scratchy soundtrack, but spellbinding all the same. Worth watching and listening to.

Historically important but sad

[mikecarrie01 · 7/10 · 2 April 2012]

I know this is the first black musical and it provided a vehicle for black actors that didn't have to play maids or janitors but I found it difficult to watch because of how blacks were portrayed. I know it's 1929 and it's somewhat better than most of the stereotypes that would be presented for the next 30 years but I get a little upset at the critical and viewer reviews that call this 'honest'. It may be gritty and not sugar coated but to call it honest is denying the racism present. Some of it is subtle and some may be attributed to the poverty and how downgraded blacks were at the time but one obvious example is when Zeke got a crazy lustful look in his eyes and walked with his arms out toward the girl playing the piano, wanting to grab her. This plays into the stereotype that blacks were sexual fanatics who couldn't control their base, animal feelings.

Besides the fact that the cast was listed last in the opening credits, you can see how this was packaged for white audiences who wanted a peek into black life, and who wanted to hear some singing but who would be outraged if they didn't see the stereotypes they were taught. The revival meeting scene played to this and was a little lurid, and hinted at stereotypical animal sexuality lying just underneath.

By the way, I'm white, in case readers might want to call me 'sensitive' (which by the way, is another way of denying racism).

That being said, I guess we have to treat it like The Little Rascals. It has many racist elements but it's still historically important and entertaining. Ms. McKinney has a vehicle to show off her acting and singing which she wasn't able to afterwards to this degree and the other actors who were not professional did a good job acting and we have a story about a good man who is nearly ruined by a bad woman but it all comes out well in the end. And that could happen to anyone.

I really enjoy this film.

[jimkis-3 · 10/10 · 5 September 2001]

This film, despite its early talkie crudities, is one of the best religious dramas ever filmed in my opinion. It gets better with each viewing, as you discover more and more nuances in the script and the filmmaking as well. The performances of the leads are stellar -- especially Daniel J. Haynes in the lead. And Nina Mae McKinney is fabulous as "Chick" -- a seductress who tempts Haynes on so many different levels -- subverting and perverting his religious fervor to mold to her pure carnal lust. The spirituals are stirring; the story, though somewhat maudlin, is compelling and quite plausible. The revival scenes are both uplifting and moving. Forget that it was the first "all-black" musical or drama or whatever...it holds it place as a fine film...and doesn't need to be pigeonholed as a historical or "race" period piece. Bold, brave...and ultimately reverent...this is a true film classic.

Innovative early sound film

[rfwilmut · 7/10 · 18 August 2018]

Though rarely seen, 'Hallelujah' is famous in film histories for having an all-black cast, and for being amongst the earliest sound films to attempt a complex use of sound, including location recording. The story is simple enough - a black preacher (Daniel L, Hayes) is seduced by a dance-hall singer (Nina Mae McKinney). Though some of the dialogue and acting is somewhat awkward, the film does represent black characters as human beings, rather than the stereotyped sassy maids and shuffling porters all too common in many Hollywood films.

It's particularly worth commenting on the musical side. The film gives, in some sections, a remarkably authentic representation of black entertainment and religous music in the 1920s, which no other film achieves. Unfortunately some of the sequences are rather Europeanised and over-arranged. For example, the outdoor revival meeting, with the preacher singing and acting out the 'Train to hell', is entirely authentic in style until the end, where he launches into the popular song 'Waiting at the End of the Road'. Similarly, an outdoor group of workers singing near the beginning of the film are saddled with a choral arangement of 'Way Down upon the Swanee River' (written by Stephen Foster, who never went anywhere near the South) - no black workers would sing that!.

The best sequence (and one which is of vital importance in the history of classic jazz) is in the dancehall, where Nina Mae McKinney gives a stunning performance of 'Swanee Shuffle' - just the right sort of popular song; although actually filmed in a New York studio using black actors, the sequence gives the most accurate representation I've ever seen of a low-life black dance-hall - part of the roots of classic jazz. Nothing else on film comes near this: most Hollywood films sanitized black music out of all recognition; and later, in the 1930s, when black artists began to show their real styles, jazz had moved on to become more sophisticated and the whole style of behaviour had changed. All this makes the film a unique document: and it's worth adding that the soundtrack is a remarkable achievement, given the primitive equipment available at the time, with a much wider range of editing and mixing techniques than is generally thought to have been used so early on in talkies.

Deeply moving

[zetes · 10/10 · 6 February 2003]

A gorgeous, all-black masterpiece. King Vidor directs a group of (mostly) non-actors to depict a picture of black life in the South. Daniel L. Haynes stars as Zeke, a none-too-smart cotton farmer who is tricked into wasting half a year's pay on gambling by a sexy little hoochie (Nina Mae McKinney). When Zeke gets in a fight with the man who cheated to win his money, tragedy strikes. In a fit of grief, he begins to belt out a gospel song and the people around him think he should become a priest. Not only is this a great gospel musical, it's a great religious drama, one where the emotions of faith seem deeply felt and real. Vidor's direction is as good as it ever was. When a lot of the films of 1929 were clunky and static, this one has a beautiful visual and aural flow with only a couple of small stumbles along the way.

Good intentions do not produce lasting master pieces

[Dr_Coulardeau · 7/10 · 30 October 2007]

First talky by Vidor with only Black Afro-American actors. The second film of a quadrilogy that intended to reflect the great 1929 depression that was to throw the US into the arms of history, of reformism and social progress that will have to go through WW2 to finally come to a real leap forward that has never been finished nevertheless. The film shows first of all how much the US owed to the Blacks they had imported as enslaved cattle and that were starting to conquer a human position in a deeply unjust society, through the cultural development they brought and invested in US music. The musical side of the film is fascinating especially how all the gospels, blues and other songs are entirely integrated in real life in the very story of the film. They are part and parcel of it all and that shows how music, poetry, religion are one only thing that gets its life from and gives life to the real world. But… The desire to give a picture of the Black world in America as being an entirely self-contained society leads to two regrettable elements. For one the Blacks are not exploited by banks, by white society, by white capitalism. Then they have to contain the causes and reasons of all that is evil in their midst. And we have it all indeed. The main poor character gambles the money of the cotton harvest of his family and loses it to a Black cheater who uses fake dice and is using a woman to bait and trap Zeke into the game. Then Zeke will kill his brother in the ensuing brawl. Then he will become a preacher and will finally marry the woman who had gotten him into the dice game when she pretends to have changed and repented her evil ways. Yet she will try to elope with the gambler. Zeke will chase them, kill his wife and then the man. He will end up in a force labor camp, still with no whites anywhere. He will be paroled and go home to find all his family happy and forgiving. We then understand and have to admit the fable is naive and even vicious since it exonerates the whites of all their responsibility for the morally and socially deprived Black community they relentlessly exploit, down to their very bones and blood. It may represent the Black nationalist movement of the time (the 1920s) but it shows how artificial and racist in the end this vision can be. Does the music save this tale? Probably not, even if it shows how much the music is embedded and encrusted in both the Blacks and the US.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

Historical Masterpiece!

[shazzarkallie · 10/10 · 16 February 2001]

I saw "Hallelujah" on cable television one night, and I had to buy the video because it really touched me. I learned that it was the first all-black sound movie, and I must say it was a classic. This was such an achievement for 1929, and I must say I immediately became a fan of the beautiful Nina Mae McKinney who played the young temptress Chick in the movie. This movie was enlightening because the characters, action and everything that took place reminded me so much of today's time, especially the character Chick as a temptress, the African-American church with its unique praise and the importance of dance and song. I loved the moral of the story, it was one of redemption and forgiveness. This is a powerful film and it will always remain a historical classic. "Hallelujah" gave the young Nina Mae McKinney her start, and she later inspired other African-American beauties like Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horn to let their stars shines. Truly she was before her time, but she helped blaze the trail for others to follow, and gave so much light from her star in this film. This movie is unforgettable and truly a classic!

Okay for its time

[Old_Movie_Man · 6/10 · 11 February 2001]

Taboo subject matter addressed in a manner that transcends race or color. Minus the stereotypical antics typical of the era, it's a pretty good film. A bit too much flailing of the arms and so forth in some scenes, reminiscent of silent films.

A great movie from a great director.

[gayspiritwarrior · 7 June 2000]

It's important to realize this was only the first year of sound pictures. Seen in that light, HALLELUJAH! has a remarkable fluidity, and a freedom from the tyranny of the sound camera that is little short of astonishing. (See "Singin' in the Rain" for a realistic depiction of this problem.) The acting is on a high level, if somewhat dated. King Vidor did an admirable job in depicting his characters' life condition, and was deservedly nominated as Best Director of 1929/30.

Historically important

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 28 February 2004]

Director King Vidor wanted to make an all black drama musical back in 1928. No studio would finance it--they figured it wouldn't make a cent. MGM agreed to distribute it--but not pay for it. Vidor financed the entire movie by himself--he also wrote the story. He used mostly non-actors (it shows) and shot it on location in the South. To everyone's surprise it was a big hit and Vidor was nominated for Best Director. So, HISTORICALLY it's important as the first all-black movie distributed by a major studio. Too bad it really isn't that good.

It's about how a poor cotton-picker Zekial (Daniel L. Haynes) becomes a preacher and is tempted by bad girl Chick (Nina Mae McKinney). It leads to a VERY obvious ending involving murder.

First off, it's racist. All the black people are cotton pickers but gee--they're SO happy! And they're all singing spirituals in the field too. Maybe in 1929 this was OK--it's pretty sickening now. Also the acting is REAL bad--Haynes has to be the worst easily. McKinney is just OK. The plot is boring and there is a funeral sequence and preaching sequences which are so over the top you have to wonder if Vidor was kidding.

On the plus side, it IS well-directed with nice use of light and shadow, the sound recording for a 1929 movie is very good and there is some truly great music, singing and dancing here. When the music is going the movie is just fantastic--full of energy--and all the songs are good. When the dramatics come on you have to deal with the stilted dialogue and bad acting.

So, I'm giving it a 7 for the music sequences alone (there are plenty of them). See it for that.

Both remarkable and dated

[MissSimonetta · 7/10 · 30 April 2023]

HALLELUJAH is a hard film to evaluate for most modern viewers. That it was made at all is admirable: old Hollywood tended to shove black performers into limited menial roles, so a film with an all-black cast is something remarkable, especially for 1929. The characters are allowed to have lives and concerns away from white people-- this was often not the case in your standard Hollywood movie, where black characters entire existences tended to center around catering to the white leads. The acting, while occasionally stiff due to the usual early talkie awkwardness, is still mostly charismatic, particularly the stunning Nina McKinney, who charms even in her hammiest moments. However, this is still a 1920s Hollywood film, so stereotypes about black culture abound, particularly in regards to the leading man's inability to control his sexual passions. Dramatically, the film is a bit lopsided too, plodding from plot point to plot point, but the music is great and there are wonderful scenes, like the Swanee Shuffle or the final chase through the woods.