Monday, November 08, 2010

Lena's First Movie

From Million Dollar Productions in 1938, here is "The Duke Is Tops," starring Ralph Cooper, who invested his savings to back his sweetheart (played by Lena Horne, in her motion picture debut) in a road show, in which both had been performers since they were kids.  A New York talent scout makes an offer to the female star as a single, and to induce her to take the offer, the title character writes a fake check, made out to him, for $5000, pretending to have sold her contract to this talent scout.  Heartbroken, Lena Horne's character accepts and becomes a big hit in New York.  This film, produced by Harry Popkin,  was directed by William Nolte with Leo C. Popkin as associate producer.

 

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