Comedy Classics Blogathon: Gene Tierney.

This is my contribution in the Classic Movie Blog Association's Comedy Classics Blogathon. Please click picture on the side bar to read the other CMBA's members contributions..

Gene Tierney, maybe best remembered for her performances in the film noirs: Laura (1944) and Leave Her to Heaven (1945). So, if you are like me you would not think that she would ever perform in a comedy film. Gene Tierney, proved herself to be a actress who could play calm, sweet and innocent characters, with a twist of humor... and she did just that in many of her films in the 1940s and '50s:

Rings on Her Fingers(1942). A very charming comedy starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney. Tierney, plays a con-artists who falls for a dreamer who loves sailing. The story become complicated when Tierney wants to return Fonda's life savings after swindling him out of it.. The lively Spring Byington, was the perfect choice playing Tierney's con-artists mother. If you take a little from the films, "Some Like It Hot" and "The Lady Eve" put them together then you have an idea what Rings on Her Fingers is like. One of my favorite scenes is when they are gambling at Tierney's character friends casino and she has it fixed for Fonda's character to win. Of course Fonda thinks he's found a mathematical formula and he becomes very brave at making his bets.

Heaven Can Wait(1943). Cast: Gene Tierney, Don Ameche and Charles Coburn. The supporting cast includes Marjorie Main, Laird Cregar, Spring Byington, Allyn Joslyn, Eugene Pallette, Signe Hasso, Louis Calhern, Tod Andrews, and Clara Blandick. This maybe my favorite of the Gene Tierney comedies, which is about a women, who believes in the man she loves even though he is a Casanova. You will even love the devil in this charming colorful film..

After 70 year old Henry Van Cleve dies, he is sent directly to Hell. There he is greeted by the devil, who wants to know how Henry has earned his way to hell. Henry, begins to tell his story:

Even as a young boy, he is attracted to girls and when he shows little Mary a beetle, she wants him to give her another beetle, Henry realizes, "If you want to win a girl, you have to have lots of beetles."

Henry's family hire Henry, a maid to tutor him in French and the facts of life. When the mother catches on to what's really going on, Grandfather seems proud and whisks the maid out of the house before she causes any more trouble. Henry, continues drinking and womanizing until his twenty-sixth birthday. Henry shares with his mother that he has met the girl of his dreams and wants to marry her, but he does not know her name.

Later, Henry attends a party celebrating the engagement of his cousin Albert and his fiancee, Martha Strabel. Henry, is shocked to see that his cousin's fiancee is the same girl he fell in love with during a chance meeting. The couple elope that night.

Ten years later, on the day before Martha and Henry's anniversary, which is also Henry's thirty-sixth birthday, Henry receives a telegram from Martha, saying that she has left him. Henry follows Martha to her parents home. When Henry arrives, Martha tells him that she knows about Henry's affairs, but he convinces her to forgive him and the couple go on a second honeymoon.

Now, their son Jack has grown into a handsome young man, who has taken up with a chorus girl named Peggy. Henry, goes to visit Peggy and offers her $25,000 to break off her relationship with Jack. What he doesn't know, is that Jack, already has a new girl friend.

That night, at a party celebrating the couple's silver anniversary, Henry learns that Martha is very ill and they dance their last dance together.

Jack, who has become a successful businessman, is not too happy that his widower father stays out late every night returning to his Casanova ways.

On Henry's seventieth birthday, Henry wakes up from a dream about dancing with a beautiful blonde woman, then dies while the beautiful night nurse, is on duty.

After sharing his story, Henry is told by the devil that they do not cater to "his class of people" in Hell and that someone special is waiting for him some place else.

Even though, this is a beautiful story of the women's love for a man from childhood, through old age and even after-death. It is told with a touch of humor and a couple of tears.

The Mating Season(1951). Cast: Gene Tierney, John Lund, Miriam Hopkins, and Thelma Ritter. This well written comedy will brighten your day. Gene Tierney, was at the peak of her beauty when she wore the beautiful gown designed by her then husband famous dress designer, Oleg Cassini.

After, selling her little hamburger stand Ellen McNulty, has nowhere else to go, decides to visit her son Val. Newly married Val, promises his new wife Maggie, a maid to help her around the house. Maggie, has never met Ellen, so when Ellen arrives at the door she mistakes her for the maid. Ellen, decides to go along with the idea and pretends to be a maid. Even though, Val does not think it is a good idea.

Maggie's snobbish mother, decides to also come for a visit and she doesn't care much for Val. While helping Mr. Kalinger, Ellen finds out that his son, Kalinger Jr., is taking credit for all of Val's work and tells Mr. Kalinger the truth.

Mr. Kalinger then invites Val and Maggie to the party and Maggie gets into an heated argument with an important female client. Val, forces Maggie to call her to apologize, but they get into another fight.

Ellen's friends come for a visit and ask to speak to "Mrs. McNulty". At this point "the cat is out of the bag" that Ellen is Val's mother. Maggie, is furious with Val for hiding his mother's identity from her. Val, tries to explain himself but Maggie won't listen and packs her bags.

Mr. Kalinger, convinces Maggie to come to the hotel bar for a good-bye drink, knowing that Val will be also be there. Val brings his mother to the party and begins introducing her to everyone. Causing, Maggie to have a change of heart.

That Wonderful Urge(1948). Cast: Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney. This film, is a remake of.. Love Is News (1937), which starred Power and Loretta Young. The film begins when, Thomas Jefferson Tyler, editor, wants him to write a tabloid type story about the heiress. He follows her on a skiing trip to Sun Valley.

When Sara goes dog sledding with Tom, they have a minor accident and end up in the emergency cabin. Tom shows her a phony, complimentary story he has written about her, Sara feels comfortable enough to share with him her life story. After Tom leaves, Andre shows the real story to Sara. Angry, she tells reporters that she and Tom are married.

Duffy, sees headlines from rival newspapers saying that Tom and Sara are married and he fires Tom. While meeting with Jessica, Tom comes up with an idea about how to prove that he and Sara are not married. When he and Jessica go to apply for a license, the head clerk refuses to issue them one because all the newspapers say that Tom is already married. What follows is classic fun when things spiral out of control..

Our film noir actress Gene Tierney, now finds herself performing in the Musical/comedy, On the Riviera (1951). Dance sequences choreographed and staged by Jack Cole. This was the third film version of the same story. This version stars Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney and Corinne Calvet with Marcel Dalio, Henri Letondal, Sig Ruman with uncredited featured dancer Gwen Verdon. It was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Music and Best Art Direction Lyle Wheeler, Leland Fuller, Joseph C. Wright, Thomas Little, Walter M. Scott.

The movie is about Jack Martin, an American entertainer who does impressions on the French Riviera stage. He does an impersonation of Henri Duran, so well that even Duran's wife is fooled by it. When Duran's business takes him to London when he is supposed to be hosting a party at his home, Martin is hired to impersonate Duran at the party. But things take a turn for the funny worse, when Martin is confronted by several of his women and by Duran's business rival, M. Periton.

I'm not really a Kaye fan, but his performance is good in his dual role (he won a Golden Globe award for it). I thought the typical Kaye moment, in the The Puppet dance number, as he mangles names of animals and flowers, was very clever. I also, really enjoyed seeing Gwen Verdon dance numbers.

FUN FACTS:

The painting of Gene Tierney over the fireplace is, the famous portrait of her from the black-and-white noir classic Laura (1944). It is the only opportunity to see the legendary painting in color.

The CMBA participating blogs and the scheduled posts.

The CMBA participating blogs and the scheduled posts:

Sunday 22 Jan

Ball of Fire and Oscar – Tales of the Easily Distracted

Road to Utopia - The Bing Crosby Media Archive

Sons of the Desert and Way Out West - Caftan Woman

Monday 23 Jan
Arsenic and Old Lace­ – ClassicBecky’s Film and Literary Review

Miss Tatlock’s Millions – Jim Lane’s Cinedrome

The Palm Beach Story - The Movie Projector

More Than a Secretary – Another Old Movie Blog

Tuesday 24 Jan

Easy Living – My Love of Old Hollywood

Gene Tierney and Her Classic Romantic Comedies - Noir and Chick Flicks

Pillow Talk - Classicfilmboy's Movie Paradise

The Producers - A Person in the Dark

Wednesday 25 Jan

His Girl Friday – All Good Things

Hips, Hips, Hooray with Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey - Distant Voices and Flickering Shadows

The Great McGinty - True Classics
A Night at the Opera – 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Thursday 26 Jan

Jean Harlow Tribute – The Scarlett Olive

Some Like It Hot – Twenty Four Frames

The Three Musketeers (1939) - Kevin's Movie Corner

Friday 27 Jan

A Shot in the Dark – Classic Film &TV Café

The Odd Couple (1967) - Bette's Classic Movie Blog

City Lights - The Great Entertainers Media Archive

Guilty Pleasures Movie Blogathon: The Shanghai Gesture(1941).

Gene Tierney's best known roles are, as the murder victim in the film, Laura (1944). She was also Oscar-nominated for my favorite film, Leave Her to Heaven (1945).

After being spotted by Darryl F. Zanuck, during a stage performance of, The Male Animal (1940), Gene was signed to a contract with 20th Century-Fox. Her first role was in the film, Hudson's Bay (1941), which began her wonderful career.

Later, that year she performed in, The Return of Frank James (1940).

The next year, was a good one for Gene, as she performed in several films, the first being, The Shanghai Gesture (1941). A film noir starring Gene Tierney and Walter Huston, with Victor Mature and Ona Munson.

The Shanghai Gesture received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction (Boris Leven) and Best Original Music Score.

In Shanghai, China, destitute American Dixie Pomeroy, meets Doctor Omar, a shady mystic, as she is being arrested for vagrancy. Omar makes a deal with the police, to take Dixie, to Gin Sling's casino, where Mother Gin Sling might find her employment.

That night, Victoria Charteris, comes with an escort to the casino, which draws all kinds of characters, from all walks of life and she soon falls under the spell of atmosphere of the casino.

When Victoria sees Omar, she wants to meet him and Omar becomes seduced by the beautiful young woman, who now calls herself "Poppy Smith."

Mother Gin Sling, learns that someone has bought her property and that she will have to close her casino by the Chinese New Year. Now, blaming Sir Guy Charteris, Mother Gin Sling, wants revenge against, Victoria's father, and her ex-husband .

Over time, Victoria turns into a drunk and loses thousands of pounds and a valuable necklace while trying to have a relationship with a shady Omar. When someone, tries to sell the necklace back to Charteris, he realizes that his daughter is in serious trouble and wants her to return to England.

He accepts an invitation to a Chinese New Year party from Mother Gin Sling, who he does not know is his ex -wife.. At the dinner, he soon learns that Mother Gin Sling, has brought together all her enemies. When Mother Gin Sling, calls him by the name he used in China, he finally recognizes her as his ex- wife and the trouble begins.

The Shanghai Gesture's characters are deeply involved in, drugs and revenge. In 1941, The film Shanghai Gesture,(32 rejections, before it was finally released), was considered too daring to be made. The Chinese government objected to the film 's depiction of China as immoral. The films heavy censorship causes some of the plot to be very hard to follow. But.. the film is still amazing.

Ona Munson (June 16, 1910 – February 11, 1955) was an actress best known for her performance as prostitute Belle Watling in the film, Gone with the Wind (1939).

Her first starring role was in a talkie called, Going Wild (1930).

Munson appeared the next year in a musical comedy called, Hot Heiress in which she sings several songs along with her co-star Ben Lyon.

She also starred in Broadminded (1931) and Five Star Final (1931).

She briefly retired from the screen, only to return in 1938.

When David O. Selznick was casting his production Gone with the Wind, he first announced that Mae West was to play Belle, but this was a publicity stunt.

Munson skills as an actress electrified her screen test. For the remainder of her career, she was typecast in similar roles.

Two years later, she played another madam, in the film noir, The Shanghai Gesture.

CMBA Hitchcock Blogathon: Vertigo(1958).

Hitchcock, directed more than fifty feature films in a career spanning over six decades. Hitchcock did more than any director to shape modern cinema. He is famous for his narrative and withholding crucial information from his characters and from the audience.

One of my favorite Hitchcock films is, Vertigo (1958). Where Stewart plays "Scottie", a former police investigator suffering from acrophobia, who develops an obsession with a woman he is shadowing (Novak). Scottie's obsession leads to tragedy and this time Hitchcock does not go for a happy ending.

Vertigo(1958). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes. The film was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A. Taylor, based on a novel by Boileau-Narcejac. At first the film received mixed reviews, but now ranked among the greatest films ever made. Hitchcock's film is about obsession, which means that it's about circling back to the same moment, over and over again ...

The story begins in San Francisco, during a police chase across the rooftops, Detective John "Scottie" Ferguson nearly falls to his death. Unfortunately, his partner falls to his death while trying to save him.

After which, Scottie decides to retire from police force, but an old friend Gavin Elster, contacts Scottie and wants him to work for him as a private investigator. His job is to follow his friends wife, Madeleine Elster and to learn the mystery of her strange behavior. Scottie follows them to a restaurant so he knows what she looks like.

In my favorite part of the movie, Scottie now on the case follows Madeleine as she visits the grave and the museum portrait of Carlotta Valdes.

Scottie learns that Carlotta Valdes tragic life ended in suicide and that she was Madeleine's great-grandmother. Madeleine next stop is Fort Point, where she jumps into San Francisco Bay. Scottie jumps in after her and takes her to his home to dry off and rest.

There Madeleine shares with him what she thinks she is living in a bad dream, Scottie believes the location in the dream is Mission San Juan Bautista and takes her there, in hopes to make her ease her mind..

At the mission, Madeleine panics and runs into the church and up the staircase of the bell tower. Scottie chases after her, but his acrophobia prevents him from climbing the staircase. Scottie hears a scream and sees Madeleine fall from the tower. Her death was declared a suicide and Gavin blamed her being possessed by Carlotta Valdes.

Scottie had fallen in love with Madeleine and went into a great depression after her death. As he improves, he begins to visit the places that they had once visited. In his travels, he spots woman who reminds him of Madeleine.

Scottie follows her to her hotel room where she tells him that her name is Judy Barton. At first she is worried he might learn the truth, but after a few minutes she agrees to join Scottie for dinner.

 After Scottie has left, we learn of her true identity. She was, in fact, the woman who he knew as "Madeleine". Judy in love with Scottie, decides to hide the truth. Their relationship is troubled by his memory of "Madeleine." He transforms Judy so that she begins to look like "Madeleine."



Scottie becomes suspicious when Judy wears a necklace that he remembered seeing in the portrait of Carlotta Valdes. Scottie takes Madeleine to Mission San Juan Bautista, so he can reenact the tragic event in which he could not save Madeleine. Maybe he has taken his obsession too far.

The wonderful performances of Novak and Stewart make this one of my favorite films. Hitchcock is on the mark for creating hypnotic scenes and a sense of tension which will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The wonderful score of Bernard Herrman is very important in help creating the atmosphere of this movie.

Fun Facts:
When actress Vera Miles, who was under personal contract to Hitchcock and had appeared on both his television show and in his film, The Wrong Man, could not act in Vertigo because of her pregnancy. The director cast Kim Novak as the female lead. Columbia head Harry Cohn agreed to lend Novak to Vertigo, if Stewart would agree to co-star with Novak in Bell, Book and Candle (1958).

Hitchcock said that Vertigo was one of his favorite films. Hitchcock blamed the film's failure on Stewart, at age 50, looking too old to play a convincing love interest for Kim Novak, who at 25 was half his age at the time.

Filming locations:

Filmed from September to December 1957, Vertigo is best known for its location of the San Francisco Bay Area, with its famous steep hills, expansive views, and tall, arching bridges.

The Mission San Juan Bautista, where Madeleine falls from the tower, is a real place, but the tower had to be matted in with a painting using studio effects. Hitchcock had first visited the mission before the tower was torn down due to dry rot, and was reportedly displeased to find it missing when he returned to film his scenes. The original tower was much smaller and less dramatic than the film's version.

The gallery where Carlotta's painting appears is the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Muir Woods National Monument is in fact represented by Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The redwood tree showing its age is a replica of one that can still be found at Muir Woods.

The coastal region where Scottie and Madeleine first kiss is Cypress Point, a well-known location along the 17 Mile Drive near Pebble Beach. However, the lone tree by which they kiss is in fact a prop brought specially to the location.

The spectacular domed building past which Scottie and Judy walk is the Palace of Fine Arts.

Coit Tower appears in many background shots; Hitchcock once said that he included it as a phallic symbol.

Gavin and Madeleine's apartment building is "The Brocklebank" at 1000 Mason Street, is across the street from the Fairmont Hotel, where Hitchcock stayed when he visited and where many of the cast and crew stayed during filming.

The "McKittrick Hotel" was a privately-owned Victorian mansion from the 1880s at Gough and Eddy Streets, was torn down in 1959.

Podesta Baldocchi is the flower shop Madeleine visits as she is being followed by Scottie. The Podesta Baldocchi flower shop now does business from a location at 410 Harriet Street. It is well-known today as the "World's Oldest Family Owned Florist".

The sanatorium is 351 Buena Vista East, formerly St. Joseph's Hospital, now Park Hill condominiums.

The Empire Hotel is a real place, called the York Hotel, and now (as of January 2009) the Hotel Vertigo at 940 Sutter Street.

Please click here to read Lady Eves article: Shooting on a beautiful San Francisco day.

Jimmy Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997), was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime Achievement award.  He also had a military career and was a World War II and Vietnam War veteran, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve.

Throughout his seven decades in Hollywood, Stewart had a very versatile career and performed in the classics: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo.

Kim Novak (born February 13, 1933), is best known for her performance in the classic film , Vertigo. Novak retired from acting in 1991 and has become an artist of oil paintings. She lives with her veterinarian husband on a ranch in, Oregon, where they raise livestock.

Barbara Bel Geddes(October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005), Her film career began with The Long Night (1947), starring Henry Fonda, a remake of the French film, Le Jour se lève (1939). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for, I Remember Mama (1948). She found new opportunity when Alfred Hitchcock cast her in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Hitchcock cast her again with James Stewart in Vertigo (1958), as the long-suffering bohemian Midge. Bel Geddes also starred with Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong in the musical, The Five Pennies.

Nineteen other classic movie blogs will post reviews and articles on many Hitchcock films. I 'm really looking forward to a day of wonderful movie reviews about one of my favorite directors. Please join us.

The Birds – Classic Film & TV Café
Dial M for Murder – True Classics: The ABCs of Film
The Lady Vanishes – MacGuffin Movies
Lifeboat – Classicfilmboy’s Movie Paradise
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) – Reel Revival
Marnie – My Love of Old Hollywood
Mr. and Mrs. Smith – Carole & Co.
North By Northwest – Bette’s Classic Movie Blog
Notorious – Twenty Four Frames
The Pleasure Garden – Thrilling Days of Yesteryear
Rear Window – Java’s Journey
Rebecca – ClassicBecky’s Film and Literary Review
Rope – Kevin’s Movie Corner
Shadow of a Doubt - Great Entertainers Media Archive
The 39 Steps – Garbo Laughs
Three Classic Hitchcock Killers – The Lady Eve’s Reel Life
Torn Curtain - Via Margutta 51
The Trouble with Harry – Bit Part Actors
Vertigo – Noir and Chick Flicks
The Wrong Man – The Movie Projector

Black History Month Classic Movie Blogathon: LADY SINGS THE BLUES (1972)

During the 1970's through the mid-1980's, Diana Ross was one of the most successful female artists, crossing over into film, TV and Broadway. She received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her 1972 role as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues, where she won a Golden Globe award. She won awards at the American Music Awards, twelve Grammy Award nominations, and won a Tony Award for An Evening with Diana Ross, in 1977. In 1993, the Guinness Book of World Records declared Diana Ross the most successful female music artist in history with a total of eighteen number-one singles. Twelve as lead singer of The Supremes and six as a soloist. Ross was the first female solo artist to have six number-ones hits. This puts her in a tie for fifth place among solo female artists with the most number-one hits. She is also one of the few recording artists to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one as a solo artist and the other as a member of The Supremes. In December 2007, she received a John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Honors Award. Including her work with The Supremes, Ross has released 67 albums.

LADY SINGS THE BLUES (1972)
In 1971, Motown announced that Diana Ross was going to portray jazz singer Billie Holiday. A film loosely based on Holiday's autobiography Lady Sings the Blues (1956) written by Holiday and William Dufty. The critics were not convinced that Ross was perfect for the role. Ross and Holiday were considered to be very different in singing styles and appearance. Ross knew little about Holiday, but.. was not really a big fan of jazz.

October 1972, Lady Sings the Blues was a huge success. The movie co-starred Billy Dee Williams and Louis McKay. The cast also included Richard Pryor as the "Piano Man". In 1973, Ross was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for "Best Actress". Winning a Golden Globe for Best Newcomer. The soundtrack album for Lady Sings the Blues reached number one on the Billboard 200 for two weeks.

The story begins 1936, New York City, where Billie Holiday is arrested and taken to the NYPD police station: The film goes back in time to 1928, where you hear a woman call Billie by her real name, "Eleanora". Billie has an run in with a rapist, the madame comes to her rescue and throws him out and sends Billie home. Soon after, her Aunt and her children leave, Billie, puts on a record to listen to, only to find the rapist has followed her home. Billie, tries to leave, but the rapist over powers her.

In the next scene, Billie is taken to her mother by the a police officer. Her mother feeds Billie, and sets up a job for her to clean at a brothel in the Harlem. The brothel is run by a woman Ms. Edson. One night, Billie goes to a nightclub, owned by Reg Hanley. Reg tries to get rid of Billie, but she says that she knows every single song. She meets Louis McKay, then a guard picks Billie up and takes her out of the club. Later when, Billie is all alone in her room, Ms. Edson sends up a customer, who tries to get Billie in bed with him. Billie, all dressed up, says.. "Sorry. I've just quit the business". Billie goes to the club where she was once kicked out of, and auditions. Reg tells her to leave when she can not keep up with the others girl's dance routine. Billie finds her best friend the Piano Man , who plays the song "All of Me". Reg believes she has a talent for singing, and hires her and she quickly takes the stage name of "Billie Holiday." Billie's debut at the nightclub, does not go well.



After the show Billie receives a paycheck, and flowers sent from Louis. Billie begins to date Louis and a secret life of a heroin addict. She is soon discovered by two men, who sign her to Decca Records. By the end of the 1930s, Holiday becomes a famous jazz singer. At the height of her success, Billie experiences a horrific moment. Which inspires her to record one of the most controversial songs in history, Strange Fruit.

I thought Diana Ross on screen performance was amazing. She realistically shows the up and downs of Holiday's life. I'm not really a Richard Pryor fan, but his powerful performance, in his supporting role as the piano player was also amazing..

BILLIE HOLIDAY:
Billie Holiday, also has been portrayed by Ernestine Jackson, in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. In 1987, Billie Holiday was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She ranked #6 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Rock n' Roll in 1999, and she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. There have been many tributes to Billie Holiday, including "The Day Lady Died", a 1959 poem by Frank O'Hara, and "Angel of Harlem", a 1988 release by the group U2. A 1953 Holiday concert in New York is a key feature of the 2009 Arthur Phillips novel The Song is You.

United States Postal Service introduced a Billie Holiday postage stamp in 1994.



Billie Holiday, also has performed in a couple of films. The first was in 1933, Billie Holiday played an extra in Paul Robeson's The Emperor Jones. Then, in 1935, she played role as a woman being abused by her lover in Duke Ellington's "Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life". She also sang a tune called "Saddest Tale". ‎Holiday had one major film performance, opposite Louis Armstrong in New Orleans (1947). The musical drama featured Holiday singing with Armstrong and his band and was directed by Arthur Lubin. Holiday was not very happy that her role was that of a maid. she thought she was going to play herself in the film. Singing a couple of songs in a nightclub setting. Holiday also performed in the 1950 Universal-International short film "'Sugar Chile' Robinson, Billie Holiday Count Basie and His Sextet", where she sang "God Bless the Child" and "Now, Baby or Never".