Rufus Jones for President
A fantasy satire on politics in which a little boy dreams that he becomes President of the U.S. and his 'mammy' is Vice President. The film spotlights two now legendary performers much earlier in their careers: Ethel Waters and Sammy Davis Jr. In his first screen appearance, around the age of seven, pint-sized Davis sings, dances and clowns. Nicknamed 'the beanpole' slim and slinky Waters looks far different from the heavier figure she displayed in Pinky (1949) and Member of the Wedding (1953). Statuesque in a long glamorous white gown, she sings her big hit "Am I Blue." Davis, in turn sings "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You." (Separate Cinema)
From the archive
A highly entertaining all-black musical short starring Ethel Waters, and prominently featuring eight-year-old Sammy Davis, Jr. in his first screen appearance. The little guy really gives it his all. Good production values and tight direction. The high-energy production-number finale is a real show stopper. Released in 1933, so expect overt racism. It is what it was, but don't let this stop you from enjoying the outstanding performances in this surprising little film. Complete print. Excellent video and audio.
Why this is free to watch
Rufus Jones for President (1933) is hosted by the Internet Archive as a public-domain or openly licensed work, which means its copyright has expired, lapsed, or was released by the rights holder. The uploader declared an explicit licence, linked in the source panel. Nitrate streams the file directly from the Internet Archive and hosts no video itself.
- Director
- Roy Mack
- Starring
- Ethel Waters, Sammy Davis Jr., Hamtree Harrington, Dusty Fletcher, Edgar Connor, Russell Wooding
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