Leadbelly (1976)
August 7, 2023 9:55 AM - Subscribe

A biography of Huddie Ledbetter (Roger E. Mosley), this drama follows the life of the highly influential African-American blues singer and guitarist, who was better known as "Leadbelly." The trouble-prone musician frequently ended up working on chain gangs, and, when not incarcerated, he sometimes traveled around with fellow renowned blues man Blind Lemon Jefferson (Art Evans). The film shows how Leadbelly dealt with the racism of his era and found some degree of peace in his music.

Also starring Paul Benjamin, Madge Sinclair, Alan Manson, Albert Hall, James Brodhead, John Henry Faulk, Lynn Hamilton, Ernie Hudson, William Wintersole.

Directed by Gordon Parks (Shaft). Written by Ernest Kinoy (co-writer of Roots).

An average rating of 3.5 stars on Letterboxd.

Currently available for digital rental in the US. JustWatch.

box was kind enough to support MeFi with a donation. Their request was for six films about musicians, either biopics or doc. That was too easy, so I'm doing six of each. I'll be using the tag #MusicianStories

Donate $25 or more to MeFi and you can MeMail me a request for a themed day of your own. I'll fill up the sidebar on FF with six movies that fit your theme.
posted by DirtyOldTown (1 comment total)
 
Why isn't this movie better known? It's excellent.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:30 AM on August 7, 2023


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