St. Louis Blues (1958 film)
# St. Louis Blues (1958 film)

St. Louis Blues is a 1958 American film broadly based on the life of W. C. Handy. It stars jazz and blues greats Nat "King" Cole, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, and Barney Bigard, as well as gospel singer Mahalia Jackson and actress Ruby Dee. The film's soundtrack uses over ten of Handy's songs, including the title song. In conjunction with the film, Cole recorded an album of W. C. Handy compositions, arranged by Nelson Riddle, and Fitzgerald incorporated "St. Louis Blues" into her concert repertoire.

## Cast

* Nat King Cole as W.C. Handy
* Eartha Kitt as Gogo Germaine
* Cab Calloway as Blade
* Ella Fitzgerald as herself
* Mahalia Jackson as Bessie May
* Ruby Dee as Elizabeth
* Juano Hernandez as Rev. Charles Handy
* Teddy Buckner as Musician
* Barney Bigard as Musician
* George Callender as Musician
* Lee Young as Musician
* George Washington as Musician
* Billy Preston as Will Handy as a boy
* Pearl Bailey as Aunt Hagar
* Jester Hairston as Choir Master/Singer

## Release

The film had its world premiere on April 10, 1958, at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, less than two weeks after Handy's death.

