Lena Horne, 1917-2010

[Helene]

Lena Horne died today.

Washington Post obit

"What people tend not to fully comprehend today is what Lena Horne did to transform the image of the African American woman in Hollywood," said Donald Bogle, a film historian.

"Movies are a powerful medium and always depicted African American women before Lena Horne as hefty, mammy-like maids who were ditzy and giggling," Bogle said. "Lena Horne becomes the first one the studios begin to look at differently. . . . Really just by being there, being composed and onscreen with her dignity intact paved the way for a new day" for black actresses.

New York Times obit

Ms. Horne’s first MGM movie was “Panama Hattie” (1942), in which she sang Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things.” Writing about that film years later, Pauline Kael called it “a sad disappointment, though Lena Horne is ravishing and when she sings you can forget the rest of the picture.”

Rest in peace, Ms. Horne.

[dirac]

A lovely lady and wonderful singer. A biography came out last year.

Miss Lena Horne, as she was usually billed, was a walking and singing self-­contradiction. Though she was, as invariably stressed, beautiful — except in her somewhat scrawny legs — there wasn’t a part of her that she didn’t find fault with. Some American Indian blood on both sides of the family, as well as some white, contributed to her pale skin and exotic loveliness. She was a fascinatingly evolving singer; there wasn’t a vocal style she didn’t shed or at times revert to. Ambiguity could have been her middle name; sudden reversals characterized her attitudes toward business and romantic relations, friendships and residences, even marriages, although the second lasted 23 years, until her husband’s death.

[leonid17]

A historic performer much admired in London. I remember seeing her walking through Leicester Square one afternoon and I ran through the square and round the corner just to come face to face with her startling beauty and elegance.

I remember Miss Horne being chosen to appear on Royal Variety Performance and the papers next day were full of photographs showing her talking to the Queen.

A wonderful singer who moulded songs beautifully and memorably, a gift for us all.

[SanderO]

A great lady has left us. RIP Ms Horne and thanks for everything.

[richard53dog]

What a classy lady she was!

[bart]

A historic performer much admired in London. I remember seeing her walking through Leicester Square one afternoon and I ran through the square and round the corner just to come face to face with her startling beauty and elegance.

A Lena Horne sighting was a pretty big event even in New York. Right up there with legends like Nureyev, Callas, and Jackie O.

What stays in my mind is how willing she was to talk openly about the institutional racism that permeated almost every facet of American life when she was growing up and beginning her career. She started doing this long before the Civil Rights Movement -- a time when "don't ask, don't tell" was the official party line and when bucking the rules could lose you your career. Horne asked the questions and told the truth. A great beauty, a wonderful musical artist ... she was also a woman of courage who will have a place in American history for a long time.

[papeetepatrick]

A historic performer much admired in London. I remember seeing her walking through Leicester Square one afternoon and I ran through the square and round the corner just to come face to face with her startling beauty and elegance.

A Lena Horne sighting was a pretty big event even in New York. Right up there with legends like Nureyev, Callas, and Jackie O.

What stays in my mind is how willing she was to talk openly about the institutional racism that permeated almost every facet of American life when she was growing up and beginning her career. She started doing this long before the Civil Rights Movement -- a time when "don't ask, don't tell" was the official party line and when bucking the rules could lose you your career. Horne asked the questions and told the truth. A great beauty, a wonderful musical artist ... she was also a woman wof courage who will have a place in American history for a long time.

All of all that. This one breaks my heart, even though she did live to be old and had a wonderful life. Every time my friend and I would talk about the 'ones from the old days we still have left', I'd always say something about how 'we still have Lena with us'. I really hate to see her go, the happiness and earthiness of her singing and incredible tropical beauty is on record and film, the way she brings the sultriness to 'Love' in 'Ziegfeld Follies'...her way with 'One for My Baby'--I got a stor-ray you waunna know..' She'd sing with some Southern accent intact (most change from their speaking voice speech)..in her 1984 B'way show, she was talking about how 'I did NOT like California',and that 'they would say to me, now Lena, honey, get out the-ah and SMOULD-AH!!' I've often given her CD's as presents to friends and family.

Once, in a PBS documentary about her, she came on with Tom Stewart of Channel 13, and while he supposed to be businesslike about pledge-driving, etc., at point he couldn't restrain himself, and said 'We've had scores of distinguished guests at Thirteen through the years, but I have to say none has meant quite so much...' to which she replied sassily 'You gonna give me a 7-year contract?' Just totally lovable. And she went on in the most amused way about how 'Miss Waters didn't want any of her own scenes fooled with', meaning Lena, of course, who was such a great beauty as well as singer.

Really just the most elegant and warm lady in the world. I don't have any right to expect anyone to give any more than she did, but there was just something about having her still in the world that made one feel a bit better about it. It was all that salty sweetness of which she was the master.

[Ray]

Of her career in the postwar 1940s, she described herself as "a butterfly pinned to a column, singing songs in Movieland."

Fascinating life.

[miliosr]

It's a pity M-G-M refused to let Lena Horne play Julie in the studio's 1951 remake of Show Boat. (No offense to Ava Gardner, who was affecting in her own way as Julie.) Luckily, the 1946 biopic of Jerome Kern, Till the Clouds Roll By, contains extended musical extracts from Show Boat, including Horne's performance of Julie's song, "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man".

I also have to give a shout out to The Wiz. Yes, it's a camp fest of the first order but Horne's performance of "Believe in Yourself" is one of the highlights.

[Quiggin]

Parick:

there was just something about having her still in the world that made one feel a bit better about it.

And sadly fewer and fewer of those eminent presences -- thanks for your PBS story. And Bart for noting her courageous civil rights stands.

[richard53dog]

A lovely lady and wonderful singer. A biography came out last year.

Miss Lena Horne, as she was usually billed, was a walking and singing self-­contradiction. Though she was, as invariably stressed, beautiful — except in her somewhat scrawny legs — there wasn’t a part of her that she didn’t find fault with. Some American Indian blood on both sides of the family, as well as some white, contributed to her pale skin and exotic loveliness. She was a fascinatingly evolving singer; there wasn’t a vocal style she didn’t shed or at times revert to. Ambiguity could have been her middle name; sudden reversals characterized her attitudes toward business and romantic relations, friendships and residences, even marriages, although the second lasted 23 years, until her husband’s death.

I checked out a library copy of "Stormy Weather" yesterday and started reading it last night.

I'm still in her very young days, a small child pulled from pillar to post by the different members of what seems like an absolutely chaotic family. It's no wonder she had such "ambiguity" in her personal relationships!

Thanks for the reminder on the bio, dirac!

[carbro]

PBS has made its American Masters show on Lena Horne available for on-line viewing: http://watch.thirteen.org/video/1494171751/ . American Masters gives well-rounded portraits of its subjects. Its shows are of the highest quality, both informative and highly entertaining.

[dirac]

Yes, American Masters is one of the best series on television, on PBS or anywhere else.

You're welcome, richard53dog. I kept meaning to pick up a copy of the book but haven't gotten around to it.