The Strip, 1951

The Strip, 1951, is a black and white sausage incorporating popular themes of the time. There is crime, entertainment, echoes of military service, and of course the girl. It is a typical vehicle for Mickey Rooney of c. 1950.

Apart from Rooney, (who had been in a war, plays drums, and gets mixed up with a mobster), Louis Armstrong, and, vaguely, Jack Teagarden, I was not familiar with the cast.

Louis Armstrong was the highest paid black star of the time and featured in 11 movies during the 50s. In The Strip, as in other movies, his performance exemplifies bliss.

Armstrong plays himself, and as with his other movie performances, he is used to lift the movie but not to be a featured actor. There is an interesting hinging together of the main story, which is “noir,” and the feel-good appearances of the musicians.

Armstrong was a major force for breaking down racial barriers in the movies and elsewhere. He was the first black musician to feature in films. His personality and fame allowed him to soften the racial divide. I didn’t have to wince through his performance, as I regularly did through black performances of the period.

Sally Forrest sang and danced, often doing the same numbers as Armstrong. “Give Me A Kiss To Build A Dream On,” a popular hit from my youth, was the most played.

Mickey Rooney as jazz drummer Sam Maxton sometimes plays with Armstrong’s band. How well he plays was an enormous surprise to me.