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Cast
Spencer Williams
as Bad News Johnson / Vanderbilt Whitney
July Jones
as 'Cornbread' Green
Inez Newell
as Louella 'Mama Lou' Holiday
Leonard Duncan
as Samuel 'Papa Sam' Holiday
Dauphine Moore
as Barbara 'Honey Dew' Holiday
Katherine Moore
as Florida Holiday
Tilford Patterson
as Jefferson Lee
Albert Smith
as 'High Life' Harris
Howard Galloway
as 'Juke Joint' Johnny
Melody Duncan
as Melody Holiday
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1947
Runtime1h 08m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresComedy, Drama
Votes4
DirectorSpencer Williams
WritersTrue T. Thompson
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.5 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsJuke Joint
About Juke Joint
Bad News Johnson, a con artist from Memphis, Tennessee, arrives in Dallas, Texas, accompanied by his dim sidekick July Jones with only twenty-five cents between them. The duo arrange to become boarders at the home of Louella "Mama Lou" Holiday, who is fooled into believing Johnson is an acting teacher from Hollywood. Mrs. Holiday agrees to give the men free room and board if they will provide poise lessons to her daughter, an aspiring beauty queen named Honey Dew.
Directed by Spencer Williams, Juke Joint leans on a strong ensemble — Spencer Williams, July Jones, Inez Newell — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1947.
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