The Duke Is Tops (1938)

The Duke Is Tops is a 1938 American musical film released by Million Dollar Productions and directed by William Nolte. The film was later released in 1943 under the title The Bronze Venus, with Lena Horne given top billing.

The film was one of a number of low-budgeted musicals (or "race movies") made in the 1930s and 1940s for the African-American market. The casts and production teams of these films were almost all black, and the music reflected current tastes in jazz and rhythm and blues.

The Duke Is Tops features the film debut of singer Lena Horne, who was still 20 at the time and living as a housewife with her first husband in Pittsburgh, PA. She had yet to develop the smooth, classy style she would distinguish herself with in her later films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Notably, Horne has a major acting role in this film, something that save for 1943's Cabin in the Sky and a few later films, she would rarely enjoy.

The original top billed star Ralph Cooper was host of Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre for 50 years. He also served as the movie's production manager.

Synopsis

Duke Davis is a stage show promoter in love with Ethel Andrews, a popular singer in his company dubbed "the Bronze Venus". Duke finds out that big-time promoters from New York City want to propel Ethel into the big leagues, but Ethel, out of loyalty and love for Duke, refuses to leave his small-time show. Duke, in a selfless act, orchestrates a deception to force Ethel to leave his show in order to better her career.

Actors