Sepia Cinderella

(1947)

61 minutes.

Film / Musical / Variety

Directed by Arthur H. Leonard

Cast: Billy Daniels, Benny Payne, Deek Watson, Sid Catlett and Sheila Guyse
 
Billy Daniels fans should find this interesting, showing him before he found his style. This film was released in 1947. Daniels teamed permanently in 1948 with pianist-backup singer Benny Payne, eventually dropping " Diane " as his trademark song for "That Old Black Magic ", dropping his tenor voice to a deep baritone and adding plenty of body english, winning instant fans in 1950 in "When You're Smiling". Sheila Guyse's voice matches her beautiful looks. Deek Watson, formerly of the Ink Spots, is dynamic and sings well, as does, not surprisingly, every member of his quartet. Two other male singers have solo spots, and again are quite good. Plus for jazz fans, there's the John Kirby group, which is prominently featured, with the great Sid Catlett on drums.