Chasing a Rainbow: The Life of Josephine Baker

Chasing a Rainbow: The Life of Josephine Baker

#Documentary on black American singer/dancer Josephine Baker (1906-1974), who emigrated to France where she was a major artist from 1927 until her death.


(7 from 1 users)

1h 30m 1987 HD

The story of Josephine Baker takes us on a fascinating tour of 20th-century race relations on both sides of the Atlantic, yet it leads to no conclusion, and black girls in search of a role-model tend to look elsewhere. Part of her appeal is her startlingly unique appearance. Simply nobody has ever looked or acted like her. She fits no black stereotype. Nor does she look like any recognizable strain of Afro-American. I'd always heard she was half-white, but it seems that her paternity is unknown, and her contradictory claims on the subject don't do much to enlighten us. (We are tempted to imagine quite an exotic mix.) Her origins in sharply-segregated St. Louis, where she is said to have witnessed a lynching, do not seem to have left her embittered. Perhaps she had too much to give. There is a special innocence about that smile, and when she performs her cross-eyed gag, we are lifted into a strange pixie-world, all its own.


Related Movies

  • 1970
    Anne Bouillon : Justice pour toutes

    Anne Bouillon : Justice pour toutes

    Anne Bouillon : Justice pour toutes

    01970HD

    Anne Bouillon : Justice pour toutes
  • 2018
    Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening

    Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening

    Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening

    7.92018HD

    How did a poor little black girl from Missouri become the Queen of Paris, before joining the French Resistance and finally creating her dream family...

    Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening
  • 2023
    Joséphine Baker, Le Musical

    Joséphine Baker, Le Musical

    Joséphine Baker, Le Musical

    82023HD

    Joséphine Baker, Le Musical
  • 2014
    Visual Effects in Foreign Correspondent

    Visual Effects in Foreign Correspondent

    Visual Effects in Foreign Correspondent

    02014HD

    In this 2013 interview, visual effects expert Craig Barron looks at the creation of some of FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT’s thrilling set pieces.

    Visual Effects in Foreign Correspondent
  • 1988
    Jackie Gleason: The Great One

    Jackie Gleason: The Great One

    Jackie Gleason: The Great One

    81988HD

    Documentary about the life and times of Jackie Gleason.

    Jackie Gleason: The Great One
  • 2022
    Blum

    Blum

    Blum

    02022HD

    A documentary about Sarajevo’s preeminent Yugoslav-era businessman and mayor, Emerik Blum, and the inner workings of his engineering company,...

    Blum
  • 2021
    Path of Wellness

    Path of Wellness

    Path of Wellness

    02021HD

    A spoof weekly news and entertainment program. This week's guest is musical group, Sleater-Kinney.

    Path of Wellness
  • 2009
    Immersion

    Immersion

    Immersion

    02009HD

    Immersion shows us the fascinating life of aquatic animals that are habitually submerged in the warm waters of a neighborhood pool. People of all...

    Immersion
  • 2023
    One Night With Asterix & Obelix

    One Night With Asterix & Obelix

    One Night With Asterix & Obelix

    6.72023HD

    On the occasion of the release of the blockbuster "Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom", unpublished images of the preparation of the film and the...

    One Night With Asterix & Obelix
  • 2023
    Paris Marseille, meilleures ennemies ?

    Paris Marseille, meilleures ennemies ?

    Paris Marseille, meilleures ennemies ?

    02023HD

    The Parisians talk about it, the Marseillais talk loudly. The Parisians are stressed, the Marseillais are slackers. This war of clichés has...

    Paris Marseille, meilleures ennemies ?
  • 2020
    Wildherz

    Wildherz

    Wildherz

    02020HD

    Wildherz
  • 2020
    Esther Ferrer: Threads of Time

    Esther Ferrer: Threads of Time

    Esther Ferrer: Threads of Time

    02020HD

    The definitive documentary that reviews the enormous career of Esther Ferrer, one of the great Spanish creators in the performance genre. A "hybrid"...

    Esther Ferrer: Threads of Time