HALLELUJAH (1929) Daniel L. Haynes, Nina Mae McKinney & William Fountaine |Drama|B&W|Nostalgic Flick

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Hallelujah is a 1929 American pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical directed by King Vidor, and starring Daniel L. Haynes and Nina Mae McKinney.

Filmed in Tennessee and Arkansas and chronicling the troubled quest of a sharecropper, Zeke Johnson (Haynes), and his relationship with the seductive Chick (McKinney), Hallelujah was one of the first films with an all-African American cast produced by a major studio. (Although frequently touted as Hollywood's first all-black cast musical, that distinction more properly belongs to Hearts in Dixie, which premiered several months earlier.) It was intended for a general audience and was considered so risky a venture by MGM that they required King Vidor to invest his own salary in the production. Vidor expressed an interest in "showing the Southern Negro as he is" and attempted to present a relatively non-stereotyped view of African-American life.

Hallelujah was King Vidor's first sound film, and combined sound recorded on location and sound recorded post-production in Hollywood. King Vidor was nominated for a Best Director Oscar for the film.

In 2008, Hallelujah was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In February 2020, the film was shown at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, as part of a retrospective dedicated to King Vidor's career.

The film contains two scenes of "trucking": a contemporary dance craze where the participant makes movements backward and forward, but with no actual change of position, while moving the arms like a piston on a locomotive wheel.

Hallelujah entered the public domain on January 1, 2025.

Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of racial paternalism and religious influence, Hallelujah follows Zeke (Daniel L. Haynes), a morally upright sharecropper, and his descent into temptation. After selling his family’s cotton crop with his brother Spunk, they are deceived by Chick (Nina Mae McKinney), a scheming city girl, and her gambler accomplice, Hot Shot (William Fountaine). The deception leads to Spunk’s murder, prompting Zeke to flee and become a Baptist minister.

Returning home, Zeke delivers passionate sermons, but Chick’s reappearance leads him astray. Though engaged to the virtuous Missy (Victoria Spivey), he succumbs to Chick’s allure. Eventually, he marries her but is betrayed when she rekindles her affair with Hot Shot. Enraged, Zeke pursues them, witnessing Chick’s fatal accident before killing Hot Shot in a relentless chase. Imprisoned for his crime, he later returns home, where his family warmly welcomes him back.

Cast & Crew

Daniel L. Haynes as Zeke
Nina Mae McKinney as Chick
William Fountaine as Hot Shot
Harry Gray as Parson
Fanny Belle DeKnight as Mammy
Everett McGarrity as Spunk
Victoria Spivey as Missy Rose
Milton Dickerson
Robert Couch
Walter Tait as Johnson Kids
and Dixie Jubilee Singers

Daniel L. Haynes as Zeke
Nina Mae McKinney as Chick
William Fountaine as Hot Shot
Harry Gray as Parson
Fanny Belle DeKnight as Mammy
Everett McGarrity as Spunk
Victoria Spivey as Missy Rose
Milton Dickerson
Robert Couch
Walter Tait as Johnson Kids
and Dixie Jubilee Singers
Uncredited (in order of appearance)
Sam McDaniel Adam, one of the dice players
Matthew "Stymie" Beard Child listening to Zeke's song
Eva Jessye Dancehall singer
Blue Washington Member of Zeke's congregation
Madame Sul-Te-Wan Member of Zeke's congregation
Clarence Muse Member of Zeke's congregation

Directed by: King Vidor
Written by: King Vidor (story), Wanda Tuchock (scenario), Richard Schayer (treatment), Ransom Rideout (dialogue)
Starring: Daniel L. Haynes, Nina Mae McKinney, William Fountaine
Cinematography: Gordon Avil
Edited by: Hugh Wynn
Music by: Irving Berlin
Production Company: A King Vidor Production
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Date: August 20, 1929
Running Time: 109 minutes (original release), 100 minutes (1939 re-issue, the version available on DVD)
Country: United States
Language: English