This week’s mystery movie was the 1947 film Boy! What a Girl, with Betti Mays, Elwood Smith, Duke Williams, Sheila Guyse, Warren Patterson, Al Jackson, Sybil Lewis, Tim Moore, Milton Wood, the Slam Stewart Trio, Big Sid Catlett and his band, Basil Spears, Ann Cornell and the Harlemaniacs. Introducing Deek Watson and the Brown Dots. Guest artist: Gene Krupa.
Satchel Mouth Baby, words and music by Mary Lou Williams.
Just in Case You Change Your Mind, words and music by Harry Patterson, Melvin Bell and Deek Watson.
Oh Me, Oh My, Oh Gosh, words and music by Slam Stewart.
Slamboree music by Slam Stewart.
I Just Refuse to Sing the Blues, words and music by Walter Bishop.
Crazy Riffin words and music by Walter Fuller and Robert Brown.
Photographed by George Webber.
Music supervisor John Gluskin.
Art direction by Sam Corso.
Costumes by Ann Blazier.
Makeup by Morgan Jones.
Edited by Jack Kemp.
Sound by Mac Williams
Casting by Billy Shaw.
Technical director J.M. Lehrfeld.
Original screenplay by Vincent Valentini.
Produced by Jack Goldberg and Arthur Leonard.
Directed by Arthur Leonard.
Further information on Boy! What a Girl is available from the AFI Catalog (which seems to have vapor lock at the moment).
Boy! What a Girl is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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June is Pride Month, so I rummaged through the archives and found a film dealing with drag: the 1947 film Boy! What a Girl. There are virtually no reviews of the film, which was mostly publicized in Black newspapers. The musical performances are excellent. The plot is not much more than an extended skit.
Writing in the Cleveland Call and Post, a Black newspaper, Bob Williams wrote (April 19, 1947):
After sitting through a very pleasant hour and eight minutes of a showing of the highly celebrated All-Negro motion picture Boy! What a Girl! I was thoroughly convinced that the picture would receive at least three bell rating from a large audience of Negroes who will view the film. I was just as thoroughly convinced, however, that there is a large audience of Negroes who — if they see the sepia cinema — will go away declaring it is not the all-Negro picture for which they have been waiting, lo, these so many years….
….Given better direction, better lighting, better selection of stars and characters, and at least $50,000 per picture, Herald Producers should do a pretty good job of actually raising the standards of Negro motion pictures if they will cast in real life plots with authentic stories. Larger audiences will be drawn when the themes strike a higher level of Negro social activity and discontinue the boogie woogie specialty. The dialect is definitely improved — in fact the stage is all set for a genuine departure from the corny, slapstick burlesque which has characterized the Negro films from their inception so many years ago that failure to reform indicates a refusal to conform.
For Monday, we have mysterious characters at a cafe.
Update: This is Milton Wood, left, and possibly Lorenzo Tucker, center. Back of the Head Guy remains unidentified.
And we have a mysterious pianist.
Update: Thanks to regular reader Bob Hansen, who identified our mysterious pianist as Basil Spears! I gave credit for Mary Lou Williams, as one of her songs is in the film, but I’m not positive this is her. The pianist is introduced in the film as “my protege.”
For Tuesday, we have two mysterious guests.
Update: This is Sybil Lewis and Warren Patterson.
Brain Trust roll call: Mark G. (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious pianist).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious drummer.
Update: This is Big Sid Catlett.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious pianist and Tuesday’s mystery woman).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have two mysterious couples.
Update: This is, from left, Betti Mays, Elwood Smith, Sheila Guyse and Duke Williams
We also have these two mysterious fellows.
Update: This is Warren Patterson, left, and Al Jackson.
Brain Trust roll call: Thom and Megan (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious drummer), Sylvia (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious fellows), Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests) and Bob Hansen (Wednesday’s mysterious drummer).
For Friday, we have two mysterious guests.
Update: This is Al Jackson, left, and Tim Moore.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia (Thursday’s mysterious guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Hazel Scott in THE HEAT’S ON.
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Or is it her TV show?
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Both of those gents remind me of Mischa Auer
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Probably not Hazel Scott; nonetheless.
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Monday’s mystery pianist is Mary Lou Williams in 1947’s “Boy! What a Girl!”.
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I wasn’t sure Monday’s piano player was Mary Lou Williams but I think it must be, and this is BOY! WHAT A GIRL! from 1947. Tuesday has Sybil Lewis.
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I don’t know this movie – is that Dorothy Donegan at the piano?
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An excellent guess! But alas, it is not… All will be clear by Friday!
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Our movie is Boy! What a Girl! with Sidney Catlett and his band for today. We think Monday’s guests are Duke Williams and Elwood Smith.
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Thanks to Mr Catlett
Boy! What a Girl 1947
Elwood Smith, Duke Williams (I think) and the young lady who breaks from the jazz vibe and plays Claire de Lune. So far she seems ‘unidentified’, tho a couple of review folks have misidentified her. She’s not Mary Lou Williams or Beryl Booker.
Tuesday – Sybil Lewis and Warren Patterson (of the comedy team Patterson & Jackson) playing the landlord.
Wednesday – Big Sid Catlett and his band.
Watched some clips. This is a really funny movie with good performances. I’m so impressed that they made a point of showcasing women, black women musicians/performers and that this is in 1947!
I’ll find the movie so I can enjoy the whole thing.
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Is Wednesday’s drummer Big Sid Catlett?
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Monday’s guys are NOT the two guys in love with the daughters of their future ‘show angel’ Mr Cummings.
Instead they are the jealous French lover and his assistant – Milton Woods and Lorenzo Tucker. Truly goofy duo (love the ‘proof’ of being “French” I one sequence by singing Frere Jacques.)
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Elwood Smith, Duke Williams, Betti Mays and Sheila Guyse in image 1. The comic team of Patterson and Jackson (Warren and Al) in image 2
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Friday – Al Jackson, one of the suitors of our “cigar smoking lady”, Tim Moore (later to join the Amos and Andy TV show – a program my parents refused to let us watch when I was a kid in the 50s)
That being said, this movie was really fun to watch and Big Sid Catlett is a wonder.
I’d never heard of this film and it was terrific seeing black performers of so many styles and talents in a feature and not just a ‘soundie short’, though I’m really grateful that the soundies exist thank goodness!
Thanks for choosing this for the mystery puzzle.
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I believe I have identified the female pianist in the film known only as the “protege”. She is Basil Spears (in spite of the masculine first name). She was a pianist, organist, dancer and singer who made a couple of records on the MGM label in 1952.
Her profile, along with some photos, can be found on the Discogs website.
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You’re right and I see she is identified as “self” in the cast list on IMDB. Unfortunately the AFI catalog (which I prefer over IMDB) has been down for days and I’ve been waiting for it to come back online. Good job!
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I think you’re right. I had just shown up to say it was possibly Hadda Brooks, there’s an album called “Piano Singers Blues” with a photo of Hadda on the back in what looks like almost exactly the same outfit worn in this movie, but after reading your comment I looked it up and found one — just one! — mention of Basil Spears in the movie, in an ad in the Omaha Guide, Omaha’s black newspaper at the time. They actually did several articles on Basil Spears over the years, shame it’s so hard to find photos of her but one in Omaha Guide on 30 Dec 1944 does look like the same woman.
https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn93062828/1947-11-29/ed-1/seq-4/#words=basil+spears
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Okay yeah I have to show you this photo from the back of “Piano Singers Blues,” because I swear this is the same woman in the same dress as in the movie, but it looks like it’s labeled as “Hadda Brooks.” The button/brooch on the dress is even the same. This so bizarre! Is Basil Spears the other piano player? I thought that was Beryl Booker.
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One more thing: In Monday’s photo with Milton Wood, I’m sure that’s not Lorenzo Tucker in the middle. He was a bigger star at the time who would have had a much larger role than that particular character. Also his photos don’t resemble this man.
I’m still trying to figure out who he is.
Thanks!
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