Scheming no-good juke joint operator Tom Catt (Morris McKenny) tries to drag everyone he meets into his orbit of wild parties and sinful living. He's blackmailing local preacher Elder Berry (Augustus Smith), and he's chasing after good girl Myrtle (Edna Barr). The townsfolk turn to Auntie Hagar (Laura Bowman), an old voodoo priestess, to work her hoodoo on Tom Catt.
This all-black feature started out as a play, and the stage roots are evident from the limited locations and stagey production design. The performances range from awful to really awful, while top-billed Bowman, a noted singer and stage actress in her day, really lays it on thick as the voodoo priestess. Her small cabal of worshipers consist mainly of guys dancing around in their underwear. The print I watched was in terrible condition, and ran a scant 49 minutes, while I've read that some run 70+, and I've allowed for some loss in quality due to over-judicious editing. Still, I find it unlikely any more footage could have saved this turkey from being anything but a cultural relic.
This all-black feature started out as a play, and the stage roots are evident from the limited locations and stagey production design. The performances range from awful to really awful, while top-billed Bowman, a noted singer and stage actress in her day, really lays it on thick as the voodoo priestess. Her small cabal of worshipers consist mainly of guys dancing around in their underwear. The print I watched was in terrible condition, and ran a scant 49 minutes, while I've read that some run 70+, and I've allowed for some loss in quality due to over-judicious editing. Still, I find it unlikely any more footage could have saved this turkey from being anything but a cultural relic.