Inspired by the Broadway show of the same title, Minnelli’s first musical stood out as one of the first large Hollywood productions to feature a majority Black cast, a rarity at the time. Ethel Waters would subsequently become one of the most successful Black actors in film. This amusing tale of good and evil follows a man of dubious character who, after almost dying, gets stuck between heaven and hell, and is given the opportunity to redeem himself. Full of vibrant musical numbers, this classic is a milestone in African American cinema, finely balanced between humour, emotion and spirituality. The film culminates in a grand music hall with the band of Duke Ellington — the protagonist of the short film we screen beforehand, Date with Duke.