This clip from St. Louis Blues begins with Bessie Smith singing "St. Louis Blues" while seated on the floor of her rooming house after discovering that her boyfriend was with another woman. The film transitions to a nightclub where Bessie continues to sing with the accompaniment of a band and chorus while leaning against the bar. The patrons and staff of the club begin dancing during an upbeat instrumental interlude.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anonymous Gift in memory of Ernest (Ernie) R. Smith, Jazz Historian.
