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Leadbelly
The film Leadbelly begins in July 1933 at
the Louisiana State Penitentiary. John Lomax
and his son are traveling around the south
for the Library of Congress collecting unwritten
ballads and folk songs using new recording
technology. They come to the prison to record
the legendary Leadbelly. From this starting
point the story of Huddie (Lead Belly) Ledbetter
is told in a series of flashbacks that take
us from his time in Texas playing guitar
at parties and for friends to traveling
around the South with Blind Lemon Jefferson
playing any shows they could get. While
not entirely factual, the film captures
the sun-baked landscapes of Texas and Louisiana
perfectly and displays a time long gone
with a vibrant sense of detail. Robert E
Mosley, best known as TC from Magnum P.I.
plays Leadbelly with a brilliant honesty
and heart. Leadbelly is a truly memorable
film that strays far away from any Blaxploitation
clichés of the day.
video
source quality rating: B |
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| Leadbelly
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Item
price: $14.99 |
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Color/126 minutes/1976 |
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