Song of Freedom (1936)
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40% of users liked it
(58 ratings)
Along with The Emperor Jones, Song of Freedom is arguably the best of Paul Robeson's starring features. Robeson plays London dockworker John Zinga, obsessed with the urge to return to his African "roots" (this was nearly 40 years before Alex Haley!) Discovered by an operatic… More Along with The Emperor Jones, Song of Freedom is arguably the best of Paul Robeson's starring features. Robeson plays London dockworker John Zinga, obsessed with the urge to return to his African "roots" (this was nearly 40 years before Alex Haley!) Discovered by an operatic impresario, John achieves singing stardom on the concert stage -- only to throw it all away to make a pilgrimage to Africa, there to assume leadership of his ancestral tribe, the Casangas. His efforts to free the natives of their superstitions and bring the advantages of civilization to the region are opposed by the local witch doctors, who do their best to kill John and his young wife (Elizabeth Welch). Zinga is saved when he suddenly and instinctively offers a rendition of the tribal "song of freedom," proving beyond all doubt that he is the rightful ruler of the Casangas. Advertised as a "$500,000 epic" (a not inconsiderable sum for a British film in the mid-1930s), Song of Freedom did quite well at the box-office -- except, of course, in the white-bread American South. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- J. Elder Wallace, J. Elder Wills
- Written By
- Ingram D'Abbes, Michael Darringer, Fenn Sherie, Philip Lindsay
- Genres
- Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Feb 1, 1937 Wide
- Studio
- American Pop Classics
Critic Reviews
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Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Robeson is THE reason to see it
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's worth seeing just to hear Robeson sing.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
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Cast
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Paul Robeson
as John Zinga
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Elisabeth Welch
as Ruth Zinga
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George Mozart
as Bert Puddick
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Esme Percy
as Donizetti
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Arthur Williams
as Witch Doctor
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Ronald Simpson
as Blane
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Bernard Ansell
as Pyrie
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Robert Adams
as Monty
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Sydney Benson
as Gate Keeper
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Will Hammer
as Potman
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Alf Goddard
as Alf
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Ambrose Manning
as Trader
- Ronald Adam
- James Solomon
