Hi-De-Ho

As the title indicates, Hi-De-Ho is a vehicle for entertainer Cab Calloway. The star plays a bandleader (what else?) who is torn between two lovers: his jealous girlfriend Jenni leGon and his crafty manager Ida James. leGon hires a gangland assassin to take Calloway for a ride, but at the last moment has a change of heart and tries to prevent the murder. She stops a bullet meant for Calloway, allowing James to claim him for the final clinch. Produced for what we termed "colored theatres" in 1947, the all-black Hi-De-Ho is not what one could call expensive (many of the sets shimmer and shake as the actors stroll by) but the songs are first-rate.