Dusty Fletcher
Dusty
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Synopsis
A magician's disappearing act causes backstage panic when a woman and her valuable necklace seem to vanish for real. The resulting chase provides a loose thread through a variety programme of music, dancing and comedy. Dusty Fletcher's misadventures share the screen with an unusually concentrated gathering of Black entertainers.
Cast
DirectorsJosh Binney
Historical context
The film preserves performances by Nat King Cole, Moms Mabley, Butterfly McQueen, the Clark Brothers and other artists associated with Black popular entertainment. Its variety-show format makes the musical and comic acts central attractions, reflecting a strand of cinema made for audiences underserved by mainstream Hollywood.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Dusty Fletcher — National Records. Photo by Garbo, Chicago · Public domain
- Butterfly McQueen — Trailer screenshot · Public domain
- Andy Kirk — Maud Cuney-Hare, 1874-1936 · Public domain
