Our feature today finds Lena Horne making her film debut. Released in 1938 The Duke is Tops is about Duke a stage show promoter in love with the a successful performer. When he realizes that promoters want her to go to big leagues and she refuses to leave, he devises a deception so that she can better her career.
I invite you to take a peek into history… yes the dialogue may come off a little stilted and some things may not make sense out of historical context, but I believe it’s always enlightening to the view the then as if it were as popular as some of the media we watch now.
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
