Elizabeth Welch was one of the most glamorous Americans who graced our stages and screens. Stephen Bourne, personal friend of the lady and an expert on Black actors in British cinema, has traced her career from the streets of New York to the heights of London Society.
Her main claim to fame is as a cabaret star, and she popularised such classic songs as Charleston, Love for Sale and Stormy Weather.
British cinema used her mainly as a classy interlude in films as different as Death at Broadcasting House and The Tempest. However, she'll always be remembered by cinema lovers for the two films in which she starred opposite Paul Robeson (Song of Freedom and Big Fella). They achieved a rare rapport which lit up the screen.
Stephen Bourne's book serves as a classy tribute to a classy lady.
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Pub: Scarecrow Press Inc. ISBN: 0 8108 5413 9 Price: £15.99 (UK), $24.99 (US) Elizabeth Welch: Available from Amazon UK
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