Anna Lucasta (1958)

After being thrown out of the house by her father (Rex Ingram), his daughter (Eartha Kitt) turns to a life of prostitution. But when the son (Henry Scott) of an old friend comes to visit, her family plots to have her return home and marry him to get his money. Based on the play by Philip Yordan (itself inspired by Eugene O'Neill's ANNA CHRISTIE) and directed by Arnold Laven (ROUGH NIGHT IN JERICHO). The play was notable for being the first play with an all black cast that wasn't related to race. Ironically, when the film was first made in 1949, it was rewritten for an all white cast. This version reinstates the African American cast but gives us an ambiguous "happy" ending that the play didn't have. The film dances around Kitt's past, never explicitly using the word prostitution. Still, it's refreshing to see a film from this era with an all black cast that doesn't involve stereotypes or condescend to African Americans. Eartha Kitt was an excellent actress with a sexy image that didn't allow many opportunities to show her talent (she fared better as a singer). This is one of the few roles that gave her a chance to show her acting abilities. The role of the sailor Danny has been built up from the play to allow Sammy Davis Jr. more screen time though a sequence giving him a dance number is incongruous and superfluous. With Frederick O'Neal, Isabelle Cooley (excellent), James Edwards, John Proctor and Rosetta LeNoire.