Music and the Movie

June of course, is Black Music Month. And music serves as the jumping off point and provides much of the framework for PROUD.

At the beginning of the film in present day, Lorenzo DuFau's grandson (Albert Jones) and friends (Jeffrey Nash, Eric LaRay Harvey) awaken DuFau (Ossie Davis) with some booming base. DuFau's memories of a World War II singer (Inga Davis) then carry us back to wartime and the beginnings of the story of the Mason. In an early scene, the simple act of watching white performers on the ship almost leads to a riot in port in Charleston, South Carolina.

Ultimately, and rightly so, music was a positive uplifting element to the crew during the war. Liberty in New York meant visits to the legendary clubs of Harlem. And Church music helped see them through the hard times of war, too.

You can listen to some PROUD The Movie-era hits here via RhapLink. Duke Ellington, Billie Holliday, Lester Young, Erskine Hawkins and more. All songs from Billboard's Harlem Hit Parade.