The Josephine Baker Story (1991)

This award-winning HBO original tells the story of Josephine Baker (a spectacular Lynn Whitfield), the 1920s black entertainer who had a turbulent showbiz career. Beginning with Josephine's birth into poverty in St. Louis, director Brian Gibson's film follows her escape to the vaudeville circuit, which takes her to Paris, where she meets her first husband and becomes notorious for her seminude banana dance. The film chronicles Baker's very rocky love life, her career downturns, her "rainbow family" of adopted children, and the racism--and rejection--she endured upon her return to America. As she finally achieves international stardom, she faces tragic events that threaten to overwhelm her. The outstanding cast includes Ruben Blades, Louis Gossett Jr., David Dukes, and Craig T. Nelson.