| Big Fella | |
| Director: | J. Elder Wills |
| Producer: | Henry Passmore J. Elder Wills |
| Starring: | Paul Robeson Elisabeth Welch Roy Emerton James Hayter |
| Music: | G. H. Clutsam Wilhelm Grosz Eric Ansell Jack Beaver |
| Cinematography: | Cyril Bristow George Stretton H.A.R. Thomson |
| Editing: | Brereton Porter Douglas Robertson |
| Runtime: | 85 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
Big Fella is a 1937 British musical drama film directed by J. Elder Wills and starring Paul Robeson, Elisabeth Welch and Roy Emerton. It is loosely based on the novel Banjo by Harlem Renaissance writer Claude McKay.
Big Fella is set on the docks and streets of Marseilles. Paul Robeson stars as a street-wise but honest dockworker who struggles with deep issues of integrity and human values. Elisabeth Welch plays opposite him as a café singer in love with him. Robeson's wife, Eslanda Robeson, appears as the café owner.[1]
The movie received praise, particularly for the music, featuring Robeson and Welch, and for Robeson's performance.