Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark (2014)

• 85%
• 2014
• Documentary
• Jon Brewer
• Nat King Cole
• Tony Bennett
• Ralph Carmichael

Imagine what it would feel like to be the only black television star in Hollywood at a time when the Ku Klux Klan acted out violently against black people, when America groaned under the weight of segregation and prejudice. Imagine being in possession of a natural talent so great, so unique and disarming that these issues were seemingly swept to one side to allow you to perform and be acknowledged for this gift, yet behind closed doors they were trying to think of a way to package you as something you were not: white. This candid account of the actual happenings in and around the "fairytale" life of fame and fortune of Nat King Cole, are taken from the private journals of Nat King Cole and exclusive interviews with the widow of Nat King Cole, Maria Cole, as well as contributions from other family members, Tony Bennett, Buddy Greco, Harry Bellafonte, Nancy Wilson, Sir Bruce Forsythe, George Benson, Aaron Neville, Johnny Mathis and many more. Some of these shocking stories have never been told before, speaking a wider truth of the national climate at the time, and beg the question "how far have we come?" Director Jon Brewer is given exclusive access to archive held by the estate, which will be revealed for the first time in this film; honoring the man and his journey and the passing of a true icon, but also revealing his feelings behind his ultimate calling as a "beacon of hope" to the legions of the oppressed.