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I'm still wondering about the irony of Smith being rejected by the Black Swan label (after all the negritude and Pan-African talk between Smith and Pace), for the 'safer' Ethel Waters, but being signed by Columbia.
I can only think of two theories....
1. Smith's open and outward bisexuality was something most entities, including Black Swan, were not prepared for at the time
2. Smith's desire to control the shots.
It had to be more than just a bad audition. But one can still ask how the two theories explain Columbia!
Also, a great portrait of how the white racism of the day resulted in the 'Black on Black' racism back and forth (the Black producer failing Bessie on the paper bag test; Bessie herself, in response, auditions "no yellow b****es!").
The Klan trying to break up Smith's tent concert. But to be real, that tent show concept came straight out of a church revival (wasn't Smith's father a preacher?). I'm sure there were preachers, black and white, who lashed out and warned of Bessie "sending everyone to hell!" (see Ray Charles, three decades later.....!). One wishes that aspect would've been brought up, as well, as one of the many things Bessie Smith had to deal with, and were brought up in the movie.
Oh, yeah, let me add one final thing: A dark-skinned black woman being comfortable in her own skin (that scene where Latifah is showing her body in the mirror speaks volumes!)
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