Lynn Whitfield Sizzles In `The Josephine Baker Story'

`The Josephine Baker Story'' may be the kind of entertaining musical film biography we thought they didn't make anymore, but, even more important, it's a personal triumph for actress Lynn Whitfield. She is nothing short of sensational as the famous American performer who was the toast of Paris during the Jazz Age.

HBO premieres the film at 8 p.m. Saturday on cable.

An English co-production, ``The Josephine Baker Story'' attempts much more than simply re-creating the heyday of the colorful star, who danced on stage at the Folies Bergere wearing a girdle of bananas and little else. Ron Hutchison's script reminds us there was a great deal more to Baker than that notorious aspect of her life, which comes early on in the film. A member of the French Resistance during World War II, Baker was also a lifelong fighter against prejudice and adopted a dozen children of varying races and nationalities to prove people can live in harmony.

After her Folies period, Baker kept entertaining, both before and after World War II, in Europe and America, combining personal appearances with battling racism and, at 68, she appeared in a triumphant 50th anniversary of her career in France, shortly before she died April 12, 1975.

So much happened to Baker during her lifetime that the film must, of necessity, be crowded with brief scenes that can do little more than give us the flavor of her life. But Whitfield, who sings and speaks French like a veteran and sparkles in the performance sequences, is no less impressive in the dramatic scenes - not to mention that she looks like a million dollars.

Baker deserves this film tribute, directed by Brian Gibson, and she could scarcely ask for a better interpretation of her character than Whitfield gives. The cast also includes Ruben Blades and David Dukes as two of her husbands. HBO repeats it March 18, 21, 24 and 28 and it surely will turn up elsewhere, as well, since ``The Josephine Baker Story'' is too good a movie to disappear after a few airings.

Trivia pursuit: Movie buffs will revel (wallow?) in the two-hour documentary, ``The Republic Pictures Story,'' airing tomorrow at 5 and 10 p.m. on cable's American Movie Classics channel. While many might consider Republic Pictures the K mart of moviemaking, the studio prefers to pass itself off as ``The Little Studio That Could.'' While some of this special is self-serving, more of it is hugely entertaining for film fans, filled with clips from movies from the past, paeans of praise for John Wayne (who made 33 films for Republic) and was, along with Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Vera Ralston, their top star.

Republic, founded in 1935, was also the home of the weekly serials (66 of 'em) and there are plenty of terrific clips from them, too - enough to make you want to see more of these camp classics.

It's also an informative program. It gives us behind-the-scenes looks at the nuts and bolts of budget filmmaking, and its segment on the movies it turned out during World War II is invaluable for capturing the spirit of that time. It's one of the most entertaining movie specials in a long time.

Short takes: Ben Saboonchian and Phil Sturholm, with a little help from their friends, have put together an excellent documentary on various endangered specials in Washington - and what's being done to remedy the situation - in ``Edge of Extinction,'' at 10 p.m. tomorrow on KIRO-TV. It's fair, informative and nicely photographed.

Cinemax's newest ``Crazy About the Movies'' documentary is ``Robert Mitchum - The Reluctant Star,'' airing at 8 p.m. Sunday on cable, filled with film clips from the early days of Mitchum's career and reminding us what an exciting, mysterious actor the young Mitchum was, not to mention the range of his performances. The documentary wisely ignores his more recent TV appearances, which have led to the conclusion Mitchum belongs in a waxworks. Cinemax repeats the program March 19, 21, 22, 28 and 31 and it will undoubtedly air on PBS eventually, as most segments of this series have.

Video notes: KCTS-TV repeats the ``Rocky and Bullwinkle Story'' special at 7 tonight. . . . Fox's ``Simpsons'' repeats one of this season's best programs, dealing with cartoon violence, at 8 tonight on KCPQ-TV. . . . Robert De Niro is scheduled to be interviewed on ABC's ``Primetime Live'' at 10 tonight on KOMO-TV. . . . NBC airs a new TV movie, ``Daughters of Privilege,'' starring Dick Van Dyke, unavailable for previewing, at 9 p.m. Sunday on KING-TV, the same time CBS airs ``Blood River,'' an old-fashioned western with Rick Schroder and Wilford Brimley.

John Voorhees' column appears Sunday, Monday and Thursday in The Times.