 | Ethel Waters als Petunia Jackson |
 | Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson als Joseph 'Little Joe' Jackson |
 | Lena Horne als Georgia Brown |
 | Louis Armstrong als The Trumpeter |
 | Rex Ingram als Lucius / Lucifer Jr. |
 | Kenneth Spencer als The General / Rev. Greene |
 | John 'Bubbles' Sublett als Domino Johnson |
 | Oscar Polk als The Deacon / Fleetfoot |
 | Mantan Moreland als First Idea Man |
 | Willie Best als Second Idea Man |
| Fletcher Rivers als Third Idea Man |
| Leon James Poke als Fourth Idea Man |
| Bill Bailey als Bill |
| Ford Washington Lee als Messenger Boy |
 | Butterfly McQueen als Lily |
| Ruby Dandridge als Mrs. Kelso |
 | Nick Stewart als Dude |
 | Ernest Whitman als Jim Henry |
| Jules Adger als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Doris Ake als Dancer / Jim Henry Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Juliette Ball als Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Lennie Bluett als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Bernard Bradley als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Daisy Bufford als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Jas. Burch als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Curry Lee Calmes als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Rita Christiani als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence / Jitterbugger (uncredited) |
 | Vivian Dandridge als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| June Decuire als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Dorothea Durham als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
 | Duke Ellington als Duke Ellington (uncredited) |
| Byron Ellis als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
 | Joel Fluellen als Mr. Kelso / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Louise Franklin als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
 | William Gillespie als Soloist in 'Little Black Sheep' (uncredited) |
 | Suzette Harbin als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Avanelle Harris als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Kathleen Hartsfield als Dancer at Jim Henry's Paradise (uncredited) |
| Maggie Hathaway als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Cleo Herndon als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Lawaune Ingram als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Bobby Johnson als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
 | Glenn Leedy als Boy in Church (uncredited) |
| Meade 'Lux' Lewis als Whistling Solo in 'Take a Chance on Love' (uncredited) |
 | Juanita Moore als Nightclub Patron / Churchgoer (uncredited) |
| Tommie Moore als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Jieno Moxzer als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Florence O'Brien als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Neva Peoples als Dancer / Jim Henry Patron (uncredited) |
| Amanda Randolph als Churchgoer (uncredited) |
| Louise Ritchie als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Henry Phace Roberts als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Carmencita Romero als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
 | Clinton Rosemond als Doctor (uncredited) |
 | Archie Savage als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Edward C. Short als Soloist in 'Little Black Sheep' (uncredited) |
| Johnny Thomas als Dancer / Jim Henry's Paradise Patron (uncredited) |
| Ernestine Wade als Churchgoer (uncredited) |
| Arthur Walker als Soloist in 'Little Black Sheep' (uncredited) |
| Artie Young als Specialty Dancer in Hell Sequence (uncredited) |
| Vincente Minnelli | Director |
| Joseph Schrank | Screenplay |
| Lynn Root | Novel |
| Arthur Freed | Producer |
| Irene | Costume Supervisor |
| Albert Lewis | Associate Producer |
| Sidney Wagner | Director of Photography |
| Harold F. Kress | Editor |
| Cedric Gibbons | Art Direction |
| Edwin B. Willis | Set Decoration |
| Douglas Shearer | Sound Director |
| Marc Connelly | Writer |
| George Bassman | Music |
| Roger Edens | Music |
| John La Touche | Lyricist |
| Harold Arlen | Songs |
| E.Y. Harburg | Lyricist |
| Vernon Duke | Songs |
| Ted Fetter | Lyricist |
| Duke Ellington | Music |
| Ford Dabney | Songs |
| Cecil Mack | Lyricist |
| Mercer Ellington | Music |
