Vintage
Popular Music in American Films


this page first published by John Wright, 26 Oct 1997
last update 1 August 2009vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk

Films featuring American Jazz or Dance Bands 1927-1947

As well as on records, jazz and dance band music was recorded for films during the 78 rpm era. This page is the first part of a list of American films known to feature bands, seen and heard, some not identified. Note: Bands may also appear in films listed in the Entertainers and Popular Song film lists.
If you can add to this list, can fill in any of the gaps or if you know of websites or books dealing with old movies that might have useful information then please e-mail me.

Recent updates to listing:

Updates from 'Who Sang What On The Screen' by Alan Warner (1984)
Updates from 'Black Beauty, White Heat' by Frank Driggs, Harris Lewine (1982)
Updates from 'Halliwell's Film Guide (1993, Ninth edition)
Update from Carlos A. Montes de Oca, for 'Close Harmony'

You may find videos of some of the films on the net at Amazon.com. In the list below those with Order Today! can indeed be ordered via their link. For the other films you can use the search link at the foot of this page.

Films : A-C

FILMDATEFEATURING
Around The World1943Kay Kyser's Band
Ish Kabibble
Ginny Simms
Joan Davis
Misha Auer

SONGS Don't Believe Everything You Dream, Candleight And Wine, He's Got A Secret Weapon, They Chopped Down The Old Apple Tree, Great News In The Making, Roodle-Ee-Doo, A Moke From Shamokin

Artists And Models1937Louis Armstrong's Orch,
Andre Kostelanetz Orch
Yacht Club Boys,
Connee Boswell,
Martha Raye,
Judy Canova

SONGS Whispers In The Dark, Pop Goes The Bubble, Stop You're Breaking My Heart, I Have Eyes, Public Melody Number One

Atlantic City1944Louis Armstrong Orch,
Paul Whiteman Orch
Belle Baker,
Dorothy Dandridge,
Buck & Bubbles,
Jerry Colonna

SONGS Nobody's Sweetheart, Ain't Misbehavin', After You've Gone, I Ain't Got Nobody, Darktown Strutters' Ball, Mister Gallagher And Mr Shean, On A Sunday Afternoon

Ball Of Fire (GB: The Professor And the Burlesque Queen)1941Gene Krupa Orch
Barbara Stanwyck
voice may be that of Martha Tilton

SONGS Drum Boogie

Bathing Beauty1944Harry James Orch,
Helen Forrest

SONGS I Cried For You, Hora Staccato, I'll Take The High Note, Trumpet Blues And Cantabile

Battle Of Paris1929a band including Miff Mole (tb)
Gertrude Lawrence

SONGS They All Fall In Love, Here Comes The Bandwagon, What Makes My Baby Blue, Housekeeping For You

Beat The Band1947Gene Krupa Band,
Frances Langford

SONGS Beat The Band, Kissin' Well, I'm In Love, I've Got My Fingers Crossed, Shadow Rhapsody

Behind the Eight Ball (GB: Off The Beaten Track)1942Sonny Dunham Orch
Ritz Brothers
Carol Bruce
Dick Foran

SONGS You Don't Know What Love Is, Wasn't It Wonderful, Mr Five By Five, Don't You Think We Ought To Dance?, When My Baby Smiles

Belle Of The Nineties1934Mae West,
Duke Ellington Orch
(Gene Austin is NOT in this film)

SONGS I've Got To Wash My Sins, Away Before The Morning, My Old Flame, Troubled Waters, My American Beauty, When A St Louis Woman, Comes Down To New Orleans, The Memphis Blues

Best Foot Forward1943Harry James Orch
Lucille Ball
William Gaxton
June Allyson
Gloria De Haven

SONGS Wish I May, Three Men On A Date, Ev'ry Time, >The Three B's, Buckle Down Winsocki, Alive And Kicking, Two O'Clock Jump, The Flight Of The Bumble Bee

Betty Co-Ed
(GB:The Melting Pot)
1946Jan Savitt Orch
Jean Porter

SONGS Put The Blame On Mame, You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do

Big Broadcast1932Cab Calloway Orch,
Vincent Lopez Orch,
Eddie Lang,
Bing Crosby,
Kate Smith,
Arthur Tracy,
Mills Bros,
Boswell Sisters,
Donald Novis

SONGS Please(BC,EL), Where The Blue Of The Night Meets, The Gold Of The Day(BC), Here Lies Love(BC,AT,VLO), Tiger Rag(MB), Goodbye Blues(MB), Kicking The Gong Around(CCO), Minnie The Moocher(CCO), Hot Toddy(CCO), Crazy People(BS), Shout Sister Shout(BS), Dinah(BC), The Boswell Weeps(BS), When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain(KS), It Was So Beautiful(KS), Marta(AT), Nola(VLO), Trees(DN)

Big Broadcast of 19361935Ray Noble and his American Band,
Ina Ray Hutton Orch,
Bing Crosby,
Ethel Merman,
Richard Tauber,
Lyda Roberti,
Nicholas Bros.,
Vienna Boys Choir

SONGS I Wished On The Moon(BC), It's The Animal In Me(EM), Miss Brown To You, Through The Doorway Of Dreams, Double Trouble, Why Dream?, Amargura, Crooner's Lullaby, Goodnight Sweetheart, Through The Doorway Of Dreams I Saw You, Why Stars Come Out At Night

Big Broadcast of 19371936Benny Goodman's Orch
Martha Raye,
Benny Fields,
Larry Adler,
Shirley Ross,
Leopold Stokowski

SONGS Here's Love In Your Eye, You Came To My Rescue, >Cross Patch, Bugle Call Rag, I'm Talking Through My Heart, Vote For Mr Rhythm, Hi Ho The Radio, La Bomba, Night In Manhattan, Here Comes The Bride

Big Broadcast of 1938

Click and order the video Today!

(NTSC format)
1937Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orch,
Bob Hope,
Martha Raye,
Dorothy Lamour,
Tito Guizar,
Kirsten Flagstad

SONGS Thanks For The Memory, Don't Tell A Secret To A Rose, You Took The Words Right Out Of My Heart, Mama That Moon Is Here Again, This Little Ripple Has Rhythm, The Waltz Lives On, Zuni Zuni, Sawing A Woman In Half

Big Show-Off1945Anson Weeks Orch

SONGS >Cleo From Rio, Hoops My Dear

The Big Street1942Ozzie Nelson Orch
Lucille Ball
(dubbed by Martha Mears)
Henry Fonda
Eugene Pallette

SONGS Who Knows?

Birth Of The Blues

You can order the video of
Birth Of The Blues
Today! (NTSC format)
1941Bing Crosby,
Jack Teagarden Orch,
Mary Martin
(Danny Polo dubbed
Bing's clarinet)

SONGS >The Birth Of The Blues, St Louis Blues, Tiger Rag, Cuddle Up A Little Closer, The Waiter And The Porter And The Upstairs Maid, Gotta Go To The Jailhouse, Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie, Memphis Blues, By The Light Of The Silvery Moon, My Melancholy Baby, St James Infirmary, At A Georgia Camp Meeting, Waiting At The Church

Blockbusters1944Jimmy Noone band

SONGS Apex Blues, aka Bump It

Blues In The Night1941Jimmy Lunceford Orch,
uncredited singer
Will Osbourne Orch
Priscilla Lane

PSONGS Blues In The Night, This Time The Dream's On Me, Hang On To Your Lids Kids, Says Who, Says You, Says I

Breakfast In Hollywood (GB: The Mad Hatter)1946Nat King Cole Trio,
Spike Jones & His City Slickers

SONGS Solid Potato Salad (NKCT), Better To Be By Yourself (NKCT), Hat For Hedda Hopper (SJCS), Glow Worm (SJCS)

Bright Lights1931Frank Fay

SONGS

Broadway1929Gus Arnheim and his Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors

SONGS Broadway, Hot Footin' It, Hittin' The Ceiling, Sing A Little Love Song, The Chicken Or The Egg

Broadway Babies1929.

SONGS Broadway Baby Doll, Wishing And Waiting For Love, Jig Jigaloo

Broadway Gondolier1935Ted Fiorito Band
Dick Powell,
Mills Brothers

SONGS Lulu's Back In Town, The Rose In Her Hair, Lonely Gondolier, Outside Of You, You Can Be Kissed, The Pig And The Cow

Broadway Rhythm1943Tommy Dorsey Orch
Lena Horne
Hazel Scott
George Murphy
Ginny Simms
Charles Winnegar

SONGS All The Things You Are, Somebody Loves Me(LH), Brazillian Boogie(LH), Milkman Keep Those Bottles Quiet, Manhattan Serenade, Solid Potato Salad, Pretty Baby, Oh You Beautiful Doll, Irresistable You, Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider, What Do You Think I Am?

Broadway Scandals1929.

SONGS What is Life Without Love?, Can You Read In My Eyes?, Love's The Cause Of All My Blues, Would I Love To love You?, Kickin' The Blues Away

By Request1935Claude Hopkins Band

SONGS I Would Do Anything For You, Chasin' All My Blues Away, California Here I Come, Shine, Chinatown, My Chinatown

Cabin In The Cotton1932Les Hite Orchestra
featuring
Lionel Hampton
George Ordendorf


Bette Davis
Richard Barthelmess

SONGS Willie TheWeeper, She'll Be Comin''Round The Mountain

Cabin In The Sky1943Louis Armstrong Orch,
Duke Ellington Orch,
Ethel Waters,
Lena Horne,
Buck & Bubbles

SONGS Cabin In The Sky(EW), Ain't It De Truth, Li'l Black Sheep, Life's Full Of Consequence, Honey In The Honeycomb(LH), Taking A Chance On Love(EW), Going Up(DE), In My Old Virginia Home(DE)

Caldonia1945Louis Jordan Orch

SONGS Caldonia, Buzz Me, Honey Chile

Campus Rhythm1943.

SONGS Walking The Chalk Line, Swing Your Way Through College, It's Great To Be A College Girl, College Sweetheart

Carolina Blues1944Kay Kyser and his Band
Ann Miller
Victor Moore

SONGS

Check And Double Check1930
Duke Ellington Orch

SONGS Three Little Words, Old Man Blues

Cigarette Girl1947Russ Morgan Orch

SONGS

Close Harmony1929Jesse Stafford Orch
Buddy Rogers

SONGS She's So I Dunno, I Want To Go Places And Do Things, I'm All A-Twitter, Twelfth Street Rag, Doin' The Racoon

Convention City1933orchestra?
Dick Powell,
Joan Blondell,
Adolphe Menjou,
Dick Powell
This film is lost
Convention Girl1935Isham Jones Orch

SONGS ....

Coronado1935Eddy Duchin Orch
Jack Haley
Leon Errol
Johnny Downs

SONGS You Took My Breath Away, How Do I Rate With You?, Keep Your Fingers Crossed, Mashed Potatoes, Midsummer Madness

Crazy House1943Count Basie Band,
Thelma Carpenter,
Jimmy Rushing,
Glenn Miller Singers with Marion Hutton,
Delta Rhythm Boys

SONGS Pocketful Of Pennies, Tropicana, Get On Board

Crimson Canary1945Coleman Hawkins,
Josh White
and others

SONGS The Walls Of Jericho, One Meat Ball (And No Spaghetti)

Crooner1932David Manners (voice dubbed by Brick Holton),
Teddy Joyce

SONGS

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Can you fill in any of the gaps or know any other American movies featuring Jazz or Dance Bands ?

Then please e-mail me.

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