Shorts and Newsreels featuring American Jazz or Dance Bands 1927-1947
this page first published by John Wright, 26 Oct 1997
last update 20 Mar 2007
vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk
As well as on records, jazz and dance band music was recorded for films during the 78 rpm era,
and as well as musicals and other major films there are many American shorts and newsreels known to feature bands, seen and heard, some not identified. This page is an attempt to list the Shorts and Newsreels.
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 'Black Beauty, White Heat' by Frank Driggs, Harris Lewine (1982)
| Updates from 'Jazz In The Movies' by David Meeker (1972)
| |
| FILM | DATE | FEATURING |
|---|---|---|
| After Seven | 1929 | Chick Webb Orch |
| All Star Bond Rally | 1944 | Harry James Orch |
| Artistry In Rhythm | 1945 | Stan Kenton Orch Anita O'Day |
| Big Name Bands No. 1 | 1941 | Count Basie band Jimmy Rushing Louis Armstrong Orch Velma Middleton |
| Big Name Bands No. 2 | 1945 | Duke Ellington Orch Wingy Manone Band |
| Black And Tan | 1929 | Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orch, Hall Johnson Choir |
| Bundle Of Blues | 1933 | Duke Ellington Orch Ivie Anderson |
| Cab Calloway | 1931 | Cab Calloway Orch introduced by Irving Mills |
| Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho | 1934 | Cab Calloway Orch |
| Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party | 1935 | Cab Calloway Orch |
| Campus Capers | 1941 | Jack Teagarden Orch |
| DeForrest Phonofilm | 1924 | Ben Bernie Orch |
| DeForrest Phonofilm | 1924 | Ben Bernie Orch with Jack Pettis alto sax solo |
| Drummer Man (a Name Band Musical) | 1947 | Gene Krupa And His Trio |
| Duke Ellington | 1931 | Duke Ellington Orch introduced by Irving Mills |
| Duke Ellington and his Orch an RKO 'Jamboree' | 1943 | Duke Ellington Orch |
| Eubie Blake Plays His Fantasy On Swanee River | 1923 | Eubie Blake |
| Fats Waller No. 1 | 1941 | Fats Waller |
| Fats Waller No. 2 | 1941 | Fats Waller |
| Film Vodvil No. 2 | 1943 | Cootie Williams Band |
| Follow That Music | 1946 | Gene Krupa Orch Marty Napoleon |
| Happiness Remedy | 1931 | Ted Lewis, Red Nichols Jack Teagarden |
| Headline Bands | 1946 | Woody Herman and others? |
| How Can I Love You? | 1929 | Seger Ellis and his Embassy Club Orch |
| I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You | 1932 | Louis Armstrong Orch |
| Kehoe's Marimba Band | 1944 | Glenn Miller Orch The Modernaires |
| Let's Make Rhythm | 1947 | Stan Kenton Orch June Christy |
| March Of Time Second Year, No. 11 'The Birth Of Swing' | 1937 | Original Dixieland Jazzband Red Norve Benny Goodman Chick Webb |
| March Of Time Ninth Year, No. 8 'Upbeat In Music' | 1943 | Captain Glenn Miller and his Army Band Paul Whiteman Orch Tommy Dorsey Orch |
| March Of Time 14th Year, No. 10 'It's In The Groove' | 1948 | Original Dixieland Band Eddie Condon's All Stars Paul Whiteman Orch Lennie Tristano Sextette |
| Melody Parade | 1944 | Charlie Barnet Orch |
| Melody Time | 1946 | Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orch |
| Metro Movietone | 1928 | Walter Roesner & His Capitoleans featuring Jimmy Dorsey, Miff Mole, Leo McConville |
| Name Band Musical | 1947 | Charlie Barnet Orch |
| Noble Sissle And Eubie Blake Sing Snappy Songs | 1923 | Noble Sissle, Eubie Blake |
| Pep And Personality | . | Tommy Christian Band SONGS ? |
| Radio Melodies | 1943 | Stan Kenton Orch Leo Diamond Quintet |
| Ramblin' Round Radio Row #4 | 1932 | Howard Lanin Orch Aunt Jemima (Tess Gardelle) Johnny Marvin Bill Hall Baby Rose Marie |
| Ray McKinley & His Orch | 1946 | Ray McKinley & His Orch |
| Rhapsody In Black And Blue | 1932 | Louis Armstrong |
| St Louis Blues | 1929 | Bessie Smith Band ? |
| Smash Your Baggage | 1933 | Elmer Snowden's Small's Paradise Orch, Mabel Scott Babe Wallace |
| Stan Kenton Orch | 1946 | Stan kenton Orch June Christy Gerry Gale |
| Stars And Violins | 1944 | Jack Teagarden with Orch |
| Symphony In Black | 1935 | Duke Ellington Orch, Billie Holiday |
| Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra | 1946 | Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra |
| Tex Beneke and Orchestra | 1948 | Tex Beneke Band and a short sequence film of Glenn Miller Orchestra |
| Tex Beneke | ? | Tex Beneke Band |
| Thrills Of Music | 1947 | Ray Anthony Orch |
| Trumpet Serenade | 1942 | Harry James and his Music Makers |
| Vitaphone #823 | 1929 | Segar Ellis and His Embassy Club Orchestra |
| Vitaphone #958 | 1929 | Ben Bernie with Frances McCoy, vocal |
| Vitaphone #2136 | 1928 | Gus Arnheim Orch |
| Vitaphone #2349 | 1928 | Jazzmania Quintette, Georgie Stoll and Edythe Flynn |
| Vitaphone #2537 | 1929 | The Ingenues |
| Vitaphone #2584 | 1929 | Gus Arnheim Orch |
| Vitaphone #2585 | 1929 | Gus Arnheim Orch |
| Vitaphone V-710 | 1928 | Green's Twentieth Century Faydetts |
| Vitaphone V-732 | 1929 | Tal Henry & His North Carolinians |
| Vitaphone V-827 | 1929 | Norman Thomas Quintette 'Harlemania' |
| Vitaphone V-870 | 1929 | Red Nichols & His Five Pennies Eddie Condon, vocals |
| Vitaphone V-872 | 1929 | Ben Pollack Orch featuring Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden |
| Vitaphone #? | 1928 | Abe Lyman Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | 1929 | Paul Tremaine Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | 1928 | Roy Fox and his Montmartre Cafe Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | 1928 | Leo Reisman Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | 1929 | Seger Ellis, Ed Lang, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong |
| Vitaphone #? | 1929 | Horace Heidt Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | 1929 | Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey Alice Boulden |
| Vitaphone #? | 1932 | Isham Jones and his Orch |
| Vitaphone #? 'It's A Panic' | . | Benny Meroff Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | . | Nick Lucas and his Troubadours |
| Vitaphone #? | . | Benny Meroff Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | . | Frank & Milt Britton |
| Vitaphone #? | . | Milt Britton and his World Famous Band |
| Vitaphone #? | . | Charles Ahearn and his Millionaires |
| Vitaphone #? 'The Big House Party | . | Earl Carpenter band |
| Vitaphone #? 'The Alma Martyr' | . | Waring's Pennsylvanians |
| Vitaphone #? 'Smash Your Baggage' | . | ? band |
| Vitaphone #? 'Meet The Kernel' | . | Dave Apollon and his Orch |
| Vitaphone #? 'Hot From Petrograd' | . | Dave Apollon and his Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | . | Dave Apollon and his Orch |
| Vitaphone #? 'Swing For Sale' | . | Dave Apollon and his Club Casnova Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | . | David Mendoza and his Orch |
| Vitaphone #? | . | Eddie Duchin Orch Sylvia Froos |
| Vitaphone #? | . | Don Bestor and his Orch |
| Vitaphone #? 'Grace Johnston and The Indiana Five' | . | Grace Johnston Indiana Five |
| . | . | . |
Then please e-mail me.