Films featuring British Dance Bands, 1929-1949
this page first published by John Wright, 18 Sept 1997
last update 15 May 2009
vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk
As well as on records, dance band music was recorded for films during the 78 rpm era. This page begins the list of early sound films known to feature British dance bands, with the titles of songs and music featured in the films.
Note: there is also a list of movies who had a danceband leader as MD but in
which I have yet to establish if bands are seen and heard in those movies, see Dance Band MD's.
Also many Shorts and Newsreels featured bands.
A - C
Recent updates to danceband listing:
Updates from 'Jazz In The Movies' by David Meeker (1972)
| Updates from Terry Brown, 1999
| TV means has been shown on television
| V is also available on video
| |
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.
Lists in this format (c) John A B Wright/Terry Brown, 1999-2001
Major films featuring British dance bands: A-C
| FILM | DATE | FEATURING |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment With Crime | 1946 | Buddy Featherstonhaugh & his sextet Lew Stone and his band Elizabeth Webb Herbert Lom, William Hartnell, Robert Beatty SONGS ....... |
| Around the Town | Jun '38 | Maurice Winnick's Band Vic Oliver Tin Pan Alley Trio Elisabeth Welch, Les Carew Pat McCormack The Rhthym Sisters The Three Hillbillies Terry’s Juveniles Al and Bob Harvey Jimmy Kennedy Michael Carr SONGS Dinner For One Please James, Red Sails In The Sunset, Harbour Lights, Sunset Trail |
| Atlantic | 1929 | John Reynders Orch (British International Symphonic Orchestra SONGS The One In The World, Hot Henry, Walkin' With Susie |
| Aunt Sally | Dec '33 | Debroy Somers Band Cicely Courtenidge Billy Milton Leslie Holmes Carlyle Cousins SONGS We'll All Go Riding On A Rainbow, I Wish I Had Napoleon's Hat, You Ought To See Sally On Sunday |
| Band Waggon | Jan '40 | Jack Hylton Orch Arthur Askey Pat Kirkwood Bruce Trent Freddy Schweitzer Forsythe, Seamon and Farrell SONGS The Melody Maker, The Only One Who's Difficult Is You, Heaven Will Be Heavenly, After Dark, A Pretty Bird, Boomps-A-Daisy, Roadhouse RevelsTV |
| Battle For Music | 1943 | Jack Hylton (without band) SONGS ....... |
| Big Business | Sept '30 | Arthur Roseberry's Band (augmented/symphonic) Claude Hulbert Francis Day Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson Leon Cortez with Giggie SONGS ....... |
| The Big Noise | Mar '36 | Reginald Foresythe Band Norah Howard Alistair Sim SONGS The Duke Insists |
| Bill and Coo | Jun '31 | Herman Darewski and his band Billy Merson |
| Bitter Sweet | 1933 | Lew Stone and his Band Ivy St Helier Stuart Robertson SONGS I'll See You Again, If Love Were All, Kiss Me Before You Go Away, Tokay |
| The Blue Danube | Aug '31 | Alfred Rode and his Tzigane Band Brigitte Helm Joseph Schildkraut SONGS The Blue Danube |
| Boots Boots | 1934 | Harry Hudson and his band George and Beryl Formby SONGS Red Hot Feet, Baby, Peter PeterTV |
| Brewster's Millions | July '35 | Geraldo and his Sweet Music (?) Jack Buchanan SONGS I Think I Can, One Good Tune Deserves Another, Pull Down the Blind, The Caranga |
| Britannia Of Billingsgate | July '33 | Roy Fox's Kit-Kat Band ? Mike Taylor reports not seeing the band when he viewed the film Violet Lorraine Gordon Harker SONGS Piccadilly Playground, There'll Still Be Love, How Does A Fresh Fish Wish ?, Let The World Go Drifting By |
| Cabaret | 1943 | Reginald King and his Orch. SONGS Tears On My Pillow, Cuban Pete, Don't Forget Me |
| Cafe Colette | Jul '36 | Cafe Colette Orch. Bruce Seton Sally Gray SONGS ....... |
| Calling All Crooks | May '38 | The Gypsy Revellers Duggie Wakefield Billy Nelson SONGS ....... |
| Calling All Stars | Mar '37 | Bert Ambrose Orch Sam Browne Evelyn Dall Carroll Gibbons' Savoy Hotel Orpheans Eugene Pini and his Tango Orch Elizabeth Welch Buck & Bubbles The Nicholas Brothers Turner Layton Billy Bennett Larry Adler Leslie Carew Canadian Batchelors SONGS Nightfall (EW), Peanut Vendor (SB), Serenade in The Night, Body And Soul, Eleven More Months (LC), Organ Grinders Swing (ED), I Don’t Wanna Get Hot (ED), Rhythm's Okay In Harlem, When Day Is Done, Painting Rainbows |
| Calling The Tune | July '36 | Reginald Foresythe Band Clifford Evans Adele Dixon George Robey Charles Penrose SONGS Solveig's Song, Bird Of Love Divine |
| Call Me Mame | June '33 | Carroll Gibbons' Savoy Hotel Orpheans Edith Livesey John Batten SONGS ....... |
| Captain's Orders | Aug '37 | Jack Hart and his Band Henry Edwards Jane Carr SONGS Sailors Don’t Care, Let The Great Big World Keep Turning |
| The Chance Of A Night-Time | 1931 | Roy Fox and his band(?) (is heard but not seen) Al Bowlly is seen and heard. Ralph Lynn Lew Stone, MD SONGS Leave The Rest To Nature (AB), I'm So Used To You Now (AB), Land Of The Eskimo (RL) |
| Charing Cross Road | 1935 | Percival Mackey's Orch (?) Arthur Young and his Tzigane Band (?) June Clyde John Mills Belle Baker SONGS ....... |
| Cheerio | Oct '35 | Billy Merrin & His Commanders Ken Crossley, Jimmy and Alice Dey SONGS Cheerio, Shine, Tiger Rag, Troubles Are Like Bubbles, March Winds And April Showers, Nobody's Sweetheart, Somebody Stole My Girl, Two Trumpet Toot, Stylish Steps, With My Heart In My Hand |
| Cheer Up | 1936 | Percival Mackey and his Band Stanley Lupino Sally Gray SONGS ....... |
| Chinese Cabaret | Jan '36 | Hal Fox and his band SONGS ....... |
| Clap Hands | Mar '35 | Charlie Kunz, Teddy Brown SONGS Clap Hands, Around And About, I Dont Know Why, You Were There, Miss Annabelle Lee, Side by Side, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, You're In Kentucky Sure As Your Born |
| Comets | 1930 | The Golden Serenaders Elsa Lanchester SONGS ....... |
| The Common Touch | Oct '41 | Carroll Gibbon's and his Orch. Sandy McPherson (organ) Mark Hambourg (piano) Harry Welchman Greta Gynt SONGS Harmonise, Round The Back Of The Arches, Down In Sunnyside Lane, The Cubanoca, Southward Bound, Tchaikovsky's 1st piano concerto |
Go to other listings of films featuring British dance bands:
|| D-G || H-L || M-O || P-S || T-Z ||
There is an active discussion group where you can talk about the great British dance bands:
or check out the group site first at http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/british-dance-bands/
| find a DVD or VHS video at Amazon: search for title: |
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or browse the website:
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Then please e-mail me.