British Vintage Music Films

Films featuring British Dance Bands, 1929-1949

this page first published by John Wright, 18 Sept 1997
last update 15 May 2009vintage@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 SONGS Down Where The Breezes, The Photo Of The Girl I Left Behind
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 ||