Shorts and Newsreels featuring British Dance Bands, 1929-1949
this page first published by John Wright, 18 Sept 1997
last update 15 Dec 2005
vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk
As well as on records, dance band music was recorded for films during the 78 rpm era. This page starts the list of all the old shorts and newsreels known to feature British dance bands, with the titles of songs and music featured in the films.
Most of the information on this page came from Terry Brown, referring to Denis Gifford's book
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
Many of these short films can be seen at ITN Archive website
| Updates from A.L.Hammond, Memory Lane Issue 132 |
A - L
| FEATURING | DATE | SOURCE/SONGS | |
| A | The Ace Quintet | 1938 | Ace Cinemagazine Christopher Columbus's Sister |
| Alfredo and his Gypsy Band | 1931 | Pathetone 91 The Blue Danube You Will Remember Vienna | |
| " | 1934 | Pathetone 208 Black Eyes | |
| Nat Allen and his Band | 1944 | Pathe Pictorial NS 290 On the Beach At Bali Bali | |
| Bert Ambrose Orch | 1934 | Surprise Item (title) International (prod co) | |
| Ambrose Orch. vocal: Evelyn Dall | Jan 40 | Pathetone Medley Number 513 F.D.R. Jones | |
| Ambrose Orch | 1936 | Philips Broadcast of 1936 (GB/Holland, Technicolor) (Re-issued 1950 in B/W by DUK films) George Pal puppetoon with puppet orchestra, dancers etc. (Originally an advert for Philips radios) Songs: She Wore A Little Jacket Of Blue - Ambrose Orch Harbour Lights - vocal: Sam Browne The Rhythm's OK In Harlem - vocal Evelyn Dall | |
| " | ~1936 | Night Ride | |
| " | ? | Pathescope T9601, Pathe Vox Review with Jack Buchanan and Richard Tauber | |
| " | ? | Pathescope T9603, Pathe Vox Review with Sam Browne and Leon Cortez and his Coster Pals | |
| " | ? | Pathescope T9604, Pathe Vox Review with Sam Browne and Larry Adler | |
| Argentine Accordion Band | 1935 | Pathe Pictorial 910 In A Monastery Garden | |
| Maurice Arnold Sextet | 1948 | Jivin' and Jammin' (title) Piccadilly (prod.co) Three Blind Mice Honeysuckle Rose These Foolish Things | |
| Don Azpiazu and his Band | 1933 | Pathe Pictorial 792 Amor Navigo | |
| B | Don Marino Baretto and his Rhumba band | 1941 | Pathe Pictorial NS 267 Tabu |
| Julian Best and his Orch. | 1937 | Starlight Parade (title) Viking (prod.co.) | |
| Billy Bissett and his Canadian Band | 1936 | Pathetone 351 A Little Robin Told Me So | |
| Billy Bissett and his Canadian Band | 1939 | Pathe Pictorial NS 177 Crooners Corner | |
| Jack Brady and his Band | 1937 | It’s a Racquet (title) Ace Cinemagazine (prod.co) The Vicar of Bray | |
| Jack Brady and his Band | 1937 | How When and Where (title) Ace Cinemagazine (prod.co) song not known | |
| Reggie Bristow and his band | 1933 | Pathetone 173 What Have I got to Lose? the others listed under Equity Musical Reviews | |
| Reggie Bristow's Band, Roy Fox's Kit-Kat Band, Terence McGovern | Jan '35 | Equity Musical Review No. 1 Hunting the Fox | |
| Reggie Bristow and his band | 1935 | Equity Musical Review No. ? Yes Ma'am That's What Life Is Made Of Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia Peter Peter Stay Out of My Dreams Hold Me | |
| Ruby Bruneau and the Hawaiian Islanders | 1937 | Take your Seat (title) Ace Cinemagazine | |
| " | 1937 | Docks and Keys (title) Ace Cinemagazine | |
| " | 1938 | Beside the Point (title) Ace Cinemagazine | |
| " | 1938 | First At The Post (title) Ace Cinemagazine | |
| C | Camaro and his Band | 1928 | Phototone 12 songs not known |
| Alfredo Campoli and his Tzigane Orch. | 1936 | BBC Musicals No 5 songs not known | |
| Earl Carroll and his Radio Boys | 1937 | Spirit of Variety (title) Exclusive (prod co) | |
| Earl Carroll and his Radio Boys | 1938 | Pathetone 456 Swing and Sway | |
| Eddie Carroll and his Band | 1939 | Eddie Carroll and his Boys (title) Inspiration (prod co) Harlem It ain’t Whatcha Do What do You Know About Love Sweet Sue | |
| Caruso and his New York Syncopators | 1929 | Pathetone 11 Just A Little Medley | |
| Eddie Collis and the Aristocrats | 1933 | Pathe Pictorial 787 Liebestraum | |
| Franz Conde and his Beguines | 1944 | Pathe Pictorial NS 420 Kiss Me | |
| Leon Cortez and his Coster Pals | 1936 | Pathe Pictorial 35 My Old Dutch | |
| Billy Cotton and his Band | 1933 | Pathetone 169 I’m Just Wild About Harry | |
| " | 1933 | Pathe Pictorial 818 I Found The Right Girl | |
| D | Chappie D’Amato and his Band | 1937 | Pathetone 391 St Louis Blues |
| Richard Dabson and his Orch | - | Sweet Art (title) Ace Cinemagazine (prod co) Down Old Lover’s Lane | |
| Joe Daniels and his band | 1938 | Pathe Pictorial NS 102 Some of These Days | |
| Jack Davis and the Havana Club band | 1940 | At the Havana (title) New Realm (prod co) | |
| E | Edeiro and his orch | 1936 | Cabaret Nights No 3 (title) Highbury (prod co) |
| El Cubanos Band | 1936 | Cabaret Nights Nos 2,5,6 (title) Highbury (prod co) | |
| Teddy Elben and the Irish Jewzaleers | 1926 | Mr Teddy Elben in a song scena (title) De Forest Phonofilm When that Yiddisher Band Plays an Irish Tune | |
| Fred Elizalde and his orch | 1928 | Christmas Party (title) British Sound Film Productions (prod co) | |
| George Elrick and his Band | 1941 | . | |
| F | Fiorenti and his Gauchos | 1936 | Pathetone 346 |
| Roy Fox and his Band, vocal by Nat Gonella | 1932 | Pathetone 115 It Ain't No Fault Of Mine | |
| Roy Fox and his Band, with Douglas Byng | 1932 | New Empire Review | |
| Roy Fox and his Band | 1934 | Pathe Pictorial 839 | |
| Roy Fox and his Band | 1935 | Equity Musical review No1 Hunting the Fox | |
| Roy Fox and his Band | 1936 | British Lion Varieties No 6 | |
| Roy Fox and his band | ? | Pathescope T9714 with Harry Roy and his band | |
| G | Geraldo and his Gaucho Tango orch | 1931 | Pathetone 46 Caminto |
| Geraldo and his Gaucho Tango orch | 1931 | Pathetone 56 Adios Muchachos | |
| Geraldo and his Gaucho Tango orch | 1932 | Pathetone 71 My Sunshine Is You | |
| Geraldo and his Gaucho Tango orch | 1932 | Pathe Pictorial 735 Close your Eyes | |
| Geraldo and his Gaucho Tango orch | 1932 | Gaumont Sound Mirror Lady of Spain | |
| Geraldo and his Orch | 1934 | Pathetone 216 One Morning in May | |
| Geraldo and his Orch | Mar '36 | Pictorial Revue of 1936 (Pathetone 316) | |
| Geraldo and his Orch | 1944 | advertisement I Like Lobsters no other details | |
| Billy Gerhardi and his band | 1937 | Pathe Pictorial NS 48 Two Gun Dan | |
| Carroll Gibbons and his orch | 1943 | Pathe Pictorial NS 358 On The Air | |
| Carroll Gibbons and his orch | 1944 | Pathe Pictorial NS 416 Somebody Soon | |
| Lud Gluskin and his Ambassadors | 1928 | Phototone Nos 13, 16 | |
| Nat Gonella | 1932 | Pathetone 115 It Ain't No Fault of Mine | |
| Nat Gonella and his Georgians | 1935 | Pity The Poor Rich (title) Troublesome Trumpet I'm Gonna Wash My Hands Of You Georgia Tiger Rag | |
| Geoffrey Goodhart and his band, with the Carlyle Cousins | 1934 | Screen Vaudeville (title) Vaudeville (prod co) | |
| Murray Goodman and his New Yorkers | 1929 | Pathe Magazine No 3 Just a Little Jazz | |
| Alan Green and his band | 1931 | Pathetone 43 | |
| Art Gregory and his band | 1936 | Pathetone 342 Nagasaki | |
| Eddie Gross Bart and his Band | 1933 | Pathetone 150 | |
| Stephane Grappelly and His Quintet, also featuring Ray Ellington | Sept '48 | . | |
| Alan Green's Band | 1931 | Pathetone 43 The King's Horses | |
| H | Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orch., with Val Rosing | 1932 | Pathe ? |
| Henry Hall's Orch | 1938 | Happy In The Morning (title) (advertising Ascot Gas Heaters) Happy in the Morning Horsey Horsey Churchmouse On The Spree Swinging In Between | |
| Ord Hamilton and his 20th Century Band | 1934 | Pathetone 246 I Couldn’t Be Mean To You | |
| Lewis Hardcastle’s Dusky Syncopaters | 1930 | Lewis Hardcastle’s Dusky Syncopaters Gainsborough | |
| " | 1930 | Darkie Melodies Gainsborough Cake Walk Swanee River | |
| Jack Harris and his band | 1933 | Pathetone 172 Tony’s Wife | |
| " | 1934 | Pathetone 240 | |
| Jack Hart and his Band | 1936 | Pathetone 345 Jazznocracy | |
| William Hodgson Band | 1930 | Gainsborough short entitled 'Stark Nature' Blue Nile Blues Drums Of The Desert | |
| Walford Hyden and his Magyar orch | 1933 | Pathetone 173 Autumn Leaves | |
| Jack Hylton and his Band | 1923 | Eve’s Film Review 124 Exhibition One Step (title) silent newsreel features the band | |
| " | 1926 | Eve’s Film Review 258 | |
| " | 1930 | Pathe Sound Magazine No 36 | |
| " | 1930 | Pathetone 65 Say Yes | |
| " | 1931 | Pathetone 49 Choo Choo | |
| " | 1933 | Pathetone 196 | |
| " | 1941 | National Savings short Saving Saving | |
| J | Jack Jackson and his band | 1933 | Pathetone 188 |
| " | 1938 | Pathetone 428 Parade of the Toys Make Those People Sway | |
| " | 1941 | Pathetone Parade of 1941 (reissue of Pathetone 428) | |
| " | 1941 | Ministry of Information - Film War Work News | |
| Leslie Jeffries and his orch | 1936 | BBC Musicals 2 | |
| Davy Jones and his Band | 1943 | Pathe Pictorial NS 350 | |
| K | Reginald King and his Orch | 1934 | Pathe Pictorial 828 The House Beautiful |
| " | 1934 | Pathe Pictorial 832 Song of the Troubadour | |
| " | 1936 | Pathetone 339 | |
| " | 1936 | BBC Musicals No 4 | |
| " | 1939 | Radio Nights (title) Inspiration (prod co) If You Could Care For Me | |
| Ivor Kirchin and his Band | 1939 | Pathetone 471 Park Parade | |
| KitKat Saxophone Rascals | 1937 | Pathe Pictorial NS 70 Colonel Bogey In Cellar Cool Whistling Rufus | |
| Charlie Kunz and his band | ? | Pathescope T9301 with Teddy Brown | |
| Sydney Kyte and his Band | 1932 | Pathetone 106 | |
| " | 1933 | Pathetone 167 See Me Dance The Polka | |
| " | 1934 | Pathe Pictorial 856 Blue Rhythm | |
| " | 1934 | Pathetone 228 Melody in F | |
| L | Harry Leader and his Band | 1936 | Pot Shots (title) Ace Cinemagazine (prod co) |
| Jack Leon and his Band | 1943 | Pathe Pictorial 374 Concerto For Two | |
| Sydney Lipton Orch | 1937 | Pathe ? I'm Going To Kiss Myself Goodbye (?) | |
| London Accordion Band | 1932 | Pathetone 121 | |
| " | 1933 | Pathe Pictorial 781 Bohemian Memories | |
| Joe Loss and his orch. | 1936 | British Lion Varieties I Love Is Like A Cigarette The Wheel Of The Wagon | |
| " | 1936 | British Lion Varieties 2 Treasure Island | |
| " | 1936 | British Lion Varieties 3 For You Madonna | |
| " | 1936 | British Lion Varieties 5 My Shadows Where My Sweetheart Used To Be | |
| " | 1936 | British Lion Varieties 7 My Heart Wouldn’t Beat Again | |
| " | 1936 | British Lion Varieties 8 White Heat | |
| " | 1936 | British Lion Varieties 10 The General’s Fast Asleep Heads or Tails | |
| " | 1937 | Pathe Pictorial NS 63 Let’s Dance | |
| " | 1939 | Pathe Pictorial NS 162 Rhythm in the Alphabet | |
| " | . | . | |
| . | . | . |
Go to next page of Shorts Newsreels featuring British dance bands
|| M-Q ||
Then please e-mail me.
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Many of these short films can be seen at ITN Archive website
I'd like to know of any other sources of videos of vintage British films.