Shorts and Newsreels featuring British Dance Bands, 1929-1946
this page first published by John Wright, 18 Sept 1997
last update 15 Dec 2006
vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk
As well as on records, dance band music was recorded for films during the 78 rpm era. This page continues 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.
| Updates from John Leifert (Sept '99) |
| Updates from A.L.Hammond, Memory Lane issue 132 |
Lists in this format (c) John A B Wright/Terry Brown, 1999
Many of these short films can be seen at ITN Archive website
M - Q
| FEATURING | DATE | SOURCE/SONGS | |
| M | Terence McGovern and his Novelty Orch | 1933 | Musical Film Review (title) British Lion (prod co) How’re We Doing ? Nobody’s Sweetheart Pagan Love Song Tiger Rag |
| " | 1935 | Equity Musical Review Its the Same Old World Crazy People | |
| Percival Mackey and his Band | 1933 | Pathetone 154 Millions of Kisses | |
| " | 1938 | Just Picture It (title) Ace Cinemagazine | |
| " | 1938 | Getting Down to Cases (title) Ace Cinemagazine | |
| " | 1939 | Pathe Pictorial NS 189 Roses of Picardy | |
| Pete Mandell and His Rhythm Masters | Jan '30 | No.1 and No.2, part of the 'Gainsborough Gems' series of shorts | |
| Mantovani and his Tipica orch | 1934 | Pathetone 237 Reginella | |
| " | 1934 | Pathe Pictorial 843 Vienna City Of Dreams | |
| " | 1934 | Pathe Pictorial 854 Elvira | |
| " | 1935 | Pathe Pictorial 878 I Saw Stars | |
| " | 1936 | Pathetone 338 I Left my Heart in Budapest | |
| " | 1937 | Pathetone 375 Tipica Stomp | |
| " | 1939 | Pathetone 502 Violin In Vienna | |
| " | 1939 | Pathe Pictorial NS 150 Violetta | |
| " | Note:All subsequent Pathetone Parades are reissues of the earlier Pathe material. | ||
| Martini and his band | 1930 | Gainsborough Shorts Nos 1 and 2 | |
| George Melachrino and his orch | 1940 | Pathetone 546 | |
| Mendel’s Collegians | 1932 | Ideal Cinemagazine No 315 | |
| " | 1932 | Ideal Cinemagazine No 322 | |
| Felix Mendelssohn and his Hawaiian Serenaders | 1938 | Pathetone 440 I Double Dare You | |
| " | 1939 | Pathetone 504 Song of the Island | |
| " | 1940 | Pathetone 557 No Souvenirs | |
| " | 1940 | Pathetone 557 String Harmony | |
| " | 1941 | Pathtone 566 In the Mood | |
| " | 1941 | Pathe Pictorial NS 282 Aloma | |
| " | 1942 | Pathe Pictorial NS 322 | |
| " | 1943 | Pathe Pictorial NS 368 | |
| " | 1944 | Pathe Pictorial NS 417 Hula Girl | |
| " | 1944 | Pathe Pictorial NS 440 | |
| Billy Merrin and his Commanders | 1933 | Ideal Cinemagazine 373 | |
| " | 1935 | Cheerio (title) Fidelity (prod co) Cheerio Shine Tiger Rag | |
| " | 1936 | The Show’s The Thing (title) Fidelity (prod co) Miracles Sometimes Happen | |
| " | ? | Pathescope T9300 2 reels | |
| " | ? | Pathescope T9305 2 reels with Ronald Frankau | |
| Syd Millward and his Nitwits | 1940 | Pathe Pictorial NS 247 St Louis Blues | |
| Moderniques | 1933 | Pathetone 195 Tiger Rag | |
| " | 1933 | Musical Film Review 2 Tiger Rag | |
| " | 1934 | Pathetone 202 St Louis Blues | |
| " | 1935 | Equity Musical Review 2 I Heard | |
| " | 1935 | Equity Musical Review 5 Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia | |
| " | 1935 | Equity Musical Review 6 | |
| Bernard Monshin and his Rio Tango Band | 1933 | Pathe Pictorial 779 La Cumparsita | |
| " | 1935 | Pathetone 263 Madam You’re Lonely | |
| " | 1936 | Pathetone 307 A Rose in Her Hair | |
| " | 1936 | Pathe Pictorial NS 11 Tabu | |
| Ivor Moreton and Dave Kaye | 1938 | Pathetone 436 Peter Pan | |
| N | San Natano and his Romaine Band | 1933 | Ideal Cinemagazine 391 |
| The New Paris Lido Club Band | 1928 | De Forest Phonofilm | |
| Ray Noble and his Orchestra, with Al Bowlly, visiting Holland | 1933 | Polygon Special excerpts of The Very Thought Of You What A Perfect Combination Goodnight Sweetheart (Al Bowlly singing the latter) | |
| Jose Norman and his Rumbaleros | 1938 | Pathe Pictorial NS 108 Cubana | |
| Bert Osborne and his Band | 1937 | Sticking To The Facts (title) Ace Cinemagazine | |
| O | " | 1937 | Would You Believe It(title) Ace Cinemagazine |
| Jack Padbury and his Cosmo Club Six | 1929 | Pathe Magazine 1 Just a Little Jazz | |
| " | 1931 | Ideal Cinemagazine 265 | |
| " | 1933 | Pathetone 162 "London's Clubs and Cabarets" a visit to The Princes' Golden Brasserie Songs It Don’t Mean A Thing I'm Sure Of Everything But You Tom Thumb's Drum - with Jack Francois (tap-dancer) | |
| P | Don Parker and his Band | 1926 | Eve’s Film Review 246 |
| Harry Parry and his Radio Rhythm Club Sextet | 1942 | Pathe Pictorial NS 320 | |
| " | 1943 | Rockin' Chair Sand In My Shoes I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good | |
| " | 1943 | Pathe Pictorial NS 381 | |
| Harry Parry's Swing Band | 1943 | Swing-o-Nometry | |
| Jack Payne and his dance band | 1929 | Jazztime (BIP) Ever So Goosey My Sin I’ll Never Ask For More | |
| " | 1929 | Pathe Magazine 8 | |
| " | 1934 | Gaumont Cinematheque Newsreel #15 (Paris) Did You Ever See A Dream Walking? | |
| " | 1935 | Pathe Pictorial 880 Tiger Rag | |
| Roland Peachy and his band | 1938 | Pathetone 444 Rosita | |
| Don Pedro and his band | 1937 | Pathe Pictorial NS 90 Gypsy Airs | |
| Petrulengro and his Gypsy Girls Band | 1937 | Pathe Pictorial NS 51 | |
| Piccadilly Players | 1929 | Pathe Magazine 7 | |
| Eugene Pini and his Tango Orch | 1936 | BBC Musicals 6 La Paloma | |
| " | 1938 | Melodies of the Moment (title) | |
| Lou Praeger and his band | 1942 | Pathe Pictorial NS 339 Jive Dance | |
| Q | Queen Mary Dance Band | 1937 | Pathe Pictorial NS 101 The Fleets In Port Again |
| . | . | . |
Then please e-mail me.
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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Many of these short films can be seen at ITN Archive website
Videos of vintage movies are available in UK/Europe PAL system from TVideo Website, check their listings of Musicals and Comedies.
I'd like to know of any sources of videos of vintage British films.