In that era viewers would marvel at the amazing talents of big-band leaders and singer. Now Kino Lorber, Library of Congress and UCLA Library Film and Television Archive have joined forces to bring physical media fans and classic film fans a 4 disc Blu-ray set that is simply amazing! Take a look at what is included on these four discs.
Disc 1:
Starting from Swing: Jam Session (1942) / Dipsy Doodle (1943) / Airmail Special (1941) / Swing for Sale (1941) / Jammin' in the Panoram (1942) / Let me off Uptown (1942) / Take it and Git (1946) / She's Crazy with the Heat (1946)
Powered by Dance: Hot Chocolate aka Cottentail (1942) / The Choool Song (1942) / Maharaja (1943) / Breakfast in Rhythm (Introducing "Be Careful") (1943) / Mi Rumba (1941) / Goin' to the Barn Dance Tonight (1941) / May I have the Next Trance with You (1941) / Arthur Murray Taught me Dancing in a Hurry (1942)
At The Piano: Tiger Rag (1943) / Got a Penny Benny (1946) / Ain't Misbehavin' (1941) / Adventures in Boogie Woogie (1946) / Jealous (1942) / Harry the Hipster (1944) / Dispossed Blues (1943) / Grand Piano and Gals (1941)
We'll Drink to That: Abercrombie Had a Zombie (1941) / Clinck! Clinck! Another Drink (1942) / Moonlight Cocktail (1942) / Bottoms Up (1941) / Cocktails from Two (1942) / Penthouse Party (1945) / Beer Barrel Polka (1941)
Outrageously Incorrect - and Sometimes Subversive: Ching Chong (1943) / Hong Kong Blues (1942) / Lazybones (1941) / Ballet Dancer's Nightmares / Ruff and Tuff (1944) / Operatin' Rythm (1943) / Sleeop Kentucky Babe (1945) / Rigoletto (1945)
Straight fom the Panoram #1: The Soundies Miniature Review No. 1014, May 5, 1941: You Walk By (1941) / Swingin' at Seance (1941) / St. Louis Blues (1941) / Penthouse Serenade (1941) / Don't Cry (1941) / Swing for your Supper (1941) / Sheherezade (1941) / Seven Beers with the Wrong Man (1941)
Disc 2: Life in the Soundies Era
Going to War: We'll Slap the Japs (Right into the Laps of the Nazis) (1942) / Paddy Callahan has Joined the Army (1942) / G.I. Jive (1944) / K.P. Serenade (1942) / Gee! The Jeep Jumps (1944) / Johnny Zero (1943) / Goodbye Mama (I'm off to Yokohama) (1942) / Hey! Tojo, Count Yo' Men (1944)
The Home Front: I shut my mouth for Uncle Sam (1942) / Keep Smiling (1943) / When Hitler Kicks the Bucket (1943) / Plant a Little Garden in your own back yard (1943) / Ration Blues (1944) / Take it off (1943) / Dewfend America (1941) / When Johnny comes Marching Home (1943)
On the Job: Rosie the Riveter (1943) / Don't be an Absentee (1943) / On Time (1943) / On Time (1943) / Stop that Dancing Up There (1944) / The Blacksmith Song (1942) / Frim Fram Sauce (1945) / Struttin' to the Sutton Place (1942) / A little Jive is good for you (1941)
City Life: Take the 'A' Train (1941) / Take me out to the Ball Game (1945) / Tenement Symphony (1942) / The Joint is Jumpin' (1941) / The Kerry Dance (1942) / Give Me Some Skin (1946) / Navy Yard (1943) / Good-Nite All (1943)
....And City Fashion: Gorgeous (1941) / Down, Down, Down (1943) / Beautiful Clt=othes (Make beautiful girls) (1941) / Javk, You're Playing the Game (1941) / A Zoot Suit (1942) / Glamour Girl (1943) / After a While (1945) / Emily Brown (1943)
Straight fom the Panoram #2: The Soundies Miniature Revue No. 1061, March 30, 1942: Deep in the Heart of Texas (1942) / As Mabel goes so Goes the Navy (1942) / Where has My little Dog Gone (1942) / Two Pair of Shoes (1942) / The Skunk Song (1942) / Frankie and Johnny (1942) / Farewell Blues (1942) / Drink to Me with Only Thine Eyes (1942)
Disc 3: Musical Evolutions
Stirring Up the Melting Pot: I'm an Old Cowhand (1941) / Ta Ha Wa HuWa [Hawaiian War Chant] (1943) / Pete the Piper (1941) / Kazbek (1944) / Willie Willie (1943) / There's Nothing Like the Smile of the Irish (1941) / Swinging in a Harem (1932) / Dance, Baby, Dance "Tantze Babele" (1945)
Hillbilly to Country Western: I wanna go back to West Virginia / There's a Hole in the Old Oaken Bucket (1941) / Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy (1942) / Back in the Saddle Again (1942) / Montana Plains (1944) / Along the Navajo Trail (1945) / Why did I fall for Abner (1945) / Horse Hairs (1942)
Latin to Staten Island: Rhumba New York (1945) / Dark Velvet Night (1943) / Pumpa Pumpa (1945) / Paran-Pan-Pan (1941) / Chi-Chi Castenango (1947) / Havin' a Time in Havana (1942) / Cielito Lindo (1941) / He's a Latin from Staten Island (1941)
Headin Toward Rock 'n' Roll: Wham (1943) / Rock It from Me (1943) / Opud 12EEE (1944) / Shoo Shoo Baby (1944) / Four or Five Times (1941) / The Lonesome Road (1941) / Jumpin' at the Jubilee (1944) / 47th Street Jive (1944)
Latin Boogies & Other Hybrids: Rhumboogie (1944) / Hula Rumba / Jive, Little Gypsy Jive (1941) / Jitterbug Senorita (1941) / Rhumba Swing (1947) / Yodel (1943) / Cowboy calypso (1946) / Cow Cow Boogie (1942)
Straight fom the Panoram #3: Soundies Parade of Hits No. 1137, October 11, 1943: Au Reet (1943) / They're Going to Build a Monument (1943) / Boxcar Rhapsody (1943) / Strolling through the Park (1943) / International Revue (1943) / My Rwverie (1943) / There's a Pampas Moon on the Camas (1943) / D Worry? (1943)
Disc 4: Women, Sexuality, and Gender
Is It Love or is it Conscription? Heterosexuality and World War II: Goodbye Dear, I'll Be Back in a Year (1941) / Is It Love or is it Conscription? (1941) / Love's Gonna be Rationed (1943) / Pin-ups on Parade (1944) / Paper Doll (1942) / But What Arwe These? (1946) / Lackadaisical Lady (1941) / I'd love to know you better (1942)
Anxieties, Bickering, Heartbreak: Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby (1944) / Better Not Roll those Eyes (1942) / You're Unfair to Me (1941) / Buzz Me (1945) / Mailman Blues (1942) / Low Down Dog (1944) / The Story of Two Cigarettes (1945) / I'm Tired (1944)
Playing with Expectations: Loosening & Upending 1940s Stereotypes of Women: Does You Do or Does You Don't (1946) / He Play Gin Rummy (1942) / The Blushing Bride (1942) / I've got to get hot (1942) / Bearcat Mountain Gal (1942) / Time Takes Care of everything (1946) / Stine Cold Dead in the Market (1946) / Minnie from Trinidad (1942)
Jumping into Gender Play: Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me (1942) / Faust (1945) / Shy Anne from Old Cheyenne (1942) / On the Boulevard (1946) / Too Many Sailors (1944) / The Better Half (1943) / You Never Know! (1946) / Shoeshiners and Headliners (1941)
Dorthy Dandridge and Gale Storm: I'm a Shy Guy (1943) / Yes, Indeed (1941) / Let's get away from it all (1941) / Blackbird Fantasy (1942) / I know Somebody who loves you (1941) / Jungle Jig (1941) / The Merry-Go-Roundup (1941)
Straight from the Panoram #4: Soundies Parade of Hits No. 1189, November 20, 1944: Canine Capers (1944) / The Line is Busy (1944) / Tea on the Terrace (1944) / Side by Side (1944) / Paris is Gay Again (1944) / Dance Impressions (1944) / Ja Da (1944) / Ain't She Pretty (1944)
Celebrating the Chorus Line: Backstage Blues (1943) / Born to Swimg (1941) / Brazil (1944) / Give this Little Girl a Great Big Hand (1942) / Chatter (1943) / Pan-Americonga (1941) / There'll be Some Changes Made (1941) / Everybody's Jumpin' Now (1947)
Now let's be honest watching some of these film performances in this generation we can see some very offensive presentations of races. But we have to watch these films from eyes of the era they were presented in. I don't think any filmmaker had thought to degrade anyone. It was simply for entertainment purposes. And if you watch these films with that mindset. You will be highly entertained.
This collection is filled with great talent. Just to name a few, Cab Calloway, Hoagy Carmichael, Nat King Cole, Dorothy Dandridge, Doris Day, Duke Ellington, Spike Jones, Liberace, Gale Storm, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Merle Travis, and Fats Waller. We even get to see Ricardo Montalban in his first screen appearance.
These soundies are presented in 1080p and are in their original full screen format. These films have been restored from 35mm and 16mm materials. For the most part these films look and sound pretty impressive. But in all honesty, all there are some of these films don't look as spectacular.
The damage to some of these prints are just inevitable. But when you think these films in all likelihood really shouldn't even exist. Not because their bad, it's just that filmmakers of that era would never have dreamed there would be a think like home video. So, when the run was over many films were just put way and never to be seen again. That is why a lot of films in cinema history are just gone.
Now to see the amount of such cool music collected on four Blu-rays is amazing to say the least. 200 short films in one set, but this is not all that is included. Kino Lorber really went a step further and added some very cool bonuses in this Blu-ray set. take a look at what is included here.
* Illustrated 44-page booklet with essays by Susan Delson,Ellen C. Scott, and Mark Cantor
* Filmed introductions by series curator Susan Delson,with Ina Archer, Media Conservationist, National Museum of African American History and Culture
* “Inside the Panoram,” a filmed interview with Mark Cantor, author of The Soundies: A History and Catalog of Jukebox Film Shorts of the 1940s
* “From the Vaults,” a filmed interview with Matt Barton (Curator of Recording Sound at the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center at the Library of Congress) and Mike Mashon (Head of the Moving Image Section of the Library of Congress)
As a huge fan of the old soundies from yesteryear. I think is Blu-ray set is just tremendous. Hearing the bands and the singers some of which were just getting started. Soundies The Ultimate Collection is truly an experience you will never forget and will want to relive over and over again.
You truly can't get any more entertainment vaule for your money than in this set! So, if you love the Soundies as much as I do, you are going to want this massive Blu-ray set in your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today. You won't be disappointed.
Out of 4 Film Reels (4 being the best) Kino Lorber's Blu-ray of Soundies: The Ultimate Collection receives...
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