Jazz at the movies [er 1929!]

[Ian Thumwood]

Staggered to have found this film from 1928. Although I've heard of the director King Vidor, I had no idea that he had ever made a film for black audience nor was I aware that sound films were available so readily after the "Jazz singer" film of 1927 which I believe was the first ever sound film. My understanding was that the microphones had to be suspended above the actors which mean't that it wasn't possible for actors to move significantly when speaking their lines. In some respects this film almost seems like a fake but I believe that it is genuine.

The film is also staggering as I had no idea that there would be any footage of jazz musicians playing live like this from 1928. Intrigued to see Curtis Mosby's band featured as this is a pretty obscure outfit even though the line up features a very young Lionel Hampton. I beloieve that Mosby's outfit was a West Coast band which would explain it's appearance in the film.Whilst this is obviously not another "Metrpoliis" or "Sunrise", I think that is is amazing that something like this can actually exist at all. The track at the end with the muted trumpet is by far the best bit although I am not sure if this is Lawrence Brown playing trombone. It is effectively a 1920's "Blaxploitation" film.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

'scuse me Ian i added 1928 to the title to bring home how extraordinary clip is

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks v much for finding this, Ian. The film is in extraordinarily good nick - sound amazingly good - better than in some modern-day film - with perfect visual synchronisation. If this was a 1920s blaxploitation equivalent, though, wouldn't it have been targetted at white audiences? I see no stereotypes there, but admit I know absolutely zilch about this subject!

[Ian Thumwood]

S-A / Calum

I was staggered at finding this clip. About 18 months ago there were a number of programmes about early cinema on television including a really good series presented by Paul Merton who is an avid fan of silent films. As a rule, I can't stand old black and white films but I very much enjoy the exception like "Metropolis." Chaplin also intrigues me. Someone once gave me an old book about jazz in film but i didn't really take much notice of it. From what I know about film, those pictures that used sound followed on pretty swiftly from "The Jazz singer" but I had no idea that proper jazz would have been documented quite so rapidly. I've seen things from the early thirties with the likes of Don Redman but hadn't appreciated that there could have been anything even earlier.

Everything about this film is incredible. The pictures are great and the sound quality is amazing. Someone had done a good restoration job on this. I'm also quite intrigued by Mosby's band and their performance which shows the group. The tracks make this band sound far better than their obscure reputation would suggest. I think Mosby later became involved in business ventures, some of which were not particularly legitimate and saw him convicted ultimately convicted for tax evasion. Prior to this point, he was involved in running a string of jazz clubs throughout the 1930's which were later instrumental in furthering the careers of R n' B artists like Johnny Otis and Roy Milton. Not bad for someone born in 1888!

[John Wright]

Ian, thanks for this link. I've seen other clips of this movie before but that youtube has greater quality. I recognised Nina Mae McKinney right away, I've probably seen that part of the film before, not sure.

I didn't know it was Curtis Mosby's band in the film, but that would make sense, as you imply his band was West Coast, all the band's records were made in Los Angeles. I'm not convinced that we see Lionel Hampton on drums, though, as Curtis Mosby was drummer/bandleader.

[Alyn_Shipton]

Interesting that the male tap dancers (at approx 3.25) appear to be Alec Lovejoy and Edgar Connor (aka "the Dwarf") who also appear in Ellington's Black and Tan Fantasy (as piano movers) and Bessie Smith's St Louis Blues (janitor and dice player), both films directed by Dudley Murphy. Most sources, btw, Ian and Calum, give 1929 as the date for Hallelujah!

[Serial_Apologist]

Well, Thanks for that information, Alyn. 1929, if correct, would still be remarkably early!

[Ian Thumwood]

Even more strange is that there are other clips from this film which show Gus Cannon and his jug band in some scenes. I would never have thought that an obscure "country" act like that would have ever made it to film. Having recently read a book about Gennet records, I think it was pretty amazing that some groups ever made it to record let alone film.