Hollywood Rhythm Vol. 1: The Best of Jazz & Blues (1929)

Synopsis: This collection of ten short films from the years 1929-1941 contains some extraordinary and bizarre performances from a number of jazz and blues legends. Perhaps most startling is "A Rhapsody in... This collection of ten short films from the years 1929-1941 contains some extraordinary and bizarre performances from a number of jazz and blues legends. Perhaps most startling is "A Rhapsody in Black & Blue" in which Louis Armstrong performs wearing a leopard skin outfit while knee deep in soap bubbles. Other highlights include Bessie Smith's only film appearance in the controversial "St. Louis Blues," and a teenage Billie Holiday performing with Duke Ellington in "Symphony in Black." An invaluable collection of musical performance from some of the greatest jazz and blues performers of the era, this edition of HOLLYWOOD RHYTHM offers a dazzling look into the some of the greatest music being made in the 1930s. [More]

Starring: Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Artie Shaw, Bessie Smith

Starring: Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Artie Shaw, Bessie Smith, Ethel Merman, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, George Dewey Washington, Vincent Lopez