Roy Mack

Leon brags about his "super-deluxe" gas station, which he claims is run by chorus girls. (imdb)

Young Cab Calloway's mother is concerned, because Cab spends his days listening to the radio, pretending to lead a miniature orchestra. A deacon passing by the apartment hears him singing and advises him go to his wife's gypsy tea room. As she reads the tea leaves, she sees situations which lead to Cab and his orchestra performing musical numbers. (imdb)

The terminally ill Mr. Waistline wants the best room in the hotel, so that he can enjoy himself while he still can. The Baron befriends him and graciously gives up his own room. Meanwhile, the great dancer 'Madam' is despondent and does not want to perform. The Baron slips into her room to steal her pearls, but then tries to comfort her... (imdb)

20 minute satire on Hollywood adapting Shakespeare to suit its own vaudeville sensibility comes in the form of a dream by a producer while he sleeps at his desk.

Short featuring musician Eubie Blake and his orchestra, singer Nina Mae McKinney, and young tap dancers Fayard and Harold Nicholas.

The owner of an unsuccessful greeting-card store attempts to sell 'talking' greeting cards in the form of records. (imdb)

A series of musical numbers loosely connected by a storyline involving the Upsy Daisey theatre troupe assuming management of the debt-ridden Grand Majestic Hotel. Noteworthy is the song and dance routine, "Holiday in Hades". A precursor to Ralph Staub's Swing Hotel (1939). (imdb)

A Vitaphone Varieties short. Features costumed children in a cavern-like land of 'make believe' where they sing and tap dance. Mae Questel of Betty Boop fame sings an introductory song. (imdb)

Four convicts escape from a chain gang. Shortly thereafter, changes are made at the prison, because a blue ribbon commission will be investigating conditions there. The changes include steak every day for dinner and stage shows for entertainment. After reading about this, the four escapees plead with the warden to take them back in. Or was this all a dream? (imdb)

Story has the two of them dreaming about frolicking through the centuries with various famous people--beginning in Nero's garden in Ancient Rome, King Arthur's court, and ending in the 19th Century at the beach where a bevy of bathing beauties do a routine dance number at the beach. (imdb)

Rufus Jones, a black child, is elected president of the USA in this short musical comedy. Features song and dance numbers by a seven year old 'Sammy Davis Jr.' (imdb)

Ruth Eton (Ruth Etting), a singer with a traveling show troupe, is engaged to the troupe manager, Joe Grant (Edward Leiter), but when Ruth's younger sister, Laura (Wanda Perry) arrives, fickle Joe transfers his attentions and intentions to her. For the sake of her sister and the show, Ruth accepts her tough break philosophically, and sings "Why Did It Have To Be Me?"...because she is a real trouper.

Ruth Etting shows how she make a perfect three minute egg by singing a song with a length of exactly three minutes.

Anita Ragusa, the daughter of a costume company owner, delivers a dress for a costume ball at the last minute. The snobbish customer doesn't like the design at first, but agrees to let Anita model it for her to decide whether to keep it. Charlie, a drunk partygoer, sees Anita in the dress and invites her to attend the festivities. She reluctantly agrees and sings for the other guests.

A pretty dance hall girl is looking for the right guy.

Singer Ruth Eton, of the singing team of Eton and Farrell, is told by her agents to get rid of her partner if she wants to advance her career. Instead, she gives him singing lessons. After a few months of training, he is good enough to be on his own and dumps Eton. When he loses his voice suddenly, he finds out who his true friends are. (imdb)

Host Ted Husing provides his slant on three different sports. The first is cricket. The main action takes place on what is called the pitch, which is the playing field. The bowler tries to knock the bales off the wickets with the ball, while the batter tries to prevent that by hitting the ball. (imdb)

In this short, various acts perform musical numbers before an audience in a theater. One of these acts is a tap dancer whose shoes have extensions on them that allow him to balance on the ends as one might use stilts. In the finale, a dog in the audience performs tricks. The title refers to the curfew in the town. (imdb)

Leroy's dance is an eccentric one performed to the tune "Dinah", played to a fast, jazzy beat, and his feet certainly keep up. More than that, while he is dancing, he looks like a John Held Jr. cartoon from the New Yorker, a young sheik who wears clothes in a manner than makes him look like he is posing languidly at an absurd angle, even while he is moving fast. There are a couple of cuts to focus on his feet, and he is very good. (imdb)

Musical and dance acts perform, first at a night club, then at a "rent party." (imdb)

A group of redcaps in a train station perform musical numbers to raise money for a sick member of their group. (imdb)

MGM's all-star feature Dinner at Eight is parodied in this comic short, in which a cast of unidentified look-alike actors impersonate Lionel Barrymore, Marie Dressler, 'Jean Harlow' , et al. (imdb)

A movie producer announces that Lillian Roth has been signed to do a movie and he calls a story conference with a director and writers to come up with an idea for the film. As they work through various ideas, performers act out the song and dance numbers. A girls getting a divorce, a laundry worker who gets dumped by her boyfriend and singing scarecrows are all pitched and the producer suggests that they all be melded into one story. (imdb)

Black vaudeville acts are featured in this Vitaphone Pepper Pot short. In addition to those listed in the credits, acts include The 3 Whippets, a group of acrobats; and The Five Racketeers, a band that initially backs up Eunice Wilson and then sings "Tiger Rag". (imdb)

The Duncan Sisters (Rosie and Vivian) and their college dorm mates sing a song to their alma mater while packing up to leave college at the end of school... (imdb)

A doctor develops pills that make Hal a great tap dancer. Lola Green sees Hal dancing in a drugstore and asks him to join her vaudeville show. Everything is fine until Hal's pills disappear. (imdb)

Harry Reser and his orchestra perform popular songs of the day and accompany guest performers. (imdb)

Richard Himber and His Orchestra plays us a few songs.

Isham Jones and His Orchestra, with other cast members, perform some of the orchestra's biggest hits. (imdb)

Two night watchmen hear songs performed in a haunted pawn shop. (imdb)

A talented tap dancer who can't get an audition uses his prowess at playing craps to gain ownership of a musical show, making himself the star. (imdb)

A group of pilots and their planes are arriving at an air strip in New York City to do some flights for the public. One of the pilots, Freddy Richmond, is in love with a young groupie named Dottie. However, Dottie feels Freddy's flying is too conventional, and she loves the thrill of the more dangerous flying of Jack and Bill, who are renowned as the worst pilots in the group. To make names for themselves, Jack and Bill announce that they will make an around the world attempt..... (imdb)

A resort owner tries to marry his daughter to a millionaire, but his scheme doesn't turn out exactly as planned. (imdb)

The owner of a shoe polish company sponsors a radio show that showcases black performers. Since his wife's father put up the money to be the sponsor, she insists on singing on the show. She goes on after the main star, singer Nina Mae McKinney. The wife sings so badly that the sponsor's customers abandon him. He is forced to shine shoes on street corners, while Nina Mae and her boyfriend win a bet on a daily number and end up on easy street. (imdb)

A hobo named the Professor and his son, Charlie McCarthy, believe there's money buried in an abandoned house which was previously owned by a fellow named Herbie Larkin. Pretending to be Herbie's brother, the Professor dreams of finding the money by consulting a gypsy fortune teller, who conjures up more than Charlie likes. The reality of the situation eventually sets in. (imdb)

Nazi spies mistake Snuffy Smith's moonshine for a new secret rocket fuel and try to steal the "formula." (imdb)

June Daily, daughter of stockbroker J. C. Daily, is engaged to father's assistant Richard Burton, but is enamored of tap-dancing elevator operator Hal Smith. J.C. has a hot tip on stock for the Upsadaisy Elevator Company. When Richard goes out of town, June invites Hal to dinner with J.C. J.C. is no snob, and seizes the opportunity to ask an "expert" about Upsadaisy Elevators. Hal gives them a ringing endorsement, and J.C. buys all the stock he can get. (imdb)

On a set resembling a yacht, Roger Wolfe Kahn leads his orchestra in several popular tunes of the day. Billed and un-billed guest acts also perform. At the end, Kahn thrills his guests by piloting a biplane. (imdb)

A Warners/Vitaphone short that proves the Vitaphone shorts operation in New York was every bit as capable of making just as bad short subjects as those churned out by Educational Pictures. This one opens up with NY Yankee slugger (retired) Babe Ruth returning from a duck-hunting trip to a cabin shared by musicians Zez Confrey and Byron Gay, and the three of them being inspired to knock off a little highly-forgettable ditty called "Home Run on the Keys." (imdb)

Woody Herman's orchestra plays five tunes, and guest performers sing and dance. (imdb)

Another entry in Robert L. Ripley's series. This time we also get to see Dan Edwards, the most decorated U.S. Veteran who is also missing a hand. For some reason we are introduced to another man missing a hand and then Ripley gets into the "believe it or not" stories. Included here is a woman married twelve times before her sixteenth birthday, a King who was married to a woman for twenty-eight years and only saw her twice; once when they were married and the other when she died. (imdb)

This entry in the Believe It or Not series (#10) finds Mr. Ripley aboard a US naval ship speaking to a group of sailors. The film he shows them includes items on a Mr. Curt Thompson, a blind telephone operator, and John R. Voorhees, who, at age 102, has voted 81 times since his 21st birthday. The finale is a demonstration of skill by Otto Reiselt, the three-cushion billiards champion. (imdb)

A radio salesman gets knocked out by a golf ball and dreams he's in the desert where he sells radios to sheiks. (imdb)

Traveling to North Africa, Ripley offers views of The Meeting Place of the Dead in Morocco, a jail for nagging wives, a village with houses made of tin cans, and a sultan with many wives and children. (imdb)

In this 1939 short in the Melody Master series, that was re-released in 1948 and 1955, Artie Shaw) leads his orchestra in "Begin the Beguine","Nightmare", "Non-Stop Flight", "Let's Stop the Clock", sung by Helen Forrest, and "Pross Tchai"/"Good-bye", a comedy Russian number performed by saxophone player Tony Pastor). (imdb)

When he is fired from his job, Red puts a hex on his boss. That evening, the boss goes to a nightclub and discovers that the hex worked. (imdb)

Duval's Fashion House is struggling, Mr. Duval believes in large part because of his playboy son, Jack, not pulling his weight in the business. Instead, Jack likes to gamble and cavort with his chorus girl girlfriend, Betty. If their latest fashion show doesn't generate enough income, they may go out of business. Jack believes the latest designs are sure fire winners, but in Jack telling her of their problems, Betty, who believes fashion shows are outdated. (imdb)

General Bierbeau sends his weakling son, Pierre, to French Morocco to fight Arab insurgents (the "Riffs") in the hopes that this will toughen him up. He soon becomes the Riffs' leader and assumes a secret identity: "The Red Shadow." Pierre is still regarded as a weakling by the French troops because he always seems to let the Red Shadow slip through their fingers. When Pierre's sweetheart, Margot, visits the French garrison, she succumbs to the Red Shadow's charms. (imdb)

Hal LeRoy is hired as a tap teacher at Dawn O'Day's dancing school to give private lessons to female students. The school's manager, as well as some of his students, spreads false stories that Hal's lessons involve more than just tap dancing. He is fired and starts his own dancing school in the same building as O'Day's. Hal and Dawn now realize that their relationship was more than just business. (imdb)

Hal and Dawn work at the same vaudeville theater (he's an usher; she's a chorus girl). When they both get fired, they form an act and vow to get back to their old theater--as performers. (imdb)

State College is a coeducational school where the athletics are more important than academics. All there are preparing for a big multi-sport match with arch rival Dale College. Students Arthur and Florence are brother and sister, each with love troubles. Their romantic problems are resolved against a background of leggy singing, dancing coeds in this 2 reel musical. (imdb)

George Hall and his orchestra couldn't find a hotel in the city where they are scheduled to appear, so they break into the basement of the theater in which they will perform the next day. They rehearse some musical numbers, and other songs are performed in dream sequences. (imdb)

A womanizing night club singer who has his pick of many beautiful showgirls tries to climb socially and break into society but soon discovers the social and class differences are insurmountable. (imdb)

Bandleader Carroll leads The Coquettes, an all-female band, in several swing tunes.

A telegraph postal union worker has no luck when asks a pretty co-worker to marry him. She says he'd have to be a magician to get her to say yes. Things are complicated when, as a favor to a stuttering acquaintance, he takes his overweight girlfriend to the movies to propose to her by proxy. Unfortunately the pretty co-worker spots him with her in the theater, so he begins to learn magic tricks. (imdb)

A nice "gruesome" entry of this series: Robert Ripley shows a pretty blond a shrunken head and an iron execution chamber. Some lighter fare: floating steel and rocks, funny tombstone descriptions, a male "sewing circle", an armless sharpshooter and expert driver, a champion tire-roller, and an odd Moroccan cure for headaches. (imdb)

Robert Ripley draws and shows movies to train passengers. Highlights include a Manchurian lady with very long eyelashes, a wooden flower garden, a merry go round lunch counter, chickens with featherless wings and various curiosities collected from his North Africa tour. Also included is rare footage of a sand spider attacking a lizard. (imdb)

Henry Santry's band is comprised of self-proclaimed soldiers of fortune. Within their concert set includes the opening declaration of them being soldiers of fortune, Henry serenading a dancing girl he who wants a girl like her, Private Bell looking for a girl he could love tonight, a nimble female dancer performing a comic routine, and a friendly battle between the various instruments in the band. (imdb)

It's the opening night of what has the buzz of being a spectacular new but heavily dramatic play, "Hot Sands". No one will be seated during the first ten minutes after the curtains go up because of the serious and integral nature of the scene. People are scrambling for last minute tickets, all that is left being the poorer seats, that is before the performance eventually sells out minutes before show time. (imdb)

This short humorously recreates the experience of going to a nickelodeon during the silent film era, using footage of silent films and sarcastic narration. (imdb)

Freddie Rich and His Orchestra perform popular songs and accompany guest performers (imdb)

A display what Vaudeville had to offer, with the likes of Carl Emmy and His Mad Wags, The Three Queens, Jack Pepper and His Society Pets and little people Olive & George performing for us.

A miniature vaudeville show, complete with a title card introducing each act, is presented. First up is The On-Wah Troupe, an East Asian group of contortionists. Next, Blossom Seeley and Benny Fields sing a duet of the song, "Why Don't You Practice What You Preach". Third up, father and son Pat Rooney and Pat Rooney Jr. perform a recitation and dance musing about if they will ever be as clever as their dad. And the last act on the bill is The Runaway Four, a group of comic acrobats. (imdb)

Martha Tilton sings "Love Turns Winter to Spring" in this Soundies film from 1941.

Early soundie with Gwen "Verdun" dancing while Warren Jackson croons "The Girl After My Heart".

A black-face minstrel preacher motivates his congregation in song. Gags include a stockpile of guns outside the church and stolen chickens.

'Blind Bob' has written a song and the folks at the music publishing company think that Joe Frisco, his old friend from the Bowery is just right for it. So we see Joe at stage doing his peddler routine. He goes over to the publishing company, where he flirts with a girl act, and then tries out some eccentric dancing to the new song, which happens to be 'Get Happy.'

After a birthday drink, Paul Revere Watson steals a policeman's horse and dreams of himself in Colonial times as the original Revere. (imdb)

As a publicity stunt, a musical comedy star announces her engagement to a young man she believes is a gigolo, with whom she eventually falls in love. (imdb)

In this musical short, the leading lady is a French woman who finds mystery and romance on a luxury liner. There is much music with a chorus of beautiful girls dancing in lush art deco settings.

Another in the long series of "Pete Smith" shorts from M-G-M in which William Newell meets and falls in love with Sally Payne, and begins to budget for their plans to get married. His budget, alas, does not include nor anticipate the plans of Sally and her parents. This short was reissued in June of 1950 to be shown as a trailer with 1950's "Father of the Bride" and some sources think this short was made for that express purpose and date it as a 1950 film.

In this 'Vitaphone Melody Master,' orchestra leader Ray Kinney sings Hawaiian songs while The Aloha Maids perform native dances.

The first and only female leader in the Big Band era. Lots and swing and dancing.

Ozzie and his orchestra play a few tunes. For the list of songs, check the Soundtrack listing.

Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy's plane runs out of gas and lands in the African jungle. After a short comedy routine between the two, some natives come by and insist that they stay for dinner. The question then becomes what (or who) will the dinner be.

Dave Apollon & His Orchestra "Trees", "The Lady in Red", "Born to Swing" and "Shine".

A commercial passenger jet has gone missing on its flight from Mexico to New York. In reality, the plane did crash, but everyone aboard is physically unhurt. One of the passengers, musician Dave Apollon, is concerned about the money he will be losing if he doesn't get to New York to perform in his scheduled gigs. When one of the other passengers tells him that they can get there using his magical Hawaiian wishing stone, Dave balks at the notion.

A few musical numbers from Dave Apollon and His Orchestra.

A chump in Paris bets his friends that he can get engaged as a pauper in a month with music by Cole Porter.

Hal and June meet through her apartment window, she stuck inside since she can't leave because she fears being locked out if she does by the landlord due to back rent owed, and he a sign painter painting over the current advertisement directly across from her apartment window. June treats the current sign, which features a knight, as her only constant companion while she's stuck inside. Hal and June's connection is primarily through their mutual love of dance.

Julie and Bob take a break from their Mardi Gras revels to visit Bob's home, where he lives with his sister and their reclusive Uncle Andy. Andy mistakes Julie for his sweetheart of years before and she plays along. Seems he was a steamboat captain and when the railroads put him out of work he vowed to never leave his home again -- and he still lives in the 1870's in his mind. Julie, Bob and Queenie entice him out to a ball and he finds life in the 20th century pleasant enough.

Phil Emerton and his band play tunes and accompany guest performers, including acrobatic tap dancers Larry & Larry.

As a husband and wife eat breakfast, they argue about anything and everything.

Singer Ruth Eton is looking for some new songs to use in her act. Don Hopkins is a songwriter who wants to break into the business, but knows it is difficult to get music publishers to consider new talent. Don sees Ruth having dinner at a night club and asks for her help.

On a desktop with many books, familiar characters in literature (such as Captain Kidd, Huckleberry Finn, Robinson Crusoe, and Rip Van Winkle) come out of their books after dark. When the book "Minstrel Days" is placed on the desk, the people who emerge from this book put on an old fashioned minstrel show, with comedians, an orchestra, chorus, and dancing girls.

Singer Josephine Huston is featured as a member of a Candid Camera Club. The club stages a contest, in which each member is assigned to go out and get some difficult and unusual picture. Josephine's assignment is to get a picture of herself singing in a gondola.

An American girl is in a small South American village which is celebrating San Marcos Day. The rebels, led by old El Toro and his young Lieutenant, occupy the village. El Toro has an eye for the ladies. The Lieutenant and the girl sing love songs to each other and as the government troops approach, they part.

The story of a likable young man can't hold a job because he is always daydreaming usually about girlfriend Mitzi.

In this "Broadway Brevity," a soda jerk/songwriter dreams (literally) of performing his songs on Broadway.

The Morning Daily newspaper's Mr. Inquisitive column - which has the tagline "I'm Much Obliged" - is holding a contest: tell Mr. Inquisitive what you would like to do, and those stories which are printed in the newspaper are eligible for a prize. Mr. Inquisitive gets many of these stories from random telephone calls he makes. Most of those people he happens to call are performing artists, who not only tell Mr. Inquisitive what they would like to do, but show him through their performances.

Musical satire based on Anthony Hope's Ruritanian novel "The Prisoner of Zenda" in which a commoner takes the place of a lookalike king.

An actor's double looses a tooth when he is punched during filming. While under anesthesia at the dentist's office, he dreams that he is in movies with several contemporary stars.

Columnist Beatrice Blair dispenses love advice to her readers, but can't seem to find her own Mr. Right. Reporter Jimmy Jackson has pursued her but with no results. Blair takes her assistant, Helen, on a cruise to the French Riviera to find romance. The men they meet there make her realize what she left back home.

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