Betty Boop: Is My Palm Read

We have not heard from Betty Boop in a while, so here is another one of her adventures with Bimbo and Ko Ko.  This short is an early Betty Boop feature from 1932, featuring some definitely pre-Hays Code gags, and one of the weirder plotlines I've seen.  From the Internet Archive, here is Is My Palm Read?

Sunrise Serenade: Ain't Misbehavin'

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Ain't Misbehavin'" by Django Reinhardt Et Le Quintette Du Hot Club De France (i.e., Hot Club Quintet of France).  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

TCM In June

It is time once again for The Hollywood Revue's monthly preview of programming on Turner Classic Movies.  The Star of the Month in June is Rock Hudson, and the Friday Night Spotlight will be on pirate movies, so watch for Tyrone and Errol. 

Sunrise Serenade: I Found A New Baby

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I Found A New Baby" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For May 28, 2014

The playlist for the May 28, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

TV Guided Drones Of World War II

Unmanned, remotely piloted military aircraft are not new, or even recent.  Both the U.S. and the Germans used television controlled "drones" during World War II in a variety of configurations.  Paleofuture posted this article about these experimental aircraft that paved the way for modern military drone use. 

Sunrise Serenade: Limehouse Blues

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Limehouse Blues" by Django Reinhardt.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Official Unofficial Start Of Summer Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Matt and Jazz with music by DJ Matt.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103
 

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Rockin' Chair

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Rockin' Chair" by Louis Armstrong and His All Stars with Jack Teagarden helping Louis with the vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Memorial Day

A unit of mounted soldiers in the 1942 Washington, D.C. Memorial Day parade.  From the Library of Congress Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information collection. 

Blitz Wolf

Here is a Memorial Day encore from 2011 featuring a wonderful Tex Avery MGM cartoon from 1942.  Bear in mind as you watch, this short was released less than a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  From the Internet Archive, here is Blitz Wolf. 

Sunrise Serenade: That's Georgia

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "That's Georgia" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Ursine-Polish Soldier In World War II

The National World War II Museum posted this item about a unique soldier during WW2.  "Wojtek" was a Syrian Brown Bear rescued in the mountains of Iran by the Polish II Corps, who were serving with the British Army.  Not only did Wojtek serve as the unit's mascot, he was officially drafted into the Polish Armed Forces at the rank of Private, with his own paybook and serial number.  

Sunrise Serenade: Song Of India

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Song Of India" by the Casa Loma Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For May 21, 2014

The playlist for the May 21, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Little Dynamite

This scan from a 1939 issue of Keen Detective Funnies, posted on The Golden Age, features "Little Dynamite," a diminutive police officer who uses his small stature to his advantage. 

Sunrise Serenade: Bugle Call Rag

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Bugle Call Rag" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Memorial Day Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Camille and Phil with music by DJ Jessica C.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103
 

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals" by Raymond Scott and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Aerial Beer Delivery By Spitfire

It appears that Amazon was not the first to consider aerial delivery of products, although this instance required a human pilot.  Retronaut posted this item about a method used to deliver beer to ground troops after D-Day in World War II.  A Mk IX Spitfire was modified to carry wooden beer kegs, and a quick flight up to a cold altitude would refresh the beer.  Gives a new meaning to the term "beer run." 

Sunrise Serenade: Git Along

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Git Along" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Play Safe

This encore from 2011 of a 1936 Fleischer Studios cartoon features credits in French, but the minimal dialogue is in English.  This short has an interesting mix of styles, from regular animation, to the depth-of-field technique for which the Fleischer's were known, to the apparant use of live action model trains.  The overall story is cute, with a warning for reckless children.  From the Internet Archive, here is Play Safe. 

Sunrise Serenade: Rosie The Riveter

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Rosie The Riveter" by the Four Vagabonds.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

1932 Pierce Arrow Speed Tests At Bonneville

The Jalopy Journal posted this great 1932 footage of Ab Jenkins performing a 24 hour endurance test on the new Pierce Arrow 462 cubic inch V-12 engine at the Bonneville Salt Flats.  This video is one of those awesome looks back in history, even if you are not a car person.  His average speed was 112.91 mph.  I love the comparisons to other manufacturers at various points in the film.  To whom did Pierce Arrow compare itself?  Ford?  Chevrolet?  Hudson?  Studebaker?  Packard?  Even the mighty Duesenberg?  Nope.  Pierce Arrow shot higher:  Bugatti, Delage and Voisin - the big, rare European supercars of their day. 

Another thing to remember is how dangerous such feats were back then.  Up until the 1950's, the odds of a person surviving a serious traffic accident - on the street, at normal driving speeds - were essentially 0.  This guy is hurtling around the desert at over 100 mph in the modern (safety) equivalent of a buckboard with an airplane motor strapped into it.  Granted, there was not much for him to hit out there, but one tire blowout and he was history. 

Sunrise Serenade: Jeepers Creepers

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Jeepers Creepers" by Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club Quintet of France.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For May 14, 2014

The playlist for the May 14, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Viola Smith: Female Swing Drummer

A recent post on Boing Boing featured this clip of swing drummer Viola Smith, one of the earliest female professional drummers.  A little more research revealed that this film was part of Warner Brothers' "Melody Masters" film series, which consisted of big band musical film shorts.  Released from 1931 to 1947, they were essentially swing music videos.  Think early MTV (back when it played music videos) meets Jimmy Dorsey.  In this particular short, released in 1940, Viola Smith was playing with Frances Carroll and the Coquettes, an all girl swing orchestra.

Sunrise Serenade: Take The "A" Train

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Take The 'A' Train" by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Live Music At The Lindy Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session features live music from Davy Ray this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Admission before 7:00 is $5, with a $7 band cover thereafter.  Lesson by Jaredan and Erin, with DJ music by Jaredan.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103
 

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere" by the Mills Brothers.  Enjoy the video below from YouTube.

Train Of Tomorrow

 

As noted by Paleofuture, train travel after World War II was the classy, luxurious way to get around.  General Motors explored this concept in the Train of Tomorrow, which made a 28 month tour of the U.S. and Canada after the war.  The post includes some great scans of a color brochure about the train. 

Sunrise Serenade: I Hadn't Anyone Till You

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Boy Meets Dog

This encore from 2011 features another one of those strange 1930s shorts.  The references to dental hygene can be explained by the fact that a toothpaste company commissioned the cartoon, but even taking that into account, it is still a bit odd.  Nevertheless, you have to love the chorus of "Sing, Sing, Sing" from the elves.  From the Internet Archive, here is "Boy Meets Dog."

Sunrise Serenade: Chant Of The Jungle

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Chant Of The Jungle" by the Casa Loma Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

The Shadow

The Shadow magazine was the inspiration for The Shadow radio series, and The Golden Age blog has posted a series of those magazine covers, as well as a few ads for the radio show.  I picked this one because it included the famous radio tagline "The Shadow knows."   

Sunrise Serenade: Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer" by the Golden Gate Quartet.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For May 7, 2014

The playlist for the May 7, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Orpheum Summer Movie Series

The Orpheum Theatre has announced its Summer Movie Series for 2014, and although there are a few more modern films in the line-up, there are still a some classics.  Notably absent is Gone With The Wind because licensing of the film was suspended during its 75th anniversary.  Casablanca returns, however, along with Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Wizard of Oz.  One new classic in the series is The Little Princess, a 1939 film starring Shirley Temple at the height of her popularity and in Technicolor.  The entire schedule is below.

• Friday, May 30 at 7:00 PM  DOUBLE FEATURE: Night of the Living Dead and Zombieland
• Thursday, June 5 at 7:00 PM  Breakfast at Tiffany’s
• Friday, June 6 at 7:00 PM  National Lampoon’s Vacation
• Thursday, June 12 at 7:00 PM  DOUBLE FEATURE: Father of the Bride (1991) and Bridesmaids
• Friday, June 13 at 7:00 PM  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Thursday, June 19 at 7:00 PM  Mamma Mia Sing-Along
• Friday, June 20 at 7:00 PM  Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Thursday, July 10 at 7:00 PM  Clue
• Friday, July 11 at 7:00 PM  Office Space
• Wednesday, July 16 at 1:30 PM  FAMILY MATINEE: Babe
• Thursday, July 17 at 7:00 PM  The Wizard of Oz Sing-Along
• Friday, July 18 at 7:00 PM  Labyrinth
• Thursday, July 24 at 7:00 PM  Steel Magnolias
• Friday, July 25 at 1:30 PM  FAMILY MATINEE: Shirley Temple in The Little Princess
• Friday, July 25 at 7:00 PM  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Thursday, July 31 at 7:00 PM  Grease Sing-along
• Friday, August 1 at 7:00 PM  The Princess Bride
• Friday, August 8 at 7:00 PM  Jaws
• Friday, August 22 at 7:00 PM  Casablanca
• Friday, September 5 at 8:00 PM  The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Sunrise Serenade: It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Mother's Day Hop And Live Music Next Week

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Keenan and Josie with music by Josie.

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Live music next week by Davy Ray. 
 

The Tiger Rag lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Sidekick Joe

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Sidekick Joe" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Animated Metal Eating Bird

Boing Boing posted this very early stop-motion animation film from 1930 starring Charlie Bowers.  When he gets the idea to open a "flivver factory," he is using the contemporary slang term for a small, cheap automobile:  a flivver.  Very good animation for such an early film. 

Sunrise Serenade: Honeysuckle Rose

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Honeysuckle Rose" by Fats Waller and his Rhythm.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Hawaiian Holiday

This encore from 2011 features a rare Disney short starring Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy.  From the Internet Archive, here is Hawaiian Holiday. 

Sunrise Serenade: Ain't Misbehavin'

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Ain't Misbehavin'" by Fats Waller.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Power Neslon: Futureman

After a quick glance, I was going to pass this one by until I saw the caped, green-headed dude with the blade and the swastikas.  Who could resist a half-naked, swashbuckling Nazi goblin?  Posted on Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine, we learn that the hero, Power Neslon, maintains a secret identity as Gene West, a radio announcer. 

Sunrise Serenade: Your Feet's Too Big

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was one of my favorite novelty tunes, "Your Feet's Too Big" by Fats Waller.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.