Dangerous Dan McFoo

This encore from 2011 is the first part of a two part set, both directed by Tex Avery with the same story, but from different times and different studios.  The first short is the 1939 version made by Warner Bros.  From the Internet Archive, here is Dangerous Dan McFoo.  This copy has subtitles in French, and Betty Davis shows up around 2:40. 

Sunrise Serenade: On The Road To Mandalay

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "On The Road To Mandalay" by Jan Savitt and His Top Hatters with Bon Bon on vocals.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Hard At Work On Der Atlantik Wall

The pictures in the Nazi propaganda filmstrip Der Atlantik Wall now take a definite industrial turn, as they start to feature scenes of the construction of the fortifications.  The Todt Organization (TO) was responsible for these engineering projects and helped produce the filmstrip.  During the war, the TO met the massive demand for workers through forced labor drawing from the German population, concentration camp prisoners, workers from occupied countries, "volunteer" prisoners of war, military personal, etc.  Whether or not any of the workers pictured in these scenes fall into any of those categories is unclear, although many are wearing what appear to be military uniforms, and most appear to be more enthusiastic than one would think forced labor would be.

Sunrise Serenade: Let's Swing It

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Let's Swing It" by Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For August 27, 2014

The playlist for the August 27, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Live Music At The Lindy Hop

 

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night with live music from the Mighty Souls Brass Band.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Five dollar ($5) admission before 7:00 and $7 thereafter.  Lesson by Brooke and Mike.

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: (Looks Like I'm) Breakin' The Ice

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "(Looks Like I'm) Breakin' The Ice" by Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Wendy The Welder & Co.

Rivet Head posted this presumably World War II photo showing a group of women war workers - welders by the look of their helmets, gloves and the acetylene torch in one of their hands.  Although I cannot be certain, they appear to work in a shipyard, in light of the structures around them.  

Sunrise Serenade: Let's Have A Jubilee

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Let's Have A Jubilee" by Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

When G.I. Johnny Comes Marching Home

This encore from 2011 features a bouncing ball screen song that encouraged audience participation at theaters through the bouncing ball over the lyrics.  The Matinee At The Bijou screen song post included this example from 1945 called, When G.I. Johnny Comes Home.  After a lot of clever gags about G.I.s returning from World War II, the sing along starts out as the standard version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," but it gets a bit hip and swinging toward the end. 

Sunrise Serenade: Jingle, Jangle, Jingle

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" by the Merry Macs.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

More Camouflage And Now Construction On Der Atlantik Wall

As we continue through the Nazi propaganda filmstrip Der Atlantik Wall, images of camouflaged weapons emplacements give way to photos apparently documenting the construction of the fortifications.  The Todt Organization, which helped produce the filmstrip, was a military-industrial organization that played a dominant role in German military engineering and construction.

 

Sunrise Serenade: Fifty-Second Street

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Fifty-Second Street" by Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For August 20, 2014

The playlist for the August 20, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Radios, Appliances And Cars: Powel Crosley Jr.

The Retro Planet blog posted this very interesting biography of Powel Crosley, Jr., which examines the many different industries into which the entrepreneur thrust himself.  Automobiles, radios, kitchen appliances (both gas and electric), early fax machines, and radio stations were just a few of the efforts from the prolific Mr. Crosley. 

Sunrise Serenade: Money In My Pockets

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

Lindy Hop Friday And Live Music Next Week

 

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

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Live music next week with the Mighty Souls Brass Band. 
 

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: Flying Home

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Flying Home" by Ella Fitzgerald with Vic Schoen.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Belated R.I.P. For "Baby"

I was away when I learned of the passing of Betty Joan Perske, a/k/a Lauren Bacall, so I was unable to post anything about it until now.  This YouTube video shows her in her screen debut, at age 19, opposite Humphrey Bogart, singing "How Little We Know" with Hoagy Carmichael on piano, from To Have And Have Not. 

Sunrise Serenade: Opus No. 1

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Opus No. 1" by the Gene Krupa Orchestra with Anita O'Day on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Taking A Break

Like the person in this 1940 photo from the Library of Congress, I'm taking a break.  After an extended weekend, I'll be back on Monday.  Enjoy your weekend.

Red Hot Dog Days Lindy Hop

 

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Jaredan and Meghan, with music by DJ 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: When The Bloom Is On The Sage

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "When The Bloom Is On The Sage" by Johnny Mercer.  Enjoy the video from DailyMotion.

Small World: Old Mid-South Fair Photo

I found this old neighbor on Rivet Head, a photo blog focused on vintage clothes, especially denim and workwear.  This photo from the Mid-South Fair was probably taken in the late 1940s or early 1950s.  It was just interesting to see a random Memphis image pop up. 

Sunrise Serenade: The Music Goes Round And Round

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Music Goes Round And Round" by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Betty Boop: Dizzy Dishes - Happy Birthday Betty!

Happy Birthday Betty!  On August 9, 1930, Betty made her first appearance on the silver screen in Dizzy Dishes.  In her early incarnations, Betty was actually a nameless, anthropomorphic dog with long floppy ears that eventually evolved into the hoop earrings of her final human form.  From the Internet Archive, here is Betty's debut in Dizzy Dishes.

Sunrise Serenade: Nobody's Sweetheart

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Nobody's Sweetheart" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

More Camouflage On Der Atlantik Wall

The photos below from the Nazi propaganda filmstrip Der Atlantik Wall continue a theme we saw in the last posting.  The first picture shows concrete, military blockhouses being disguised as civilian buildings by painted-on windows, pitched roofs and fake gables.  The second photo shows camouflage netting over a sunken, permanent artillery position.

 

Sunrise Serenade: Chinatown

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

Playlist For August 6, 2014

The playlist for the August 6, 2014 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Coastwatcher, Hero, Witness To History Dies

The BBC has reported that Solomon Islander Eroni Kumana passed away at the age of 93.  In August 1943, Kumana and his friend Biuku Gasa were working as Coastwatchers, mostly indigenous agents who kept track of Japanese movements in the islands and reported them to Allied forces.  One day in their canoe, they encountered the shipwrecked crew of an American Patrol Torpedo (PT) boat.  The PT boat had been rammed in the night by a Japanese destroyer.  The PT skipper wrote a message on a coconut shell, and Kumana and Gasa took the shell in their canoe through 35 miles of Japanese patrolled waters to the Allies, who successfully rescued the American sailors.  The PT boat commander was U.S. Navy Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, Jr. (below, far right).

Sunrise Serenade: Avalon

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Avalon" by the Benny Goodman Quartet.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Had A Blast! Lindy Hop Back At Rumba Room Friday

Many thanks to the Red Hot Lindy Hop for inviting me to DJ last Friday night.  There was a great crowd, and we had a blast. 

 

The lesson and session is back at the Rumba Room this Friday night.  Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter.  Lesson by Erin and Phil, with music by DJ Alexis.

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: Pent Up In A Penthouse

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Pent Up In A Penthouse" by Fats Waller.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Ah, The Good Old Days Of Motor Racing

Boing Boing directed me to this slide show on Wired featuring photos of British auto racing in the 1930s.  Those guys AND GALS drove with some serious intensity; and they did not bother with your newfangled, fancy/schmancy, technologically advanced safety equipment - like helmets or seat belts. 

Sunrise Serenade: The Patty Cake Man

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Patty Cake Man" by Ella Mae Morse.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Don Quixote

This encore from 2011 takes a literary turn as Cervantes meets Ub Iwerks in this 1934 animated short.  From the Internet Archive, here is Don Quixote.

Sunrise Serenade: Dough-Ra-Me

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Dough-Ra-Me" by Lionel Hampton.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.