The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Pre-Easter Bunny 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.  Dress like you are going out!
303 South Main
Memphis, TN 38103

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

Sunrise Serenade: I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket" by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Monday, March 30, 2015

TCM In April

Image result for the wizard of oz title screenThe Hollywood Revue has posted its monthly preview of programming on Turner Classic Movies.  The Star of the Month for April is Anthony Quinn, and the theme for the Friday Night Spotlight is A. Arnold Gillespie, MGM’s top visual effects artist, who helped bring some of MGM’s most famed movies to life, including The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan and His Mate, and Mutiny on the Bounty

Sunrise Serenade: Who Cares?

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Who Cares?" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra with Fred Astaire on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Friday, March 27, 2015

Little Lulu: Cad And Caddy

This encore from 2012 is a 1947 Famous Studios animated short featuring Little Lulu.  In this cartoon, Lulu gets the shaft when a golfer who hired her to caddy fires her without payment.  She and her frog, Qunicy, soon collect the compensation.  From the Internet Archive, here is Cad And Caddy.

Sunrise Serenade: Death Ray Boogie

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Death Ray Boogie" by Pete Johnson.  Enjoy the video from YouTube

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Eat At A Vintage Diner With 1938 Prices!


Here is an interesting item posted on Retro Roadmap.  On Saturday, April 11, the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles (in Boyertown, MA) will host its fourth annual Diner Day, during which you can buy homemade pie and coffee in its vintage diner at 1938 prices; and explore the museums collection of classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, wagons, etc. 

Sunrise Serenade: Not A Care In The World

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Not A Care In The World" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra with Peggy Lee on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Playlist For March 25, 2015

The playlist for the March 25, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Sunrise Serenade: I'm Checkin' Out, Goom Bye

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "I'm Checkin' Out, Goom Bye" by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

March Over To The 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.  Dress like you are going out!
303 South Main
Memphis, TN 38103

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

Sunrise Serenade: The Old Music Master

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "The Old Music Master" by Hoagy Carmichael.  Enjoy the video from YouTube

Monday, March 23, 2015

This Week In Film History: March 22-28

MovieFanFare has another This Week In Film History post with a few notable items from the Swing Era, including Johnny Weissmuller's first appearance as Tarzan, and the first film version of a comic book super hero.   

March 25, 1932: Olympic swimming champ Johnny Weissmuller is Tarzan the Ape Man and Maureen O’Sullivan Jane in the first in MGM’s jungle adventure series.
March 28, 1935: Director Leni Riefenstahl’s propaganda documentary Triumph of the Will, chronicling a 1934 Nazi rally at Nuremberg, premieres in Berlin.
March 28, 1941: The first movie adaptation of a comic book superhero appears with the first episode of Republic’s serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel.
March 25, 1943: Japanese director Akira Kurosawa‘s first film, Sanshiro Sugata, is released.
March 22, 1944: Hollywood enters the age of TV advertising, as Paramount promotes The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek in a 30-minute program hosted by director Preston Sturges.
March 24, 1949: Laurence Olivier’s production of Hamlet is the first non-Hollywood film to win a Best Picture Academy Award. Also, John Huston (Best Director) and dad Walter (Best Supporting Actor) are the first father/son winners, for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Sunrise Serenade: Star Dust

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Star Dust" by the man himself, Hoagy Carmichael.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Friday, March 20, 2015

Sunrise Serenade: I Got A Gal In Kalamazoo

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "I Got A Gal In Kalamazoo" by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Sunrise Serenade: Dinah

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

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Playlist For March 18, 2015

The playlist for the March 18, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Early Hot Rod

The nineteen40s posted this shot of an early hot rod back in February.  It looks like a typical Ford Model A hot rod of the period.  Note the size of the steering wheel.  No power steering in those days.  You had to make do with leverage. 

Sunrise Serenade: Five O'Clock Whistle

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Five O'Clock Whistle" by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Hop Into Spring This Friday

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.  Dress like you are going out!
303 South Main
Memphis, TN 38103

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

Sunrise Serenade: I Want A Roof Over My Head

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I Want A Roof Over My Head" by Louis Jordan.  Enjoy the video from YouTube

Monday, March 16, 2015

Sunrise Serenade: G.I. Jive

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "G.I. Jive" by Woody Herman and His Orchestra.  Enjoy the video from YouTube

Friday, March 13, 2015

Betty Boop: Admission Free

We have not had a Betty Boop short in a while, so here is one from 1932.  Two barely related stories here.  Betty is a change girl at a penny arcade, so we get a lot of gags about the arcade machines, including some with Bosko.  Then Bosko tries his luck at the shooting gallery, and ends up chasing one of the target rabbits into the woods.  It then becomes a brief hunting story.  From the Internet Archive, here is Betty Boop and Bosko in Admission Free.

Sunrise Serenade: Starlit Hour

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Starlit Hour" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Stormy Weather Production Number

Just for the pure fun of it, here is a post from 20th Century Radio, with a clip from the 1943 musical, Stormy Weather.  The cast of this film was a Who's Who of Swing Era musical talent, including Cab Calloway, Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Lena Horne, Fats Waller and Dooley Wilson (best known as "Sam" from Casablanca). 

Sunrise Serenade: I'm Stepping Out With A Memory Tonight

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I'm Stepping Out With A Memory Tonight" by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra with Helen O'Connell on vocals.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Playlist For March 11, 2015

The playlist for the March 11, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Hop Off Bad Luck This Friday 13th

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.  Dress like you are going out!
303 South Main
Memphis, TN 38103

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

Sunrise Serenade: I Got A Guy

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I Got A Guy" by Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Monday, March 9, 2015

This Week In Movie History

MovieFanFare regularly posts about important dates in film history, and this week's post (March 8-14) had some interesting points of interest from the Swing Era.  I did not realize that Walt Disney was the first Academy Award winner to refer to the statuette as an "Oscar." 
March 14, 1930: ” Garbo Talks!” in MGM’s Anna Christie. Greta’s first line: “Give me a vhiskey with a ginger ale on the side–and don’t be stingy, baby,”
March 11, 1931: Fritz Lang’s chilling true-crime drama M, starring Peter Lorre as a child killer, debuts in Berlin.
March 11, 1931: The director of Nosferatu and Sunrise, German-born F.W. Murnau, 42, is killed in a car accident on the Santa Barbara Highway.
March 10, 1932: Paramount Pictures abandons the East Coast for Hollywood, shutting down its Astoria, Long Island studios.
March 13, 1934: Walt Disney, accepting his Best Animated Short Academy Award for The Three Little Pigs, is the first winner to refer to the gold statuette as an “Oscar.”
March 9, 1935: A stuttering pig named Porky makes his screen debut in Friz Freleng’s Merrie Melodies short I Haven’t Got a Hat.
March 13, 1940: In roles originally planned for Jack Oakie and Fred MacMurray, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby first team up in Road to Singapore.
March 9, 1945: Filmed over a seven-month period during the Nazi occupation of France, Marcel Carne’s masterpiece, Les Enfants du Paradis, premieres in Paris.
March 14, 1946: Rita Hayworth heats up movie screens with her rendition of “Put the Blame on Mame” in the steamy drama Gilda.
March 10, 1947: Ronald Reagan is elected president…of the Screen Actors Guild, and a month later will agree to notify the FBI of any communist activity in the union.
March 13, 1947: Harold Russell, who lost both hands in a WWII hand grenade explosion, wins two Oscars for playing a returning G.I. in The Best Years of Our Lives.

Sunrise Serenade: Petootie Pie

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Petootie Pie" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Friday, March 6, 2015

Sunrise Serenade: I'm Goin' Down The Road

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "I'm Goin' Down The Road" by Burl Ives and the Andrews Sisters.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Playlist For March 4, 2015

The playlist for the March 4, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

The Vision

"The Vision" first appeared in 1940, published by Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics.  Unlike the later version of this character, this Vision is an alien law enforcer, not an android.  In this 1942 story, posted on Four Color Shadows, The Vision goes up against a mad scientist whose equally mad assistant brings him back to life as a robot that proceeds to go on a murder spree.

Sunrise Serenade: I'm Making Believe

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I'm Making Believe" by Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Hop Like A March Hare

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.  Dress like you are going out!
303 South Main
Memphis, TN 38103

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

Sunrise Serenade: Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)" by Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb and his Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Monday, March 2, 2015

1937 Chicago Cubs Game Home Movie


Boing Boing recently posted this home movie of a 1937 Chicago Cubs baseball game.  There are some pretty good shots of batters at home plate, along with a lot of fedora-wearing, cigar-smoking gents.

Sunrise Serenade: I Take To You

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I Take To You" by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra with Anita O'Day on vocals.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line