Playlist For April 29, 2015

The playlist for the April 29, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Special Project This Week

Sorry for the late notice, but I'm off on a special project for the factory this week, but I'll be back to regular duties next week. 

Toonerville Trolley: Toonerville Picnic

This encore from 2012 shows what can happen when you take too much trouble to relax.  Mr. Bang's doctor prescribes some rest and relaxation at the beach to calm his nerves, so he hops the Toonerville Trolley to the seashore.  It does not end well.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1936 Van Beuren Studios cartoon, Toonerville Picnic.

Sunrise Serenade: Got A Penny, Jenny?

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Got A Penny, Jenny?" by Stan Kenton and His Orchestra with June Christy on vocals.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

What's On The Menu?

I've been meaning to post this site for some time.  The New York Public Library has collected and scanned hundreds of menus dating from the 1850s to the 2000s.  The collection includes menus from restaurants, cafes, hotels, events, and the transportation industry.  This 1939 menu is from the Southern Pacific Railroad, so you can see how passengers on its trains dined, as well as what they paid.  There is a lot of interesting history in this collection, not only in the food, but also in the artwork. 

Sunrise Serenade: Give Me Some Skin

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Give Me Some Skin" by Lionel Hampton.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Paylist For April 22, 2015

The playlist for the April 22, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Former Harlem Dancer, Age 102, Sees Herself In Soundies

Boing Boing posted this item yesterday, and it is one of those things I could not delay sharing.  Ms. Alice Barker was a chorus dancer in Harlem during the heyday of the Swing Era.  She appeared in some Soundies, but had never actually seen the finished films.  In this video, Ms. Barker, who turned 102 in 2014, sees her film performances for the first time.  My favorite part is when she names the song - "Don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing."  A wonderful video. 

Sunrise Serenade: Swing Down Chariot

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Swing Down Chariot" by the Golden Gate Quartet.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Sunrise Serenade: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" by the Casa Loma Orchestra.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Red Hot Lindy Hops On

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!

Rumba Room

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: Down By The Ohio

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Down By The Ohio" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Hollywood Actress Cigarette Cards

A pack of smokes and a Hollywood starlet - what more do you need?  Retrogasm posted this collection of tobacco cards produced by Player's Cigarettes in the early 1930's, each of which features a painting of a Hollywood actress, the studio that had her under contract, and a brief biography.  This particular set of cards includes some very big names who were still relatively early in their careers when these cards came out.  This card shows Carole Lombard, and notes that she married actor William Powell (The Thin Man) in 1931.  Also included in this set are Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy (speaking of The Thin Man), Barbara Stanwyck, Katherine Hepburn, and Ginger Rogers.

Sunrise Serenade: Oh Baby, Sweet Baby (What Are You Doing to Me?)

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Oh Baby, Sweet Baby (What Are You Doing to Me?)" by Fats Waller.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

The Spirit Of '43

Since April 15 was just two days ago, I thought it appropriate for Donald Duck to return with his annual income tax message.  Walt Disney made this animated short featuring Donald for the U.S. Government, so it fell into the public domain.  The cartoon's goal was to encourage people to save their money so they could pay their income taxes and support the war effort.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1943 animated short, The Spirit Of '43. 

Sunrise Serenade: Shoo-Fly Pie And Apple Pan Dowdy

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Shoo-Fly Pie And Apple Pan Dowdy" by Dinah Shore.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Mail By Autogyro

Yesterday, a postal employee landed a gyrocopter on the Capital building lawn in Washington, D.C.  He was carrying letters to members of Congress urging them to enact campaign finance reform.  While this gentleman's political statement was certainly not authorized by his employer, the U.S. Postal Service (although he did have USPS decals on his aircraft), as Gizmodo noted in this post, the USPS once used gyrocopters, or "autogyros" as they were called back then, to deliver the mail.  This late 1930's film from Eastern Airlines shows one of the company's autogyros delivering the mail between Philadelphia and Camden, N.J.

Autogyros are very interesting aircraft, and were a popular early alternative to helicopters.  Although they resemble helicopters, the distinguishing feature is the main rotor.  Helicopters use their main overhead rotor for lift, propulsion and directional control.  Autogyros used their overhead rotor only for lift, relying on an airplane type propeller to pull or push the craft through the air, and control surfaces such as rudders for directional control.  As a result, autogyros are much simpler, and thus were much cheaper to acquire, operate and maintain than early helicopters, but they could still take off and land in very small spaces. 

Sunrise Serenade: Beau Night In Hotchkiss Corner

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Beau Night In Hotchkiss Corner" by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra with Anita Boyer on vocal.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Playlist For April 15, 2015 Spring Pledge Drive Special: Cut A Rug

The playlist for the April 15, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle Spring Pledge Drive Special, "Cut A Rug," has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Spring Pledge Drive Special: Cut A Rug

WEVL (home of the SSS) is in the middle of our Spring Pledge Drive, and we need your help to reach our goal of $67,000 by 6 p.m. this Saturday.  To get you hopping to either the phone or computer to make your pledge, tonight's SSS Pledge Drive Special will "Cut A Rug," featuring music about - not just for - dancing.  Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and many more will get you moving tonight.  Tune in and call 901-528-1990 to make your pledge by phone, or do it securely online here.

Sunrise Serenade: Sugar Blues

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

Hop Off The Tax Day Blues

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!

Rumba Room

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: If You're A Viper

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "If You're A Viper" by Fats Waller.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

This Week In Film History: April 12-18

The regular MovieFanFare posting of "This Week In Film History" had some notable Swing Era events movie-wise, including Laurel & Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Daffy Duck and Tracy & Hepburn.  Here are the relevant items from the 1930s and '40s.
April 12, 1932: The first “all-star” (John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, et al.) movie, MGM’s Oscar-winning Grand Hotel, opens.
April 16, 1932: Laurel and Hardy’s The Music Box, which goes on to earn the duo a Best Comedy Short Subject Academy Award, opens.
April 13, 1935: Prior to shooting their first MGM film, The Marx Brothers start a nationwide stage tour featuring scenes from A Night at the Opera.
April 16, 1937: Portrayed by Joel McCrea, the character of Dr. Kildare makes his film debut in the MGM drama Internes Can’t Take Money.
April 17, 1937: A manic, “darn-fool duck” named Daffy makes his debut in the Warner Bros. cartoon Porky’s Duck Hunt, directed by Tex Avery.
April 18, 1937: British composer Sir Arthur Bliss’ score for Things to Come becomes the first soundtrack to be issued on records to the public in its entirety.
April 12, 1940: The only Alfred Hitchcock film to win the Best Picture Academy Award, Rebecca, opens.
April 15, 1942: Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy team up for the first time in MGM’s Woman of the Year.

Sunrise Serenade: Ti-Pi-Tin

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Ti-Pi-Tin" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For April 8, 2015

The playlist for the April 8, 2015 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has now been added to the playlist filing cabinet.  

Early Hot Rod Footage

The Hot Rods of the Dry Lakes Era blog recently posted this neat film clip.  It is from a 1950 release called Hot Rod, and the footage below is from a 1946 Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) event.  The SCTA is the group that organizes top speed time trials, including those at the Bonneville Salt Flats.  The video provides an interesting look into the early days of hot rodding.

Sunrise Serenade: You're So Easy To Dance With

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "You're So Easy To Dance With" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra with Peggy Lee on vocals.  Enjoy the video from YouTube. 

Lindy Hopping Right Along

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!

Rumba Room

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: King Porter Stomp

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "King Porter Stomp" by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Brother Orchid Review

Brother Orchid is a fun little film from 1940, and MovieFanFare recently posted a review.  Short summary:  Crime boss Little John Sarto (Edward G. Robinson) decides to retire and live the good life in Europe.  After quickly making some unsophisticated investments, he runs out of dough, and returns to the U.S. of A. to pick up his old business.  Not surprisingly, his successor (Humphrey Bogart) does not welcome Sarto with open arms, and quickly tries to off him.  Sarto ends up hiding out in a monastery, pretending to be a novice monk, while he plans his return to the big time.  In the process, he learns some life lessons from the monks, and eventually realizes that their life is better for him than his old one.

Sunrise Serenade: Take It Easy

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Take It Easy" by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Baseball Bugs

While Bugs is not the Easter Bunny (at least in this short), a baseball cartoon seemed appropriate for Spring.  In this 1945 short, Bugs takes on the Gashouse Gorillas in America's pastime.  From the Internet Archive, here is Baseball Bugs.  P.S. - Have a Happy Easter!

Sunrise Serenade: Christmas Candles

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Christmas Candles" by the Andrews Sisters.  Yes, I know it is Good Friday, but my unconscious was quite insistent this morning, and it must have its reasons.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.