King of Jazz (1930)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

John Murray Anderson

Writers:

Charles MacArthur (writer)
Harry Ruskin (writer)

Release Date:

20 April 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Music

Plot:

This revue presents its numbers around the orchestra leader Paul Whiteman, besides that it shows in...

Plot Keywords:

Revue | Two Strip Technicolor

Awards:

Won Oscar.

Cast

Paul Whiteman	...	Himself (as Paul Whiteman and His Band)
John Boles	...	Himself - Vocalist ("Song of the Dawn" / "It Happened in Monterey")
Laura La Plante	...	Editor ("Ladies of the Press") / Stenographer ("In Conference")
Glenn Tryon	...	Executive ("In Conference") / Unmarried Husband
Jeanette Loff	...	Herself - Vocalist ("It Happened in Monterey" / "Bridal Veil" / "A Bench in the Park")
Merna Kennedy	...	Second Reporter ("Ladies of the Press") / Wife ("In Conference") / Unmarried Wife
Stanley Smith	...	Bridegroom ("Bridal Veil" / "A Bench in the Park")
Slim Summerville	...	Automobile Owner ("Springtime") / Rear End of Horse / Charles
Otis Harlan	...	Charles's Intended Father-in-Law
William Kent	...	General ("All Noisy on the Eastern Front") / Goldfish Owner ("Oh! Forevermore!") / Unmarried Couple's Offspring / Vocal ("Do Things For You")
Bing Crosby	...	Himself (as The Rhythm Boys)
Al Rinker	...	Himself (as The Rhythm Boys)
Harry Barris	...	Himself (as The Rhythm Boys)
Eleanor Gutchrlein	...	Herself, Dance Specialty (as Sisters G)
Karla Gutchrlein	...	Herself Dance Specialty (as Sisters G)

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The animation sequence, created by Walter Lantz, was the first Technicolor animation ever produced.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Universal Story (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Like To Do Things For You

Essential for two-strip Technicolor and Oscar winning sets

Please refer to the superbly written and extensive reviews by "lugonian" and "jz1360" on this site. Between them they don't miss a bit of this elaborate musical review. There are 18 musical numbers and a half dozen brief comedy skits (prominently featuring Walter Brennan and Slim Summerville)- all squeezed into 93 minutes. The comedy is poor and the production numbers vary from merely okay to spectacular.

The two main reasons why this is an important film to preserve are the two-strip Technicolor and its Oscar for Art Direction. Over 120 films were produced with two-strip Technicolor between 1923 and 1933. Only about 55 of these were completely filmed in the process, the others having only Technicolor inserts. Of these 55 or so, only a dozen survive. This is one of them. The predominance here of red and blue (as in the Fairbanks silent 1926 color classic - THE BLACK PIRATE) is accentuated by true brown, orange and a brownish attempt at yellow. All colors register as quite pale. The special effects are outstanding for the time. Whiteman reminds one of Oliver Hardy- facial resemblance is quite striking.

The enormous and stylish sets deservedly won an Art Direction Oscar.

As a document of follies-type vaudevillian entertainment of the time, it is of value. Add to that the two-strip Technicolor and the sets and you do have a visual treat - a bit of time capsule musical performance history.