King of Jazz( 1930)

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A NEW ERA in sound and color entertainment!

Overview

Made during the early years of the movie musical, this exuberant revue was one of the most extravagant, eclectic, and technically ambitious Hollywood productions of its day. Starring the bandleader Paul Whiteman, then widely celebrated as the King of Jazz, the film drew from Broadway variety shows to present a spectacular array of sketches, performances by such acts as the Rhythm Boys (featuring a young Bing Crosby), and orchestral numbers—all lavishly staged by veteran theater director John Murray Anderson.

Top Billed Cast

Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
John Boles
Vocalist ('Song of the Dawn' / 'It Happened in Monterey')
Laura La Plante
Editor ('Ladies of the Press') / Stenographer ('In Conference') / Quartet Member, 'Nellie'
Jeanette Loff
Vocalist ('It Happened in Monterey' / 'Bridal Veil' / 'A Bench in the Park')
Glenn Tryon
Executive ('In Conference') / Unmarried Husband
William Kent
General ('All Noisy on the Eastern Front') / Goldfish Owner ('Oh! Forevermore!') / Unmarried Couple's Offspring / Vocal ('Do Things For You')
Slim Summerville
Automobile Owner ('Springtime') / Rear End of Horse / Charles
Kathryn Crawford
Fourth Reporter ('Ladies of the Press')
Carla Laemmle
Chorine (as Beth Laemmle)
Stanley Smith
Bridegroom ('Bridal Veil' / 'A Bench in the Park')
Charles Irwin
Himself, Announcer / Soldier ('All Noisy on the Eastern Front')
George Chiles
Dancer ('It Happened in Monterey' / Vocalist 'A Bench in the Park' / 'Ragamuffin Romeo')
Jack White
Jack White
Frank Leslie
Quartet Lead Singer ('Nellie')
Walter Brennan
Desk Sergeant ('Springtime') / Soldier ('All Noisy on the Eastern Front') / Waiter ('Oh! Forevermore!') / Front End of Horse / Quartet Member ('Nellie')
Churchill Ross
Quartet Member ('Nellie')
John Arledge
First Pianist at Giant Piano ('Rhapsody in Blue') / Quartet Member ('Nellie') (as Johnson Arledge)
Al Norman
Rubber Legs Dancer ('Happy Feet')
Jacques Cartier
Voodoo Dancer ("Rhapsody in Blue")
Nell O'Day
Dancer
Marion Stattler
Specialty Dancer 'Ragamuffin Romeo' / 'Melting Pot'
Don Rose
Specialty Dancer 'Ragamuffin Romeo'
Bobbe Brox
Bobbe (as The Brox Sisters)
Patricia Brox
Kathlyn (as The Brox Sisters)
Lorayne Brox
Lorraine (as The Brox Sisters)
Bing Crosby
Trio Singer (as The Rhythm Boys)
Yola d'Avril
Automobile Owner's Wife ("Springtime") / Marie ("All Noisy on the Eastern Front") (uncredited)
Marcia Mae Jones
Child ('Bridal Veil') (uncredited)
Bela Lugosi
Emcee - Hungarian Version
Joan Marsh
Blonde ("A Bench in the Park") (uncredited)
Harry Barris
Trio Singer (as The Rhythm Boys)
Al Rinker
Trio Singer (as The Rhythm Boys)

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A review by CinemaSerf

Written by CinemaSerf on Mon Feb 12 2024

The title of this film is a touch misleading. I was expecting much more of a jazz-based musical revue but instead got pretty much a whole gamut of colourful and precisely staged repertoire. Paul Whiteman and his accomplished orchestra provide the conduit, as it were, as a variety of performers sing, dance and make us laugh (or cringe) for the next hundred minutes. There's a bit of Bing Crosby's first screen appearance with the "Rhythm Boys" doing a lively version of "Happy Feet" and probably my favourite staging of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" - featuring an orchestra within the belly o...