Vitaphone shorts from Warner Archives

[musicalnovelty]

A new set of Vitaphone music & band shorts has been released by Warner Archives.

Let's hope this one does well and that they'll release more, especially the Vitaphone two-reel comedies such as those with Shemp Howard.

 

Warner Bros. BIG BAND, JAZZ & SWING-SHORT SUBJECTS (6 DISCS)

DISC 1: Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #1 (1932-33)

Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #2 (1932-33)

Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #3 (1932-33)

Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #4 (1932-33)

Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #5 (1932-33)

Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #6 (1932-33)

Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #1 (1933-34)

Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #2 (1933-34)

Ramblin? ?Round Radio Row #1 (1934-35)

The Yacht Party

The Audition

DISC 2: Yamekraw

Smash Your Baggage

That?s the Spirit

Pie, Pie Blackbird

Rufus Jones for President

All Colored Vaudeville Show

King for a Day

The Black Network

DISC 3: Eddie Duchin & Orchestra

Mills Blue Rhythm Band

Isham Jones & His Orchestra

Ben Pollack & His Orchestra

Dave Apollon & Co. in The Wishing Stone

Johnny Green & His Orchestra

Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica Rascals

Red Nichols & His World Famous Pennies

George Hall & His Orchestra

Harry Reser & His Eskimos

Little Jack Little & Orchestra

DISC 4: Jimmie Lunceford & His Dance Orchestra

B.A. Rolfe & His Orchestra in Off the Record

Leon Navara & His Orchestra in Sin-Copation

Cab Calloway & His Orchestra in Hi De Ho

Freddie Rich & His Orchestra

Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra

Larry Clinton & His Orchestra with Carol Bruce

Ray Kinney & His Royal Hawaiian Orchestra

Swing Cat?s Jamboree

Saturday Night Swing Club

Larry Clinton & His Orchestra in The Dispy Doodler

DISC 5: Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra

Artie Shaw & His Orchestra in Symphony of Swing

Vincent Lopez & His Orchestra with Betty Hutton

Frances Carroll & the Coquettes

Larry Clinton & His Orchestra with Bea Wain

Rita Rio & Her Orchestra

Artie Shaw & His Orchestra

Henry Busse & His Orchestra

Cliff Edwards & His Buckaroos

Woody Herman & His Orchestra

Skinnay Ennis & His Orchestra

DISC 6: Hal Kemp & His Orchestra

Glen Gray & the Casa Loma Orchestra

Six Hits and a Miss

Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica School

Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra

Jammin? the Blues

Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

Jan Savitt & His Band

Spade Cooley, King of Western Swing

Stan Kenton and Orchestra

Desi Arnaz & His Orchestra

 

This set was released Nov. 17. Here's the link to details:

http://www.wbshop.com/WB-Big-Band-Jazz--Swing-Collection-MOD/1000123048,default,pd.html?cgid=ARCHIVENEW

[ziggyelman]

musicalnovelty , thanks for the info! Sounds very interesting. I think these types of sets are more interesting than most of the films that have run on TCM fairly recently.

[Shempetta]

I can't wait to see some of these bands! Quite a collection of musical history...

[scottman1932]

It looks like they combined many of the titles from the two laser disc boxed sets of Vitaphone music shorts from the '90s plus a few more interesting bands added to the set. Looks good. This would be a nice upgrade.

[mickeyfender]

Thanks Musicalnovelty, this set includes many titles that I've never actually seen on TCM, so it looks very interesting for that alone. I really hope it does well, because the Vitaphone comedy and music shorts are my favorites, and I'd love to see Warner Home Video put out more sets.

[musicalnovelty]

Here's a partial listing of the MGM shorts in the Classic Musical Shorts DVD set coming out on May 18. -

 

"Classic Musical Shorts from the Dream Factory, 1928 - 1948" - Warner Archive Collection

 

- The Devil's Cabaret, The (1930)

- Cinema Circus (1937)

- Gems of M-G-M (1930)

- Musical Masterpieces (1947)

- My Grandfather's Clock (1934)

- Nertsery Rhymes (1933)

- Over the Counter (1932)

- Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga (1939)

- Streamlined Swing (1938)

- Wild People (1932)

- Bars and Stripes (1937)

- Big Idea, The (1934)

- Musical Merry-Go-Round: Frankie Carle & Marjorie Hughes (1948)

- Musical Merry-Go-Round: Freddy Martin & His Orchestra (1948)

- Gypsy Night (1935)

- Musical Merry-Go-Round: Les Brown & Virginia O'Brien (1948)

- Let's Dance (1936)

- Musical Merry-Go-Round: Ray Noble & Buddy Clark (1948)

- Swing Banditry (1936)

- Musical Merry-Go-Round: Tex Beneke & His Orchestra (1948)

- Musical Merry-Go-Round: Tex Beneke & Les Brown (1948)

- Beer & Pretzels (1933)

- Plane Nuts (1933)

 

Can't wait to see the rest of the list!

[musicalnovelty]

> {quote:title=musicalnovelty wrote:}{quote}

> Here's a partial listing of the MGM shorts in the Classic Musical Shorts DVD set coming out on May 18. -

>

> "Classic Musical Shorts from the Dream Factory, 1928 - 1948" - Warner Archive Collection

>

> - The Devil's Cabaret, The (1930)

> - Cinema Circus (1937)

> - Gems of M-G-M (1930)

> - Musical Masterpieces (1947)

> - My Grandfather's Clock (1934)

> - Nertsery Rhymes (1933)

> - Over the Counter (1932)

> - Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga (1939)

> - Streamlined Swing (1938)

> - Wild People (1932)

> - Bars and Stripes (1937)

> - Big Idea, The (1934)

> - Musical Merry-Go-Round: Frankie Carle & Marjorie Hughes (1948)

> - Musical Merry-Go-Round: Freddy Martin & His Orchestra (1948)

> - Gypsy Night (1935)

> - Musical Merry-Go-Round: Les Brown & Virginia O'Brien (1948)

> - Let's Dance (1936)

> - Musical Merry-Go-Round: Ray Noble & Buddy Clark (1948)

> - Swing Banditry (1936)

> - Musical Merry-Go-Round: Tex Beneke & His Orchestra (1948)

> - Musical Merry-Go-Round: Tex Beneke & Les Brown (1948)

> - Beer & Pretzels (1933)

> - Plane Nuts (1933)

>

> Can't wait to see the rest of the list!

>

That "partial listing" that got around yesterday apparently (and obviously) has been revised and many of the shorts listed there are now not included in the set as released today, May 18.

Here is the finalized listing of the contents:

 

http://www.wbshop.com/Classic-Musical-Shorts-from-the-Dream-Factory/1000150505,default,pd.html?cgid=ARCHIVENEW

 

Still some good fun stuff there, but I'm ready for Volume 2 already!

[musicalnovelty]

Six-disc set of Vitaphone shorts scheduled release by Warner Archive on 12/14/2010:

 

Contents:

 

Disc One --

 

"Vitaphone Pioneers Stars of Broadway, Vaudeville and Nightclubs (1926-1931)" - 13 shorts.

 

THE HOWARD BROTHERS in ?BETWEEN THE ACTS AT THE OPERA? . (10-5-1926) - Willie & Eugene Howard. #349

 

GUS ARNHEIM and HIS COCOANUT GROVE ORCHESTRA. (June,1928)

 

Gus Arnheim. #2584

 

TAL HENRY AND HIS NORTH CAROLINIANS. (April,1929) Tal Henry. #732

 

RHYTHMS. (June,1929) Leo Reisman and his Hotel Brunswick Orchestra. #770

 

THE OPRY HOUSE. (August, 1929) The Mound City Blue Blowers. #834

 

RED NICHOLS AND HIS FIVE PENNIES. (December, 1929) Red Nichols. #870

 

LEW FIELDS IN ?23...SKIDOO?. (June, 1930) Lew Fields, Olive (Gloria) Shea. #1017

 

FASHION'S MIRROR. (October, 1930) Jack Thompson & Barbara Newberry. #1045

 

HENRY SANTREY & HIS SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE. (January, 1931) Henry Santrey. #1128

 

OPENING NIGHT. (January ,1931) Dorothy Sands, Peggy Shannon. #1138

 

ONE WAY OUT. (January, 1931) Thelma White. #1153

 

JACK BUCHANAN WITH THE GLEE QUARTET. (February, 1930) Jack Buchanan. #3816

 

BUBBLES. with the Vitaphone Kiddies (1930) The Gumm Sisters (with Judy Garland). #3898

 

Disc Two --

 

"Vitaphone Varieties Music and Comedy Diversions (1931-35)" - 6 Shorts.

 

THE GRAND DAME. (May, 1931) Patsy Kelly. #1203

 

NINE O'CLOCK FOLKS. (June, 1931) Roy Fant, The Mound City Blue Blowers. #1220

 

HOT NEWS MARGIE. (November, 1931) Marjorie Beebe. #1290

 

THE MILD WEST. (11-18-1933) Janet Reade. #1582 - 83

 

ROOFTOPS OF MANHATTAN. (11-16-1935) Gil Lamb. #1893 - 94

 

THE DUNCAN SISTERS IN "SURPRISE". (7-27-1935) Duncan Sisters. #1915 - 16

 

Disc Three --

 

"Vitaphone presents Movie Memories, Celebrities & Novelties Hollywood/Personalities/Nostalgia (1931-34)" ? 11 shorts.

 

THRILLS OF YESTERDAY. (10-17-1931) Silent-era Serials. #1261

 

MOVIE ALBUM #1. (3-5-1932) Old Silent Days. #1326

 

INKLINGS. (4-8-1933) Lowell Thomas. #1368

 

MOVIE ALBUM #2. (6-4-1932) Old Silent Days. #1388

 

NICKELETTE. (9-24-1932) Nickelodeon. #1399

 

MOVIE MEMORIES #1. (12-30-1933) Old Silent Days. #1517

 

A PENNY A PEEP. (6-30-1934) Nickelodeon Memories. #1518

 

THE CAMERA SPEAKS. (8-11-1934) Billy Bitzer. #1600

 

HOLLYWOOD NEWS REEL. (6-24-1934) Warner Bros. Stars. # 6170

 

MOVIE MEMORIES #2. (10-27-1934) Old Silent Days. # 6493

 

A TRIP THROUGH A HOLLYWOOD STUDIO. (12-7-1934) WB Stars. # 6616.

 

Disc Four --

 

"Vitaphone Singin? and Swingin? Musical delights from the worlds Broadway, Radio, Nightclubs & Vaudeville (1933-39)" - 11 shorts.

 

HARRY WARREN, AMERICA?S FOREMOST COMPOSER. (11-18-1933) Harry Warren. #1544

 

BARBER SHOP BLUES. (9-30-1933) Claude Hopkins. #1551

 

PHIL SPITALNY & HIS ORCH. - A BIG CITY FANTASY. (4-14-1934) Phil Spitalny. #1635

 

MIRRORS. (9-8-1934) Freddie Rich & His Orchestra, Vera Van. #1689

 

PHIL SPITALNY & HIS MUSICAL QUEENS. (10-6-1934) Phil Spitalny. #1719

 

DON REDMAN & HIS ORCHESTRA. (10-29-1934) Don Redman. #1770

 

MR. & MRS. JESSE CRAWFORD AT HOME. (4-15-1939) Jesse and Helen Crawford. #B219

 

VAUDEVILLE REEL #1. (10-13-1934) Herb Williams. #1751

 

VAUDEVILLE REEL #2. (10-29-1934) Carl Emmy, George and Olive Brasno. #1761

 

VAUDEVILLE REEL #3. (2-16-1935) Al Trahan. #1778

 

VAUDEVILLE REEL #4. (4-27-1935) Blossom Seeley and Benny Fields, Pat Rooney, Sr. #1791

 

Disc Five --

 

"Vitaphone in TECHNICOLOR! TECHNICOLOR MUSICAL COMEDY 2-Reelers (1934-35)" - 6 Shorts.

 

SERVICE WITH A SMILE. (7-28-1934) Leon Errol. #1700 - 01

 

GOOD MORNING EVE. (9-22-1934) Leon Errol. #1702 - 03

 

WHAT? NO MEN! (11-24-1934) El Brendel. #1704 - 05

 

GYPSY SWEETHEART. (3-30-1935) Wini Shaw. #1708 - 09

 

OKAY, JOSE. (12-7-1935) El Brendel. #7071 - 72

 

CARNIVAL DAY. (5-20-1935) Felix Knight. #7143 - 44

 

Disc Six --

 

"Vitaphone in TECHNICOLOR!- TECHNICOLOR MUSICAL COMEDY 2-Reelers (1935-38)" - 6 Shorts.

 

KING OF THE ISLANDS. (2-22-1936) Wini Shaw. #7234 - 35

 

CHANGING OF THE GUARD. (6-6-1936) Sybil Jason. #7497 - 98

 

ECHO MOUNTAIN. (8-29-1936) Fred Lawrence. #7633 - 34

 

THE SUNDAY ROUND-UP. (7-10-1936) Dick Foran, Jane Wyman. #7661 - 62

 

ROMANCE ROAD. (1-29-1938) Walter Cassell. # 8179 - 80

 

OUT WHERE THE STARS BEGIN. (4-13-1938) All Star Special. #8663 - 64

[Jlewis]

Thanks for the heads up! The Warner Archive is being "coy" right now... perhaps they don't have enough copies ready for The Stampede lingering about their site. Service With A Smile is a delightful Leon Errol comedy sometimes shown on TCM, but not on DVD yet. Too bad the only existing copy of Bubbles is in black & white; curious how many of the Warner 2-color Technicolor shorts of 1929-33 survive. The full-color shorts made after 1934 certainly give the MGM ones in the previous Classic Musical Shorts From The Dream Factory a run for their money.

[musicalnovelty]

Very exciting news!

New set of Vitaphone shorts being released April 12:

 

http://www.wbshop.com/Vitaphone-Varieties-192630/1000213457,default,pd.html?

cgid=ARCHIVENEW

 

There are at least another 60 restored early Vitaphones still to be

issued after this. So please help make this as big a success as the earlier

Vitaphone sets and THE JAZZ SINGER! Here is a rundown of the contents:

 

* Studio: Warner Bros.

* Screen Aspect: 4 X 3 FULL FRAME

* Run Time: 547 minutes

* Packaging Type: Amaray Case

* Genre: Comedy

 

Synopsis:

 

Recovered and restored: fascinating early-sound shorts from a bygone

entertainment era. Venerable vaudevillians. Musical marvels. Crazy comics.

Formidable character actors. These and other great performers and ensembles

from the Warner Bros. vault comprise a dazzling 9+-Hour, 4-Disc Collection

of 60 Theatrical Shorts (1926-1930) that reach across the footlights - and

decades - to delight new generations. Vitaphone Varieties is an endlessly

entertaining blast from the past.

 

Vitaphone Varieties (1926-1930)

Disc One 17 shorts

THE REVELERS

THE MORRISEY AND MILLER NIGHT CLUB REVIEW

JIMMY CONLIN & MYRTLE GLASS IN "SHARPS AND FLATS"

EARL BURTNETT AND HIS BILTMORE HOTEL ORCHESTRA

VAL AND ERNIE STANTON IN "CUT YOURSELF A PIECE OF CAKE"

BROWN AND WHITAKER IN "A LAUGH OR TWO"

JIMMY CLEMONS IN "DREAM CAFE"

BERT SWOR IN "A COLORFUL SERMON"

GLADYS BROCKWELL IN "HOLLYWOOD BOUND"

JAY C. FLIPPEN IN "THE HAM WHAT AM"

HARRY J. CONLEY IN "THE BOOK WORM"

DORA MAUGHAN WITH WALTER FEHL IN "SONG IMPRESSIONS"

HENRY B. WALTHALL IN "RETRIBUTION"

DICK RICH AND HIS SYNCO-SYMPHONISTS

MONTAGUE LOVE IN "CHARACTER STUDIES"

KJERULF'S MAYFAIR QUINTETTE IN "A MUSICAL MELANGE"

VAL HARRIS WITH ANN HOWE IN "THE WILD WESTERNER"

 

Disc Two 17 Shorts

EDDIE WHITE IN "I THANK YOU"

MARLOWE AND JORDAN IN "SONGS AND IMPRESSIONS"

VAL AND ERNIE STANTON IN "ENGLISH AS SHE IS NOT SPOKEN"

JACK WALDRON IN "A BREATH OF BROADWAY"

FLORENCE BRADY IN "A CYCLE OF SONGS"

EARL BURTNETT AND HIS BILTMORE HOTEL ORCHESTRA

MITCHELL LEWIS IN "THE DEATH SHIP"

AL LYONS AND HIS FOUR HORSEMEN IN "MY MUSICAL MELANGE"

ROBERT EMMET KEANE IN "GOSSIP"

BORN AND LAWRENCE IN "THE COUNTRY GENTLEMEN"

THE RANGERS IN "AFTER THE ROUND-UP"

ARTHUR PAT WEST IN "SHIP AHOY!"

BORN AND LAWRENCE IN "PIGSKIN TROUBLES"

FRANK WHITMAN "THAT SURPRISING FIDDLER"

ANN CODEE AND FRANK ORTH IN "A BIRD IN THE HAND"

BUD HARRIS AND FRANK RADCLIFFE IN "AT THE PARTY"

HARRY FOX AND HIS SIX AMERICAN BEAUTIES

 

Disc Three 15 shorts

FRED ARDATH IN "THESE DRY DAYS"

JACK WHITE with the MONTREALERS

DOOLEY AND SALES IN "DOOLEY'S THE NAME"

OKLAHOMA BOB ALBRIGHT AND HIS RODEO DO FLAPPERS

CHARLES C. PETERSON, BILLIARD CHAMPION OF FANCY SHOTS

HOBART CAVANAUGH, REGINA WALLACE in "SYMPATHY"

MEL KLEE IN "THE PRINCE OF WAILS"

HARRY FOX AND BEATRICE "BEE" CURTIS IN "THE BEE AND THE FOX"

COLETTA RYAN AND DUKE YELLMAN IN "SONGOLOGY"

THE GOTHAM RHYTHM BOYS

"POOR AUBREY" BY GEORGE KELLY WITH FRANKLIN PANGBORN, HELEN FERGUSON, CLARA BLANDICK AND RUTH LYONS

BILLY "SWEDE" HALL & COMPANY IN "HILDA"

"REVIVAL DAY" WITH SLIM TIMBLIN

"NIAGARA FALLS" WITH BRYANT WASHBURN AND HELEN JEROME EDDY

JOHN T. MURRAY AND VIVIEN OAKLAND IN "SATIRES"

 

Disc Four 11 shorts

JANS AND WHALEN IN "TWO GOOD BOYS GONE WRONG"

CARLENA DIAMOND: HARPIST SUPREME

"TRIFLES"

ANDERSON AND GRAVES IN "FISHING AROUND"

"SURPRISE" WITH TOM DUGAN AND BARBARA LEONARD

"WHAT A LIFE"

"THANKSGIVING DAY"

"PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES" WITH DOUGLAS STANBURY AND THE LYRIC QUARTET

"SHE WHO GETS SLAPPED" WITH TOM DUGAN, WILLIAM IRVING, GEORGE HAYES

BETTY AND JERRY BROWNE IN "LET'S ELOPE!"

JOE FRISCO IN "THE SONG PLUGGER"

 

Special thanks to our preservation partners:

UCLA Film & Television Archive

Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation

and The Vitaphone Project

[musicalnovelty]

> {quote:title=musicalnovelty wrote:}{quote}

>New set of Vitaphone shorts being released April 12:

>

> http://www.wbshop.com/Vitaphone-Varieties-192630/1000213457,default,pd.html?

> cgid=ARCHIVENEW

>

Click here to hear a "Podcast" by Warner Brothers' George Feltenstein talking about this new Vitaphone shorts DVD set:

 

http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/dd/podcasts/wac/Vitaphone_04_12_11.mp3

 

He plays for us a very rare and historic record that you ain't gonna hear anywhere else, as well as the soundtarcks to three of the Vitaphone shorts in the DVD set.

[mickeyfender]

Just got the dvd set in the mail -- I love this stuff. Just gotta hope they keep releasing these sets. Thanks to all at Warner Archive!

[Jlewis]

> {quote:title=MickeyFender wrote:}{quote}

> Just got the dvd set in the mail -- I love this stuff. Just gotta hope they keep releasing these sets. Thanks to all at Warner Archive!

 

I second that? they need to keep ?em coming!

 

Also, if you can, post a review over on the Archive. The more reviews the better.

 

Unfortunately, I made the ghastly mistake of posting a very windy review with three stars instead of five (which I gave the other Vitaphone set). Got a cluster of "no, this review was not helpful" responses as a result. If we were able to go back and re-edit, that easily misinterpreted "half of you reading this?" line would be axed and the racial warnings removed? since everybody knows this stuff is old and full of minstrel material already. (Guess some readers thought I was talking down to them.)

 

Also, didn?t realize somebody else was going to give it such a poor rating. Another reason you should post a glowing one? to bring the average rating up.

 

Sometimes just because I enjoy watching the stuff, I think others may not like it as well as I do and get mad if my review is too positive. Well? overdid it this time in the other direction...

 

Edited by: Jlewis on Apr 25, 2011 5:58 PM