King Of Jazz (1930)

Filmed in the two strip Technicolor process, this is a musical revue made in the early days of sound movies featuring song, dance, animation and comic blackouts with no cohesive plot. The famed band leader Paul Whiteman was known as the King Of Jazz although his form of jazz isn't pure but jazz influenced dance music mostly. As with all revue films, it's hit and miss. Some of the film positively creaks (usually the comic bits) and frankly, I lot of it is bizarre: like the Chaplinesque violinist (who looks like Robert Mitchum) who plays a song on a bicycle pump! But the production numbers are vivid and colorful and the dancing is first rate. Still, I imagine to 1930 audiences it was pretty spectacular. Curiously, for a film about jazz the lack of black faces is uncomfortable. There is one "black" dance number (actually very good) but the dancer is white and painted head to toe in black. However, for those interested in early sound cinema, it's a must see. Among the familiar faces that pop up: Bing Crosby, Walter Brennan, John Boles, Laura La Plante and Slim Summerville.