The Swing Book (39 page)

The Cotton Club
(1984, 127 min.)

Francis Ford Coppola’s look at the vibrant nightlife of gangsters and swinging music of Harlem in the early part of the century.
Wonderful soundtrack adapted from Ellington and Calloway.

A Day at the Races
(1937, 111 min.)

In this Marx Brothers comedy, the slapstick siblings help out a girl who owns a sanitorium and a racehorse. Featuring their
typical brand of hilarity and one of the wildest Lindy Hop scenes on film.

DuBarry Was a Lady
(1943, 101 min.)

A nightclub owner (Red Skelton) headed for trouble lusts after a beautiful singer (Lucille Ball) in this comedy. Watch for
Tommy Dorsey, with drummer Buddy Rich, performing “Well, Git It,” plus singers Dick Haymes and Jo Stafford.

The Fabulous Dorseys
(1947, 88 min.)

Tepid biography of the brother bandleaders nonetheless features a wonderful jam session with Art Tatum, Charlie Barnet, and
Ziggy Elman.

Follow the Boys
(1944, 110 min.)

An all-star cast (Marlene Dietrich, Orson Welles, Jeanette MacDonald) rounds out this picture about a man (George Raft) organizing
a World War II-era USO show. Enlivened by performances from the Andrews Sisters, Sophie Tucker, and MacDonald.

The Gene Krupa Story
(1959, 101 min.)

Weak biopic, starring Sal Mineo, on the life of the successful jazz drummer covers his drug-possession conviction and fall
from grace.

The Girl Can’t Help It
(1956, 99 min.)

Jayne Mansfield’s killer hourglass figure (exaggerated by bullet bras) is one of the attractions in this comedy about a press
agent trying to hype the girlfriend of a gangster. Called the best rock ’n’ roll movie ever, it’s got tons of amazing performances
by such artists as Abbey Lincoln, Fats Domino, Julie London, the Platters, Eddie Fontaine, Eddie Cochran, Little Richard,
Gene Vincent, and best of all, the Treniers.

The Glenn Miller Story
(1954, 116 min.)

A huge hit when it was first released, this convincing biopic stars James Stewart as the patriotic bandleader and includes
music from Krupa and Louis Armstrong.

Going Places
(1938, 84 min.)

Silly musical about a sporting-goods salesman posing as a jockey nonetheless features Maxine Sullivan and Louis Armstrong
doing “Jeepers Creepers.”

Groovy Movie
(about 1945, short)

This instructional movie is the best place to watch Hollywood-style Lindy dancer Jean Veloz cut a rug.

Hellzapoppin’
(1941, 84 min.)

The famous Broadway show is translated by Hollywood, featuring Martha Raye, Ole Olsen, and Chic Johnson. Watch this for its
phenomenal Lindy scene, which has never been topped on film.

Hi-De-Ho
(1948, 70 min.)

Cab Calloway stars as a bandleader caught between rival gangs.

High Society
(1956, 107 min.)

This fifties remake of
The Philadelphia Story
stars Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly (her last film role), Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong, plus renditions of Cole Porter’s
“True Love,” “You’re Sensational,” and “Did You Evah?”

Hollywood Canteen
(1944, 124 min.)

Bette Davis and guest stars such as Joan Crawford, Ida Lupino, Eddie Cantor, and Barbara Stanwyck appear in this comedy that
also features Jack Benny and the Andrews Sisters.

Hollywood Hotel
(1937, 109 min.)

Benny Goodman and his band, including the famous quartet, perform classic numbers such as “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Mel Tormé once
said it was a major inspiration. As a youth, he went to see it “no less than five times.”

International House
(1933, 70 min.)

An odd film with George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Bela Lugosi in a story about a TV experiment bringing a host of strangers
to a hotel in Shanghai. Cab Calloway does a classic “Reefer Man.”

Jam Session
(1947, 77 min.)

Musical about a showgirl (Ann Miller) trying to make it in Hollywood, with music provided by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington,
Glen Gray, the Pied Pipers, and the Charlie Barnet Orchestra.

Jammin’ the Blues
(1944, 11 min.)

One of the few respected swing era jazz films, this short includes performances by Lester Young and Harry “Sweets” Edison.

Killer Diller
(1948, 73 min.)

Moms Mabley, Nat King Cole, Butterfly McQueen, Andy Kirk, the Congeroo Dancers, and a host of others put
on a real show in this vaudeville-style all-black musical.

Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
(1944, 99 min.)

While not a musical, this film is nevertheless required viewing. Often called the best slapstick comedy ever, this outrageous
Preston Sturges feature is about a woman (Betty Hutton) who attends a party, becomes pregnant, and then can’t figure out who
the dad is.

Mr. Lucky
(1943, 100 min.)

Cary Grant plays a Greek gangster type who falls in love with a virtuous woman (Laraine Day). Retro designer Savoia Michele
recommends it as “a great flick about ties and one of the best films for clothing.”

New Orleans
(1947, 89 min.)

Fictionalized account of the birth of jazz, featuring Louis Armstrong, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and Billie Holiday. Holiday,
who thought she’d be playing an entertainer, was forced to play a maid; she sings “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans”
with Armstrong and an all-star band.

Ocean’s Eleven
(1960, 127 min.)

Five Las Vegas casinos. An eleven-man group of scam artists headed by Danny Ocean (Frank Sinatra). One great crime comedy.
Catch the Rat Pack in action.

Orchestra Wives
(1942, 98 min.)

Glenn Miller is featured in one of swingers’ favorite retro movies about a small-town girl who marries the trumpet player
of a traveling band. Songs include “Serenade in Blue,” “At Last,” and “I’ve Got a Girl in Kalamazoo,” and performances by
Tex Beneke, the Modernaires, and the Nicholas Brothers.

Pete Kelly’s Blues
(1955, 95 min.)

This film re-creates the 1920s jazz age in a story about musicians who get involved with a gangster. Features Ella Fitzgerald,
Janet Leigh, and Peggy Lee, who was nominated for an Oscar.

Ragtime
(1981, 155 min.)

Milos Forman directed E. L. Doctorow’s semifictionalized account of America circa 1906 with an all-star cast, including James
Cagney, Debbie Allen, Mary Steenburgen, Howard E. Rollins Jr., and Elizabeth McGovern.

Ride ’Em Cowboy
(1942, 86 min.)

This Abbott and Costello flick about two hot dog vendors on an Arizona ranch features Ella Fitzgerald singing “A Tisket a
Tasket,” plus dancing from Dean Collins.

Robin and the Seven Hoods
(1964, 123 min.)

The Rat Pack (along with Bing Crosby and Peter Falk) is in full force once again in this story of a gang leader (Frank Sinatra)
in Chicago in 1928. Music includes such songs as “My Kind of Town,” “Style,” and “Mr. Booze.”

Rock Around the Clock
(1956, 77 min.)

See this film about the birth of rock ’n’ roll simply for the performances by Bill Haley and His Comets, the Platters, Tony
Martinez, and Freddie Bell and His Bellboys.

A Song Is Born
(1948, 113 min.)

This flat remake of
Ball of Fire
stars Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo as the male and female leads; the film is buoyed by musical appearances by Benny Goodman,
Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, and Tommy Dorsey

Springtime in the Rockies
(1942, 91 min.)

A load of frivolity, this film about a feuding Broadway duo stars Betty Grable and John Payne, with hilarious numbers by Carmen
Miranda (doing “Chattanooga Choo Choo” in Portuguese), bandleader Harry James, and the wonderful Helen Forrest singing “I
Had the Craziest Dream.”

Stage Door Canteen
(1943, 132 min.)

This wartime romance between a soldier and a nightclub hostess boasts a staggering number of cameos. Count Basie, Benny Goodman,
Kay Kyser, Tallulah Bankhead, Ray Bolger, Helen Hayes, Harpo Marx, Ethel Waters, Katharine Hepburn, Ethel Merman, Paul Muni,
and Gypsy Rose Lee all pop up.

Stormy Weather
(1943, 77 min.)

Lead actress Lena Home sings the bluesy title song, Fats Waller does a devilish rendition of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” and Cab
Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers show up too.

The Strip
(1951, 85 min.)

Mickey Rooney stars as a former musician entangled with a group of gangsters trying to help a woman (Sally Forrest) succeed
in the movie industry. The film is supported by performances from Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, and Jack Teagarden.

Sun Valley Serenade
(1941, 86 min.)

Figure-skater Sonja Henie stars in this improbable musical comedy as a Norweigan war refugee traveling with her foster parent
(John Payne) and the Glenn Miller Orchestra to Sun Valley. Miller performs “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “In the Mood.”

Sweet and Low-Down
(1944, 75 min.)

A so-so story of a trombonist who hits the big time in Benny Goodman’s Orchestra. Jam sequences featuring Goodman are the
highlight.

Swing Kids
(1993, 112 min.)

This period film focuses on the struggle of a group of German teenagers (played by Christian Bale, Robert Sean Leonard, and
Noah Wyle) who relish American swing music and are persecuted because of it during the Second World War.

Swing Parade of 1946
(1946, 74 min.)

The Three Stooges enliven this icky musical, as does Louis Jordan performing “Caldonia.”

Swing Time
(1936, 103 min.)

In this winning film, Fred Astaire stars as a dancer who’s engaged to a girl in his hometown but falls for Ginger Rogers when
he hits New York. It includes such musical gems as “A Fine Romance,” “Pick Yourself Up,” and “The Way You Look Tonight.”

Swingers
(1996, 96 min.)

This indie hit comedy is the money. Set in Las Vegas and LA,
Swingers
focuses on the romantic mishaps of a young man living in the retrolounge and swing scene. With its fab clothes and lingo,
this slick but ultimately heartwarming flick launched the careers of both its stars, Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, and the
band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. It climactic swing dance scene, with actress Heather Graham, takes place at the Derby.

Syncopation
(1942, 88 min.)

Lame story about the history of jazz starring Jackie Cooper as a trumpet player. Nonetheless, features a swinging jam session
with performances by all the regulars: Charlie Barnet, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, and Harry James.

Two Girls and a Sailor
(1944, 124 min.)

Two sisters (June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven) manage a canteen for GIs and become involved with a sailor (Van Johnson). Features
a cameo by Ava Gardner and wonderful music numbers by such stalwarts as Harry James, Lena Home, and Xavier Cugat.

You Can’t Have Everything
(1937, 99 min.)

A nice show-biz musical replete with all sorts of backstage comedy and three Louis Prima songs. Stars Don Ameche, Alice Faye,
and Gypsy Rose Lee.

loot Suit
(1981, 103 min.)

A filmed theatrical production, this story of Chicano gang members in the early forties stars Edward James Olmos.

Want to check out one of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets? Gape at a stylin’ pair of cat’s-eyes rhinestone glasses once worn by
Ella Fitzgerald? Or stand near one of trumpeter Harry James’s original bandstands? Visit one of the growing number of jazz
museums and halls of fame around the country.

Detroit.
The Graystone International Hall of Fame Jazz Museum (1521 Broadway, 313-963-3813) displays instruments, memorabilia, and
pieces from the great Graystone Ballroom, one of the finest dance palaces of the swing era.

Kansas City.
The impressive Kansas City Jazz Museum (1616 East Eighteenth Street, 816-474-8463) not only includes Duke Ellington, Ella
Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong artifacts, it also provides a great audio tour of jazz music.

New Orleans.
Among the treasures at the Louisiana State Museum Jazz Collection (located inside the old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade, 800-568-6968)
are instruments played by Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Bix Beiderbecke.

Orlando.
At the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame (Universal Studios’ City-Walk, 407-224-2189), you can not only check out instruments such
as Glenn Miller’s first trombone and a pair of Lionel Hampton’s vibraphone mallets but also hear live music at the Cityjazz
club.

Palm Beach.
The new Big Band Hall of Fame Museum in West Palm Beach (812 Fern Street, 561-655-1113) has a trove of swing-era treasures.
Here’s a short list: Harry James’s trumpet, one of Count Basie’s captain’s caps, a Gene Krupa drum set, a collection of ties
worn by bandleaders, and a mirrored ball from the famous Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.

Benny Goodman and the Swing Era,
by James Lincoln Collier (Oxford University Press, 1989)

Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington,
by John Edward Hasse (Simon and Schuster, 1993)

The Big Bands,
by George Thomas Simon (Schirmer Books, 1981)

Black Beauty, White Heat: A Pictorial History of Classic Jazz, 1020-1950,
by Frank Driggs and Harris Lewine (Da Capo Press, 1996)

The Cotton Club,
by Jim Haskins (Random House, 1977)

Dialogues in Swing: Intimate Conversations with the Stars of the Big Band Era,
by Fred Hall, edited by Eugene D. Wheeler (Pathfinder Publishing, 1989)

The Duke Ellington Reader,
edited by Mark Tucker (Oxford University Press, 1993)

Everyday Fashions of the Forties as Pictured in Sears Catalogues,
edited by Joanne Olian (Dover, 1992)

Fit to Be Tied: Vintage Ties of the Forties and Early Fifties,
by Rod Dyer and Ron Spark (Abbeville Press, 1987)