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King of Jazz Poster

King of Jazz

"A NEW ERA in sound and color entertainment!"

A large-scale revue musical built around Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, presenting a series of musical performances, sketches, and staged tableaux in early two-color Technicolor, emblematic of Hollywood’s early sound-era “all-star” musical productions.

Top Cast

  • Paul Whiteman

    Paul Whiteman

    Paul Whiteman

  • John Boles

    John Boles

    Vocalist ('Song of the Dawn' / 'It Happened in Monterey')

  • Jeanie Lang

    Jeanie Lang

    Vocalist ('I'd Like To Do Things For You' / 'Ragamuffin Romeo')

  • Laura La Plante

    Laura La Plante

    Editor ('Ladies of the Press') / Stenographer ('In Conference') / Quartet Member, 'Nellie'

  • Jeanette Loff

    Jeanette Loff

    Vocalist ('It Happened in Monterey' / 'Bridal Veil' / 'A Bench in the Park')

  • Glenn Tryon

    Glenn Tryon

    Executive ('In Conference') / Unmarried Husband

  • William Kent

    William Kent

    General ('All Noisy on the Eastern Front') / Goldfish Owner ('Oh! Forevermore!') / Unmarried Couple's Offspring / Vocal ('Do Things For You')

  • Slim Summerville

    Slim Summerville

    Automobile Owner ('Springtime') / Rear End of Horse / Charles

  • Kathryn Crawford

    Kathryn Crawford

    Fourth Reporter ('Ladies of the Press')

Overview

A large-scale revue musical built around Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, presenting a series of musical performances, sketches, and staged tableaux in early two-color Technicolor, emblematic of Hollywood’s early sound-era “all-star” musical productions.

Rating

6.3 / 10
39 Reviews
1 Popular

1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    6 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 of the grandest of pianos. What this illustrates really effectively is the huge variety of musical skills that audiences in 1930 could expect to see, and at just how versatile the orchestra was when it came to playing themes from just about every genre. Whoever thought about playing some patriotic Souza on a bicycle pump? It looks great and it sounds good but for me, not being an American, too many of the acts - especially the comedy - didn't really travel. The production itself, though probably impractical to deliver, needed a live audience to breathe some life into it. The skills there are superb, but the whole thing is just a bit sterile and lifeless. As an history of what engaged the American people in the 1920s, this in still an interesting piece of entertainment nostalgia, though - and it is worth a watch.

Trailers & Clips

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