Soundies

[Quigley Brown]

Soundies: Created in the 1940s, some call them the precurser to the music video.

I found this website a few months ago:

www.archive.org/movies

click on 'Prelinger Archives" then do a search for 'Soundies.' There are many to watch. You'll need QuickTime player. There are bands and singer I've never heard of before...'Six Hits and a Miss' for one. A couple of all girl big bands, too. Let me know if you if you've found them. I'm having a great time telling friends about it.

[killertomata]

I was going to make a thread about soundies, did a search and found this. So I'm resurrecting it. :)

Soundies! Soundies are short films, usually lasting about three minutes. They were produced in the 1940s for visual jukeboxes where customers paid a fee to view as well as hear popular songs of the day. (from macfilms.com (http://www.macfilms.com/pop%20music%20101-150.htm))

I was just looking through a bunch that the Official Films company did, and thought that if you have a favorite you could post the video link here.

I just posted this one to my LJ. It's called Playmates, and is a bit risque what with all that bum showing and bare legs. From 1944.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_2grwv3hg4

There are so many I could post, but I think one per post is the most organized way to share these things via forum.

ETA- this is another site to read about soundies: http://nfo.net/video/

[The Wolf]

That "Playmates" video is odd. I guess the excuse for the short skirts is that they are dressed as little girls (and one little boy). However, that sure is a lot of pantie shots.
Does anyone know a good place to get a DVD of Soundies? I had a VHS but it on its last legs.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

[Doh!]

Archive.org is a GREAT site overall. I love looking at old training films but it's kinda sad to realize that most of the actors in them are probably dead by now.

[happyfilmluvguy]

There was one on Turner Classic Movies a while back that featured Cab Calloway and his Orchestra singing "Minnie the Moocher". While Cab was singing from the outside of a fake building, his orchestra's shadows were seen through the drapped windows playing their instruments. I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

[killertomata]

I'm having trouble finding that one particular soundie. It's easy to find his Apollo 1954 performance of Minnie, and people often list it on video server sites as a soundie, but it's not. It's also easy to find the Minnie the Moocher Betty Boop cartoon and a few other versions. But finding the 1942 Soundie hasn't been as easy, and if it was on TCM I can see why, they have rights to it so it's not all over the Internet like so many other great Calloway Soundies.

On another note, here's a great little brief history of Soundies.

http://www.youtube.com/v/oeSlF2VDck8