Symphony of Swing (1939)

Artie Shaw and his orchestra perform popular songs with guest stars.

Director:

Joseph Henabery

Stars:

Artie Shaw, Helen Forrest, Tony Pastor

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Artie Shaw	...	Himself
Helen Forrest	...	Herself
Tony Pastor	...	Himself (singer / saxophonist)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Artie Shaw and His Orchestra	...	Themselves

Storyline

Artie Shaw and his big band do four numbers, a lyric "Alone Together," "Jeepers Creepers" with vocals by Tony Pastor, "Deep Purple" sung by Helen Forrest, and a swinging "Lady Be Good." Shaw leads the band and gets in a few licks on his clarinet. The cinematography and editing include arty angled shots of the band and, for "Lady Be Good," double exposure of the band superimposed on a dance floor of young people.

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Plot Keywords:

band | jeepers creepers | clarinet | big band | deep purple | 

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Genres:

Short | Music

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Artie Shaw and His Orchestra in Symphony of Swing

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vitaphone Corporation, The, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

10 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One in the "Melody Master" series.

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Soundtracks

"Jeepers Creepers"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren (1938)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer (1938)
Performed by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra with Shaw on clarinet
Sung by Tony Pastor

User Reviews

Swing Short

Symthony of Swing (1939)

*** (out of 4)

Turner Classic Movies recently had a documentary on the career of Johnny Mercer and played this short as well. The film features the then popular Artie Shaw and his swinging band performing four songs including "Jeepers Creepers" with Tony Pastor and "Deep Purple" with Helen Forrest. This was my first time seeing a short with Shaw but he certainly lived up to some of the hype I had heard about him. I'm sure this short wouldn't fly too well if shown on MTV today but if you're a fan of these old swing bands then you're in for a real treat. On the technical side of things we're really not given anything overly special as director Henabery makes the right decision in just staying out of things and letting the band do all the work. Shaw's orchestra is extremely entertaining as they jam one number after another and Pastor does a very good job with "Jeepers Creepers".