The Opry House (II) (1929)

The Mound City Blue Blowers and Doris Walker perform popular songs of the day.

Stars:

Lew Hearn, Doris Walker, The Mound City Blue Blowers

Cast

Credited cast:
Lew Hearn	...	Opera House Manager
Doris Walker	...	Emma Perkins
The Mound City Blue Blowers	...	Music Group
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Josh Billings	...	Pecussionist (as Mound City Blue Blowers)
Jack Bland	...	Banjo player (as Mound City Blue Blowers)
Carl Kress	...	Guitar player (as Mound City Blue Blowers)
Red McKenzie	...	Comb player (as Mound City Blue Blowers)

Storyline

The curtain opens and the opry house manager announces, in his high-pitched voice, that a road has washed out and the scheduled act is being replaced by local talent: no refunds, so enjoy the show. A four-man combo of banjo, guitar, comb, and percussion perform "Nobody Cares For Me" and "My Gal Sal. The comb player doubles as the singer, and the one who keeps time with whisk brooms on a suitcase does an akimbo dance. They are joined by a young woman who sings "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." An unseen audience supplies applause.

---

Plot Keywords:

song | stage performance | early sound film | banjo | quartet | 

---

Genres:

Short | Music

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

November 1929 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vitaphone Corporation, The, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

9 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Vitaphone) (Western Electric Apparatus)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vitaphone production reel #834

---

Crazy Credits

Vocalist 'Emma Perkins' is identified by a member of 'The Mound City Blue Blowers'.

---

Soundtracks

"I Ain't Got Nobody Much (and Nobody Cares for Me)"
(uncredited)
Music by Spencer Williams
Lyrics by Roger Graham
Performed by The Mound City Blue Blowers
Sung by Red McKenzie

User Reviews

Fun Vitaphone Short

Opry House, The (1929)

*** (out of 4)

Early Vitaphone short shouldn't be confused with the Mickey Mouse short of the same name and released the same year. This 9-minute musical is actually one of the best of its type as we get a few short songs and a closing dance number. Red McKenzie sings "I Ain't Got Nobody Much (and Nobody Cares for Me)" and clearly steals with film with a unique voice and some great playing by his band. The two other songs are quite as classic but they're still a pleasure to listen to.

If interested you can catch this on Turner Classic Movies from time to time.