Mystery in Swing (1940)

In and around some great blues, swing and jazz music, a very unpopular band-leader. Prince Ellis, is killed in a Harlem nightclub, and, in and around some more great music, a detective ... See full summary »

Director:

Arthur Dreifuss

Writers:

Arthur Hoerl (original story), Arthur Hoerl (screenplay)

Stars:

Monte Hawley, Marguerite Whitten, Tommie Moore

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Monte Hawley	...	Biff Boyd
Marguerite Whitten	...	Linda Carroll
Tommie Moore	...	Mae Carroll
Edward Thompson	...	Capt. Hall
Buck Woods	...	Buck Bedford
Jess Lee Brooks	...	John Carroll
Josephine Edwards	...	Maxine Rae
Sybil Lewis	...	Cleo Ellis
Robert Webb	...	Prince Ellis
Alfred Grant	...	Chet Wallace
Tom Southern	...	Sgt. Phipps (as Thomas Southern)
Halley Harding	...	Editor Bailey
Leonard Christmas	...	Lawyer Jones
Earle Morris	...	Reporter Wayburn
John Lester Johnson	...	'Champ', Nightclub Owner

Storyline

In and around some great blues, swing and jazz music, a very unpopular band-leader. Prince Ellis, is killed in a Harlem nightclub, and, in and around some more great music, a detective finds the lists of suspects is very long, as Prince Ellis was indeed very unpopular with many citizens.

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Plot Keywords:

harlem manhattan new york city | sister sister relationship | newspaper reporter | investigation | held at gunpoint | 

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Taglines:

Who killed Prince Ellis! (original poster)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Music | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 1940 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aetna Film Corp.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Jump, the Water's Fine
Written by The Four Toppers
Sung by The Four Toppers

User Reviews

A so-so murder mystery with terrific music.

This all-black "race" movie intended for black audiences is worth seeing because of the wonderful jazz music and songs written and mostly performed by The Four Tones and Ceepee Johnson, and played by Johnson's orchestra throughout the film. The setting is mostly in a nightclub, so it is not out of place. The songs dominate the second half of the film, with the murder mystery, while it is fun to watch unfold, taking a back seat. Johnson's performance of his "Beat My Blues Away" is spectacular - a performance not to be missed. If you like jazz, this movie is for you.

John Lester Johnson's character is billed on screen as "Himself," because he was a well-known ex-fighter who once broke some ribs of Jack Dempsey (see his mini-biography in this data base). His name is never mentioned, but he is called "Champ" and plays the nightclub owner.