Redcaps and porters put on a jazz show in Grand Central Station -- eastern upper level, to judge by the track numbers on display -- in this all-Black short.
The cast is listed as "Small's Paradise Entertainers" and that's quite likely. Small's Paradise was one of the leading Harlem clubs in the 1920s and 1930s, like the better remembered Cotton Club. It was opened in 1925 by Ed Small and was the only well-known Harlem night spot with a Black owner. Over the decades, many great entertainers performed for its integrated audiences. It passed through at least three owners, all black, and in its last years was owned by Wilt Chamberlain, and performed as a combination discotheque and performance space. By the time it finally closed in 1986, it was the longest-running Jazz club in Harlem.
Lots of hot jazz and dancing in this short.
The cast is listed as "Small's Paradise Entertainers" and that's quite likely. Small's Paradise was one of the leading Harlem clubs in the 1920s and 1930s, like the better remembered Cotton Club. It was opened in 1925 by Ed Small and was the only well-known Harlem night spot with a Black owner. Over the decades, many great entertainers performed for its integrated audiences. It passed through at least three owners, all black, and in its last years was owned by Wilt Chamberlain, and performed as a combination discotheque and performance space. By the time it finally closed in 1986, it was the longest-running Jazz club in Harlem.
Lots of hot jazz and dancing in this short.