Soundies And Jukebox Shorts of the 1940s
- cecilbdemille
- Aug 18, 2022
- 1 min read
Special guest Mark Cantor will be presenting "
" on Saturday, September 3rd at 11:00 AM at the Hollywood Heritage Museum. This is one of two alternative programs at The Barn during Cinecon!
The 1940s saw a brief if audacious experiment in mass entertainment: a jukebox with a screen. Patrons would insert a dime, then listen to and watch a three-minute musical short. Our special program explores this long-forgotten niche in entertainment and cultural history with a variety of both Soundies as well as the products of its many competitors. Among the films that will be shared in this program are several rarities, some one-of-a-kind. Join us for 90 minutes of entertainment and delight in the music of such artists as Nat “King” Cole, Duke Ellington, Merle Travis, Louis Jordan, Henny Youngman, Kay Starr, and many more. Hosted by jazz-on-film expert Mark Cantor, whose forthcoming essay The Soundies will undoubtedly be the definitive reference book on this subject when it is released this fall.
Tickets $10.00 each: Available at the door.
Really enjoyed this deep dive into Soundies and jukebox shorts of the 1940s — it’s fascinating how early film technology blended music and visual storytelling long before modern music videos existed. The historical context makes it even more interesting, especially how these short films captured cultural moments of that era. I recently saw a related discussion on a review blog https://www.sherwaytrilliumdental.ca/, which also explored how older media formats influenced today’s entertainment styles.
I absolutely love these Soundies! It’s fascinating to see how people enjoyed 'bite-sized' entertainment back in the 40s. It’s almost like the 1940s version of quick mobile gaming. I usually spend my breaks watching these old clips or playing some quick browser games on minigame to unwind. Thanks for sharing this piece of history!
Really enjoyed reading about these classic Soundies and jukebox shorts, it’s such a fascinating piece of entertainment history, especially with all those legendary performers involved. On a lighter note, when I’m relaxing after reading articles like this, I usually play Slope for a few minutes since it’s fast, simple, and oddly calming once you get into the rhythm.
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