RCM Productions

Yvonne De Carlo sings herself to sleep, in her dreams she dances with a Latin dancer. She awakes to sing again.

Dorothy Dandridge and band perform "Cow-Cow Boogie".

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra perform "Bli-Blip" with Marie Bryant and Paul White

An early "soundie" in which Dorothy Dandridge & Paul White sing "A Zoot Suit with a Reet Pleat" while getting dressed up for a big date.

R.C.M. Soundie

Jazz Soundie with Stan Kenton and his players.

Spike Jones and His City Slickers perform "Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy".

1942 Soundies musical short

Louis Armstrong performs with Nicodemus on this Soundie from 1942.

In this Soundie, the Mills Brothers sing the title song to a cut-out image of Dorothy Dandridge, which then comes to life and dances for them.

The Bronco Busters perform "Old Chisholm Trail."

"Let's Scuffle" is a short subject -- a single song-and-dance number -- that appears to have been cut from a feature-length movie: to be precise, a 'race film'. (This was the term used by American cinema exhibitors in the 1940s and earlier for any movie with an all-black cast, intended primarily for distribution in black neighbourhoods at a time when many American cinemas were segregated.) The song-and-dance performer here is none other than the great Bill Robinson.

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers at their best along with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra performing for this "Hot Chocolate" musical short.

Johnny Taylor sings "Good Nite All" at a house party.

Ancestors of music videos, YANKEE DOODLER, ROSIE THE RIVETER, and DEAR ARABELLA were made during World War II for coin-operated jukebox devices found in restaurants, bars and train stations. On built-in glass screens, they projected 16mm films of artists performing popular tunes. These examples, although not in perfect condition, are time capsules of their era.

Original Schnickelfritz Band perform "Turkey in the Straw."

Comedic musical short featuring the Hoosier Hotshots.

Harry Langdon lip syncs the title song and interacts with models.

A little music from Lynn Albritton, Lou Ellen and The Harlem Cuties.

Tex Williams and Spade Cooley's Western Dance Gang sing "Take Me Back to Tulsa".