The story of seven scholars in search of an expert to teach them about swing music. They seem to have found the perfect candidate in winsome nightclub singer Honey Swanson. But Honey's gangster boyfriend doesn't want to give her up.
Alan Freed is "Mr. Rock and Roll" as he sets out to prove that rock 'n' roll doesn't cause juvenile delinquency. Terrific original rock 'n' roll legends perform their classics!
Lionel Hampton takes the stage in Belgium in this concert film from 1958 that showcases the multitalented jazz musician's dazzling skills on drums, piano, vibes, vocals -- and even dancing. Backed by a stellar orchestra that includes soloists Andy McGhee, Billy Mackel and Lou Blackburn, Hampton wows his Belgian audience with "Brussels Sprouts," "The High and the Mighty," "Hot Club Blues," "The Chase," "Hamp's Piano Blues" and more.
The remarkable spirit of tap dancers and their history provides a joyous backdrop for intimate portraits of hoofers Sandman Sims, Chuck Green, and Bunny Briggs.
Rhythm and Blues Revue is a plotless variety show, one of several compiled for theatrical exhibition from the made-for-television short films produced by Snader and Studio Telescriptions, with newly-filmed host segments by Willie Bryant. Originally 86 minutes, the "short" version available on public domain collections and websites is missing a reel
Italian mondo featuring scenes of night life in North and South America, including Las Vegas, New Orleans, San Francisco, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
A vibrant tribute to one of America's legendary bandleaders, charting Glenn Miller's rise from obscurity and poverty to fame and wealth in the early 1940s.
Young Benny Goodman is taught clarinet by a music professor. He is advised to play whichever kind of music he likes best, but to make a living, Benny begins by joining the Ben Pollack traveling band.
Production number 5302 in Universal-International "Name Band Musical" series of shorts featuring Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra, with a much-larger-than usual number of supporting acts.
This lively film is an unforgettable portrait of legendary vocalist Betty Carter, one of the greatest living exponents of jazz. Uncompromised by commercialism throughout her long career, she has forged alternative criteria for success — including founding her own recording company and raising her two sons as a single parent. Parkerson's special film captures Carter's musical genius, her paradoxical relationship with the public and her fierce dedication to personal and artistic independence.
CBS News looks at Malcolm X, focusing on his public life from 1959 to his assassination in 1965, suggesting that his death was a great loss to the nation. The film intercuts archival footage of Malcolm and interviews with family, friends, colleagues, scholars, and writers. CBS documents Malcolm's move from being Elijah Muhammad's deputy in the Nation of Islam to his embrace of Islam: his new links with the civil rights movement posed a real threat to the powers that be. CBS details his death after secret FBI acts to increase the rift between Muhammad and Malcolm. Maya Angelou, Dick Gregory, and Andrew Young offer trenchant comments. "He was our manhood," eulogized Ossie Davis.
