William Forest Crouch

Soundie featuring The Chanticleers singing "Babbling Bess." Also starring Francine Everett (as Babbling Bess) and Mable Lee (Dancer).

Compilation film of various African-American performers and acts.

Sleeping dancers and musicians are woken up by a cheerful melody and start dancing and playing.

An all-black musical featuring the talent of funnyman Mantan Moreland.

Old-time musical star Schyler Jarvis, now wealthy, is dying; his last act is a visionary plan for the future happiness of his son, swing bandleader Louis Jarvis, and Honey Carter, daughter of his long-lost love. But crooked lawyer Talbot has a nefarious scheme to get his hands on the Jarvis money...and it doesn't include any happiness for Louis and Honey. Plenty of swing from Louis Jordan's Tympany Five.

Soundie featuring Mable Lee and Stephin Fetchit.

Soundie featuring The Chanticleers singing "Babbling Bess." Also starring Francine Everett (as Babbling Bess) and Mable Lee (Dancer).

Compilation film of various African-American performers and acts.

Compilation film of various African-American performers and acts.

Sleeping dancers and musicians are woken up by a cheerful melody and start dancing and playing.

An all-black musical featuring the talent of funnyman Mantan Moreland.

An all-black musical featuring the talent of funnyman Mantan Moreland.

Old-time musical star Schyler Jarvis, now wealthy, is dying; his last act is a visionary plan for the future happiness of his son, swing bandleader Louis Jarvis, and Honey Carter, daughter of his long-lost love. But crooked lawyer Talbot has a nefarious scheme to get his hands on the Jarvis money...and it doesn't include any happiness for Louis and Honey. Plenty of swing from Louis Jordan's Tympany Five.

Soundie featuring Mable Lee and Stephin Fetchit.

Stan Kenton and his Orchestra perform "This Love of Mine" with Cyd Charisse and other dancers

Louis Jordan, with his band, sings and performs the title song, "Caldonia,", and "Honey Child," "Tillie" and 'Buzz Me", wowing the jitter-buggers, zoot suits and bobby-soxers of the mid-1940s, all built around a wisp of a plot dealing with the difficulties of production in Harlem.

Mable Lee performs "Cats Can't Dance" along with Deryck Sampson's Band.

Mable Lee performs "Cats Can't Dance" along with Deryck Sampson's Band.

After a presumably hard day at work, Dudley Dickerson plunks down at the kitchen table and sings a dry lament about his wife’s roving eye. Meanwhile, his aforementioned better half, Theresa Harris, flirts hilariously with a series of deliverymen.

In this soundie Mable Lee sings and dances to a song "Chicken Shack Shuffle" followed by other dancers.

A musical answer to “Open the Door, Richard.” A lazy man struggles to get out of bed to answer the door, with musical accompaniment.

A musically themed film cutting back and forth between Dusty Fletcher at home in bed and a jazz band providing the film's swing music.

Cab Calloway performs "Blowtop Blues".

Who Dunit to Who, with June Richmond's Soundie.

Stan Kenton and His Orchestra perform "Southern Scandal."

The Jubalaires perform "Brother Bill".

Nat 'King' Cole perform "Come to Baby Do."

In this soundie, a woman laments to stone-faced policeman how the joint was raided and everyone but her was taken away.

Gloria Parker plays a station news agent who sings about a well-dressed man who comes to her asking directions to Broadway and Main. A janitor sweeps up around her as she sings. Intercut are scenes of her playing the vibraphone with her orchestra.

Musical short

Cab Calloway and his Orchestra perform "Walking with My Honey".

Soundie of Dewey 'Pigmeat' Markham and Mable Lee performing "Pigmeat Throws the Bull."

Cab Calloway sings "Foo a Little Bally-Hoo".

Lina Romay sings "Don't Get Around Much Anymore".

Cab Calloway & Dotty Saulter perform "I Was Here When You Left Me".

A "Soundie" short subject featuring Nat King Cole and the King Cole Trio performing the song "Shy Guy"

Lots of Can Can dancing with both women and men.

Meritta Moore and her group dance.

In a gym, a girl is pulling some pulleys, to gain arm strength, while three men and three girls watch a judo demonstration in the middle of the room. A girl wearing a sweater and shorts applies a succession of holds to a young man in a sleeveless undershirt and a black trunks: over the shoulder projection, arm lock, over the hip projection, sideways headlock and knee to the face, sacrifice fall followed by school-girl pin, kidney punching followed by a groin kick, sideways kick to the knee and arm-lock, eye-gouge and kick to the ribs, attack to both legs with arms and legs, arm-lock and tripping followed by a leg blow to the throat, disarming a knife attack from above, and then an up-thrust with the knife, disarming a revolver menace from the back, usage of a leather belt to strangle and throw an attacker, usage of hair holds for control and throw of the opponent, and KO punching. The man simulates different forms of attack and stands gamely every time - except the last.

In a gym, a girl is pulling some pulleys, to gain arm strength, while three men and three girls watch a judo demonstration in the middle of the room. A girl wearing a sweater and shorts applies a succession of holds to a young man in a sleeveless undershirt and a black trunks: over the shoulder projection, arm lock, over the hip projection, sideways headlock and knee to the face, sacrifice fall followed by school-girl pin, kidney punching followed by a groin kick, sideways kick to the knee and arm-lock, eye-gouge and kick to the ribs, attack to both legs with arms and legs, arm-lock and tripping followed by a leg blow to the throat, disarming a knife attack from above, and then an up-thrust with the knife, disarming a revolver menace from the back, usage of a leather belt to strangle and throw an attacker, usage of hair holds for control and throw of the opponent, and KO punching. The man simulates different forms of attack and stands gamely every time - except the last.

In a gym, a girl is pulling some pulleys, to gain arm strength, while three men and three girls watch a judo demonstration in the middle of the room. A girl wearing a sweater and shorts applies a succession of holds to a young man in a sleeveless undershirt and a black trunks: over the shoulder projection, arm lock, over the hip projection, sideways headlock and knee to the face, sacrifice fall followed by school-girl pin, kidney punching followed by a groin kick, sideways kick to the knee and arm-lock, eye-gouge and kick to the ribs, attack to both legs with arms and legs, arm-lock and tripping followed by a leg blow to the throat, disarming a knife attack from above, and then an up-thrust with the knife, disarming a revolver menace from the back, usage of a leather belt to strangle and throw an attacker, usage of hair holds for control and throw of the opponent, and KO punching. The man simulates different forms of attack and stands gamely every time - except the last.

A Soundie with Pat Flowers's Scotch Boogie.

Nat 'King' Cole performs his hit "Errand Boy for Rhythm."

Cab Calloway sings "We the Cats Shall Hep Ya".

Noble Sissle & Mable Lee perform "Sizzle with Sissle."

Eddie Peabody charms three women with music.