Hallo folks, It was nice to have Mark Forer write in about the
"King of Jazz" video. I agree with everything he says about it,
including the fact that it is pretty corny in places, but then
I suppose we can't put 1990s or even 2000s standards on something
that is 70 or so years old. All I can say about this movie is that
whenever we have shown it to guests or visitors or even family they
have all loved it, warts and all!
The Rhapsody in Blue sequence is great entertainment; I do prefer
the original jazz band arrangement to the overblown symphonic jobs of
later years. And of course it is wonderful to see and hear Eddy Lang
and Joe Venuti in the rest of the film. My video has about two minutes
missing from the end (a great tap dance sequence). I had not realised
that the video was so available so I will buy another one .
Best wishes to MMD
Tony Dellaway
St. Thibery, France
[ About 1970 I ran a small vaudeville band in a road show, and among
[ the acts was Wilbur Hall, playing hot trombone and comic fiddle just
[ as he did in "King of Jazz"! ("Nola" on the trombone, and "Pop Goes
[ the Weasel" played with the violin on the back of a chair, etc.)
[ -- Robbie
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