I can't believe that you're in love with me

This "soundie" features Peggy Mann with Jimmy Farrell.
Once again, I know nothing about either one of them.

Soundies were an early version of the music video: three-minute musical films, produced in New York, Chicago, and Hollywood between 1940 and 1946, often including short dance sequences. (The completed Soundies were generally released within a few months of their filming; the last group was released in March, 1947.) The films were displayed on the Panoram, a coin-operated film jukebox or machine music, in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, factory lounges, and amusement centers.

Several production companies filmed the Soundies shorts: James Roosevelt's Globe Productions (1940-41), Cinemasters (1940-41), Minoco Productions (1941-43), RCM Productions (1941-46), LOL Productions (1943), Glamourettes (1943), Filmcraft Productions (1943-46), and Alexander Productions (1946).

Soundies covered all genres of music, from classical to big-band swing, and from hillbilly novelties to patriotic songs. Jimmy Dorsey, Spike Jones, Liberace, Stan Kenton, Gale Storm, Kay Starr, Doris Day, The Hoosier Hot Shots, Harry "The Hipster" Gibson, Gene Krupa, Anita O'Day, Merle Travis, and Lawrence Welk were a few of the Soundies stars. Many nightclub and recording artists also made Soundies, including Gloria Parker, Charles Magnante, Milton DeLugg, and Gus Van. More than 1800 of the Soundies mini-musicals were made, and many of them have been released to home video.

Today Soundies are perhaps best known for the performances of African-American artists who had fewer opportunities to perform in public venues. Fats Waller, Louis Jordan, Dorothy Dandridge, Big Joe Turner, Meade Lux Lewis, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Stepin Fetchit all made Soundies.

Beginning in 1941 Soundies experimented with expanding its format, and filmed comedy Soundies with Our Gang star Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Broadway comic Willie Howard, dialect comedians Smith and Dale, and silent-movie comedians The Keystone Kops. Most of these films were non-musical, and were not as well received as the musical Soundies. Soundies abandoned the comedy-sketch idea, but continued to produce filmed versions of comic novelty songs. They were regularly described and reviewed in the entertainment and music trade publications, such as Billboard.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• soundie
• singing
• novelty
• song
• love
• 16mm
• cinegraphic
• peggy
• mann
• jimmy
• farrell
• cute
• funny
• sing
• neck
• make-out
• lovesong

[waynebrasler]

Regarding the film being shown backwards, look at the lettering on the wall in the opening moments. The film was loaded into the projector back side to front, so everything is reversed. Peggy Mann did a lot of recording.

[cushtichavi]

@waynebrasler i don't understand when you say the film is being shown backwards. I have this from channel 4 video .its the same

[cushtichavi]

i have this on video when channel 4 first started they showed these. its so sexy... thanks for uploading. She was born in 1919 and was popular in the 30's and 40's but retired in the 50's The girl who dances is in a few of these. The blonde is familiar too but I don't know her

[justpickn]

Learned something new every day.

This is a great song.

[murraymae]

I cant believe I've never heard of Peggy Mann before this! Video is deff from the later 40's.. Wonderful voice. But you'd have to be on psychotic drugs to get up and start dancing like that even if someone just bursts into song in the middle of the floor.

[wje1953]

I'd never heard of Peggy Mann before seeing this video. She really sounds good! This looks more like early 40's to me if for no reason other than the lengths of the dresses

[waynebrasler]

The film indeed is being shown backwards. Peggy recorded for several record labels, usually second tier. As for the dancer, she was given highly limited space to dance in and had to keep on her mark to be in front of the camera.

[fndlair]

This Film is flopped.

[CheckMate657879]

Guess you could call it one of the first "music videos." I wonder if the dancer was nervous. In the beginning of her dance, she lost her footing a couple of times - came out of each movement - quite roughly - movements too separated instead of - flowing. It looked like a combo of ballet/modern/jazz. The wardrobe looks early-mid 1950-ish.

The singing is great, though. John Cusack looks like Jimmy Farrell.

[fortyfifthnoodle]

many thanks for this upload! so sweet...