Rope Twirlers, "The Claytons"

I can't find out anything about the Clayons, but I only looked for about 10 seconds anyway.
Here's a "soundie" featuring the Claytons, a rope twirling, lasso novelty act.
If you know anything about them, post your info in the comments section.

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:

• cowboy rope twirl

[dennyNlynny]

The Claytons are Clayton and Charlotte Baker. They added whips to their act later, and when their son Kent got old enough he joined the Claytons and it became a trio. Back in the early late 60's they were on the Ed Sullivan Show. When Clayton and Charlotte retired, Kent and his wife Donna continued with the Claytons. Kent still perfoms, my sister Donna is no longer performing.

[maynardcat]

I enljoyed this soundie. I have maybe close to 60 old 16mm soundies. They are all spliced together on 2000' reels, and run about an hour. They are a variety of different artists from jazz to country. I have 16mm sound projectors, a telecine transfer box, and have been thinking about transfering some with a camcorder to upload on youtube. It will be time consuming, as 2000' 16mm reels can't be fast forwarded easily to the film you want to see.

[strandwolf]

Can't exactly say that show biz has advanced all that much....