SCARCE JAZZ CARTOON FROM THE EARLY 30'S

SWING MONKEY, SWING! Columbia Pictures, Copyright 27 September 1937. Producer Charles Mintz, story Ben Harrison, animation Manny Gould, music Joe de Nat. I have never heard of Joe de Nat but he sure had one heck of a band and I still wonder who those soloists are, especially the singer who does such an exceptional Bessie Smith emulation.
A scarce and seldom seen cartoon from 1937 with excellent hot jazz and containing caricatures of Cab Calloway, Ted Lewis and Bessie Smith.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cab
• Calloway
• ted
• lewis
• bessie
• smith
• jazz
• swing
• bix
• beiderbecke

[perrythelaconicone]

This is SWING, MONKEY, SWING: Columbia Color Rhapsody cartoon directed by Ben Harrison and Manny Gould. Released to theatres on September 10, 1937.

[harryoakley]

@perrythelaconicone I looked in my Film Copyright Catalogue (I always forget that although it is the biggest book on my shelves - 1500 pages!) and found this: SWING MONKEY, SWING! Columbia Pictures, Copyright 27 September 1937. Producer Charles Mintz, story Ben Harrison, animation Manny Gould, music Joe de Nat. I have never heard of Joe de Nat but he sure had one heck of a band and I still wonder who those soloists are, especially the singer who does such an exceptional Bessie Smith emulation.

[mojoman4147]

Amazing! Which company made this?

[harryoakley]

@mojoman4147 Look at the whole film. There's a clue at the end.

[TheHideHoMan]

Many thanks for sharing it. I've never seen it before!

[2reeler]

Awesome jazzy cartoon Harry! It's going right in my Talking Kartoons playlist!  Love the crooning monk who sounds like Bing! Didn't Abe Lymans band do the soundtrack for these 2 strip technicolor cartoons? Sounds like him. This is tops! Love the dancers giant shadows around the campfire, ala "king of jazz!" Brilliant 30s production! Should have out-Disneyed old Walt and his 3 little piggies for the best cartoon Oscar! Thanks for this "Monkey-shines on Bamboo Isle" or whatever it was called!

[syncopeter]

Don't forget the Bozzies!

[radicalgnostic9]

Unspeakably fabulous...but there were no opening credits on the print you posted? :^/ 

[cribpointcritter]

This is one of my MOST FAVOURITEST cartoons of all time!

[merrihew]

FANTASTIC!

[bill3murr]

MAGIC!.....THANK YOU FOR THIS HOT ONE...YEAH, MAN!

[heinbanjo12]

Voor mijn favorieten en als ik eens opgevrolijkt wil worden. Erg leuk!