This Vitaphone short begins with two guys about to rob a pawnshop (F.E.
After a smashing success on Broadway in the first all black musical revue, Noble Sissle headlined this jazzy one reel short featuring the comedy team of Mantan Moreland and F.L.
Two night watchmen go on duty in a pawn shop. They are surprised to discover the place is haunted by a jazz band, led by Noble Sissle.
Although the stereotyping now would be considered insulting the fact is that Warner Brothers did make this Vitagraph short for black audiences. Some half hearted commendation is in order.
The sound comedy shorts of Educational Pictures are still relatively undiscovered and rarely discussed. Usually written off as poor and unfunny (and some are), one can find gems up until the end of Educational's run, about a year after this.
That's the Spirit (Charles Lamont, 1945) is an absolutely delightful ghost comedy, among the best of the succession made in the '30s and '40s. Jack Oakie plays a vaudeville performer in the early-1900s who gives up his life for that of his wife (June Vincent), as she suffers complications during the birth of their daughter.
A real joy and big surprise of entertainment. I couldn't imagine a "B" Universal musical fantasy from the 40's holding my interest but was I shocked to find it funny, moving and musically A-1.
That's the Spirit (1933) ** (out of 4) F.E.
This is a great film about a stuffy family who is ruled by an even stuffier patriarch (Jasper). His daughter gets involved with a flashy showman (Oakie) and he "dies" while his wife is having their first child.
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