<I>Rhythm and Blues Revue</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1955
name: label: Created by
content: Studio Films, Inc., American, 1951 - 1956
label: Produced by
content: Ben Frye, American
label: Subject of
content: Lionel Hampton, American, 1908 - 2002
label: Subject of
content: Faye Adams, American, born 1923
label: Subject of
content: Bill Bailey, American, 1912 - 1978
label: Subject of
content: Herb Jeffries, American, 1913 - 2014
label: Subject of
content: Amos Milburn, American, 1927 - 1980
label: Subject of
content: Sarah Vaughan, American, 1924 - 1990
label: Subject of
content: Count Basie, American, 1904 - 1984
label: Subject of
content: Big Joe Turner, American, 1911 - 1985
label: Subject of
content: The Delta Rhythm Boys, American, 1934 - 1987
label: Subject of
content: Martha Davis, American, 1917 - 1960
label: Subject of
content: Little Buck, American
label: Subject of
content: Nat King Cole, American, 1919 - 1965
label: Subject of
content: Mantan Moreland, American, 1902 - 1973
label: Subject of
content: Nipsey Russell, American, 1918 - 2005
label: Subject of
content: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
label: Subject of
content: Ruth Brown, American, 1928 - 2006
label: Owned by
content: Pearl Bowser, American, 1931 - 2023
notes: label: Caption
content: "Rhythm and Blues Revue", is a 1955 feature film compiled by Studio Films, Inc. from previously recorded Snader Telescriptions featuring renowned African American jazz singers and musicians from the 1950s. Performers include Faye Adams, Bill Bailey, Ruth Brown, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Count Basie, Martha Davis, The Delta Rhythm Boys, Freddy and Flo, Lionel Hampton, Herb Jefferies, The Larks, Little Buck, Amos Milburn, Mantan Moreland, Nipsey Russell, Big Joe Turner, Sarah Vaughan and Willie Bryant.
label: Description
content: A 35mm black-and-white compilation film of a variety of short musical 'Soundie' films made for music-film jukeboxes, and television, by the Snader Telescription and Studio companies in the 1950s. It consists of four 35mm prints (a-d).
label: Description
content: The film begins with a title sequence that announces each performer as a firework explodes behind their name. A credit roll then displays the below-the-line contributors. Next, an announcer introduces the emcee, Willie Bryant, during a shot of a theater audience. Bryant emerges from behind a curtain as the audience applauds. Before he can begin speaking, Bryant is interrupted by the comedian Freddie (Part of the Freddie & Flo comedy duo), who begs to be on the show. Later in the skit, Florence Hill (Flo) appears as a mind reading librarian. At the conclusion of the skit, Bryant announces the first performers, Lionel Hampton and his orchestra, who perform “Jam Session.”
label: Description
content: After the conclusion of the song, the curtain closes and there are multiple shots of the audience cheering as Willie Bryant again appears to announce the next performer, Faye Adams, who performs “Everyday” in front of the curtain. After the song ends there are multiple shots of the cheering audience and Bryant appears to announce the next performer, Bill Bailey. Bailey performs a tap-dancing routine that includes dance moves from his teacher Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and concludes with a moonwalk. At the end of the performance, the curtain closes and there are multiple shots of the audience cheering as Willie Bryant appears to announce the next performer, Herb Jeffries, who sings “In My Heart.” When the song ends, the curtain closes and there are multiple shots of the audience cheering as Freddie & Flo rush onto the stage to perform a comedy routine. After their routine there are multiple shots of the cheering audience and Bryant appears to announce the next performer, Amos Milburn, who sings “Bad Bad Whiskey” with backing from the Paul Williams Band.
label: Description
content: At the conclusion of the song, the curtain closes and then reopens so that Milburn can bow. Bryant appears to announce the next performers, The Larks, who sing “The World Is Waiting for The Sunrise.” At the end of the performance, the curtain closes and there are multiple shots of the audience cheering as Bryant brings Freddie & Flo back onto the stage for some comedic banter. Bryant then introduces Lionel Hampton who performs “Bongo Interlude.” Two unnamed women dance during the performance. The curtain closes and there are multiple shots of the audience cheering. When the curtain opens, the stage is set up as a tobacconist and Leonard Reed is behind the counter listening to a Brooklyn Dodgers baseball game on the radio. Willie Bryant appears and the two men engage in a brief skit. Bryant then presents the next performer, Sarah Vaughan, who sings “Perdido.” The curtain closes and there are multiple shots of the audience cheering as Bryant returns to the stage. Nipsy Russell sneaks onto the stage behind Bryant and the two engage in comedic banter before Bryant presents the next performer, Count Basie who performs “Basie’s Conversation.” The curtain closes, there are multiple shots of the audience cheering, and Bryant introduces Big Joe Turner who sings “Shake Rattle and Roll.” The curtain closes, there are multiple shots of the audience cheering, and Bryant introduces the next performers, The Delta Rhythm Boys, who perform the spiritual “Dem Bones.”
label: Description
content: The curtain closes, there are multiple shots of the audience cheering, and Bryant introduces the next performers, Martha Davis and her husband, Calvin Ponder, who perform “Just Goodbye.” The curtain closes, there are multiple shots of the audience cheering, and Bryant introduces the next performer, Little Buck, who performs a tap dance routine. The curtain closes, there are multiple shots of the audience cheering, and Bryant brings out Little Buck for more applause. Bryant then introduces the next performer, Nat King Cole, who sings “Calypso Blues.” The curtain closes, there are multiple shots of the audience cheering, and Nipsy Russell and Mantan Moreland come out for a comedy routine. Moreland leaves the stage and Russell continues on his own. Following Russell’s routine, Bryant introduces Cab Calloway who performs “Minnie the Moocher.” The curtain closes, there are multiple shots of the audience cheering, and Bryant brings out Ruth Brown for some stage banter before she performs “Teardrops from My Eyes” with backing by the Paul Williams Band. The curtain closes, there are multiple shots of the audience cheering, and Bryant introduces Count Basie for the film’s final performance, “One o'Clock Jump.”
place: label: Place depicted
content: Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Actors
label: Topic
content: Comedy
label: Topic
content: Entertainers
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Musical films
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Rhythm and blues (Music)
label: Topic
content: Tap dancing
label: Topic
content: Variety shows (Television)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Pearl Bowser Collection
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.79.1.105.1a-d
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: color films (visual works)
label: Type
content: 35mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 1850 ft
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 1560 ft
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 1650 ft
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 1450 ft
label: Dimensions
content: Duration (total): 72 min.