Jimmie Lunceford and His Dance Orchestra (1936) User Reviews

Forgotten pioneer of the swing era

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 3 July 2016]

Except for real serious students of the music of the era, Jimmie Lunceford is a forgotten name. But he led a black swing band that held it's own with folks like Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers.

Why they needed that Satan gimmick I'm not sure for this short subject. Just listening to Lunceford's sound is good enough. A vocal by Myra Johnson and a little dancing by the three Brown brothers is an added treat.

Benny Goodman may have caused Lunceford's demise. It was big news when he engaged black singer Ella Fitzgerald for his band. That opened the way for a lot of black musicians to integrate into the name white orchestras. But like the Negro Leagues, all black orchestras declined unless you were Cab Calloway and a showman performer as well.

Lunceford died young in 1947 at the age of 45 under some mysterious circumstances that I won't go into since it seems a story unto itself. Once again we can thank the medium of film for the opportunity to see him as well as hear his recordings.

What the Hell?

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 27 August 2011]

I am not cursing in my summary. No, this short is about Hell and believe it or not, Vitaphone made several other shorts with similar devilish themes! Jimmie Lunceford is a long-forgotten man. He was a black man who led an orchestra of other black performers. They were a pretty good big band and the short is quite enjoyable. However, the sets and costumes are really the stars of this one! Seeing the band inside a volcano with folks dressed up as demons was definitely eye-catching! The set was actually amazingly good considering that this was a short and considering most studios never would have spent this sort of money for a film with an all-black cast. You have to hand it to Warner Brothers for having the guts and the intelligence to make such a film! You have to see this one to believe it!

MOONLIGHT did NOT "discover" that some Black Dudes are . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 23 January 2017]

. . . Gay, any more than Columbus "sailed the Ocean Blue in 1492" and "discovered" America (because, as many if not most of us know from the USA's Native Religion with its Book of Mormon, Jesus Himself gets the Real Life credit for finding us centuries BEFORE that fraudulent Christopher-come-lately). Discerning viewers of JIMMIE LUNCEFORD AND HIS DANCE ORCHESTRA will be hard-pressed to identify ANY of the guys shown here as Straight Arrows (especially after they collaborate on a final "Ca-Ca" song, with some literally Crappy lyrics). Why is such speculation relevant Today? Because History has given such Racists as Don Juan Rump and his Klansman Attorney General Jeff Sessions (or their ancestors, at least) a bum rap for poisoning Jimmmie Lunceford to death in 1947 near Seaside, OR (and sickening the rest of his orchestra, as well, in a bit of overkill). Supposedly this murder and these attempted slayings came about because the Fey Musicians were carping about their lack of service at a Jim Crow Restaurant. However, since everyone knows that Oregon is well North of the Mason-Dixon Line, it's clearly safe to say that homophobia did in Mr. Lunceford--NOT Racism!!

"Maybe you'll remember this one!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 13 December 2016]

I didn't know what to make of the Satan introduction, but after that it was swing all the way. I'd never heard of Jimmie Lunceford till coming across this ten minute clip, but I sure will remember the name now. It's an energetic short starting off with the Lunceford Orchestra signature tune "Rhythm is Our Business". From there Myra Johnson offers up "You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes" followed by the Three Jacks tapping up a storm, both individually and in a well choreographed trio routine. In addition, a handful of orchestra players step out with trombones and trumpets to show their stuff. Like I said, it's not a very long flick, but it's sure to get you up on your feet!

Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra- Personification of the Harlem Sound

[msladysoul · 10/10 · 20 March 2004]

This Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra musical short is breathtaking. Wonderful. All the good words of the English language describes this musical short. Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra was one of the top bands of the 1930s, the members of the band was superb, not only did they play that hot syncopated rhythm, they could entertain as well, they singed, scat, and danced. On top of that they wore extravagant suits, and they had personality plus which wowed the audiences and made instant fans and made them one of the new most popular bands in the mid 1930's giving Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington a run for their popularity and money. Jimmie Lunceford had the best musicians in their band like Sy Oliver and Willie Smith and it's been said Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra populated "Swing" music with their different form of Jazz which was upbeat and that equaled Swing.

This short shows why the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra was so hot. In this short they're at that the height of their career - hot, young, handsome, energetic, vivacious, and talented gentleman, with a unbelievable sound that you just can't help but want to move to. If you ever see this, turn the volume up and close your eyes and just reminiscing as if you were apart of that time era, sitting right in the audience watching them perform. Hearing and watching the band makes you experience the Harlem sound as if you were there. If you know what I mean!

Too bad bands live performances weren't recorded, but thanks to Vitaphone shorts, soundies, and studios that made shorts, future generations are able to view their performances and experience a by-gone era that was the greatest in entertainment history. Today's entertainment you can't even call entertainment once you see this type of entertainment.

Included in the short is the vivacious personality girl Myra Johnson singing "You Can't Pull The Wool Over My Eyes" and The Three Brown Jacks doing fine dancing.

The Orchestra starts off by playing their theme song "Rhythm Is Our Business" - turn the volume up on the TV and close your eyes - you'll almost get high and get chills within you when hearing this song played, you couldn't help but smile and shake your head in delight, and they play the jazz standard Nagisaki and Sy Oliver scat/sings it, and they play a few other tunes.

I can't say enough about these guys. Their just fine and excellent. If you ever get this short, you'll watch it over and over, you'll never get enough of it.

Would love to know more about the guys, wish a documentary would be done on them or wish some of them could of wrote a book. Too many books are written and documentaries are done on Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and others are overlooked that contributed to the Big Band/Jazz/Swing sound like Claude Hopkins, Don Redman, Noble Sissle, Andy Kirk, Fletcher Henderson, Lucky Millander, Les Hite, and quite a few other orchestras.

Jimmie Lunceford died tragic, many believe he was poisoned by a racist in a restaurant.

Sy Oliver and Willie Smith were the men behind the great sound. Their not known widely but in their time they were highly respected and sought after by people in the business. May they all rest in peace.

Watching this short will be the best 10 minutes of your life. A great entertaining bunch of guys. I can't say enough about them.

These Guys Had The Joint Jumpin'

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 21 June 2007]

This is another one of those 10-mintue features that plugs a band during its era. These were somewhat prevalent as extras to the movies playing in the 1930s. Here we get to see and hear the talents of Jimmy Lunceford and His Dance Orchstera, along with The Three Brown Jacks and Myra Johnson.

'Rhythm is our business," announces Lunceford, so his big band plays some pretty up tempo stuff, which is fun to hear. In fact, this is - by far - the best of these short features I've seen because these guys have life to them. As kids would say today: they rock! In here are some great sax and trumpet solos, a colorful band that is having a lot of fun as they play and just a lot of foot-stomping feel-good music.

Being a fan of tap dancing, I really enjoyed The Three Brown Jacks but I think I had the most fun just watching the members of band.

And let me tell you, rhythm is our business! Is this interesting?

[Sylviastel · 10/10 · 13 June 2019]

I didn't know much about the Melody Masters but it was series of performing music and dances in short films at the cinemas. Besides the main feature, they showed cartoon and film shorts. This film was fine and easy to watch. There was no storyline but music and dance.

Some Good Music and Dancing

[Michael_Elliott · 1 January 2010]

Jimmie Lunceford And His Dance Orchestra (1938)

*** (out of 4)

Another in Warner's long-running series of shorts that would take a look at (then) current big bands. As usual, we don't get anything too fancy visually but that's made up for in some great music. I'm not sure how many people have heard of Jimmie Lunceford, I know I hadn't, but this is a very good short that contains some great music and dancing. I was a little bummed out to see that Lunceford didn't make any more of these shorts, which is a shame but at least what we have here is entertaining. The most interesting and entertainment segment of the short belongs to The Three Brown Jacks doing some great dance moves. "Rhythm Is Our Business", apparently the band's biggest hit, kicks the short off and things never slow down for the ten-minutes. Myra Johnson sings "You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes", which is another winner.