Short. 1929 Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. Director: S. J. Kaufman Story: James Barton Cast: James Barton – Emcee and Solo Dancer (in blackface) “Shorty George” Snowden – Third Male Dancer (Called “Shorty Stump” in the film) An early sound short of major historical import. Although it is a fictionalized Harlem nightclub scene, it features Chick Webb […]
Original Films
Learn about original films that included lindy hop sequences
Learn about original films that included lindy hop sequences
Symphony in Black (1935)
A Rhapsody of Negro Life 10 mins., black & white, 16mm. FAB 6260 Paramount Pictures, 1935. Director: Fred Waller; Photography: William Steiner, Jr. Valburn/Ellington Collection of the Library of Congress This film of extraordinary historic and esthetic interest features Duke Ellington at the piano presumably composing the title symphony, crosscut with shots of a band […]
Ask Uncle Sol (1937)
Shorty George Snowden and his partner Big Bea, towering over him, demonstrate the repertoire of fast-paced comedic steps for which they were known. Shorty retired from professional dancing a few years after this film was made because of severe arthritis in his feet. Dancers: Shorty George Snowden Big Bea When Frankie Manning told the delightful […]
A Day at the Races (1937)
1937 Directed by Sam Wood This very fun Marx Brothers film is considered among the 100 funniest films of all times. In it Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers dance to All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm. Whitey himself can be seen on the sidelines. He is identifiable by the streak of white in his hair. This scene, like […]
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937)
USA 1937 82 mins. Black and White Republic Pictures A musical revue with an all-star cast that includes Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, Ted Lewis and his Orchestra, Louis Prima and his Band, Gene Autry, and Joe DiMaggio. Manhattan Merry-Go-Round has a storyline about gangsters taking over a radio station. Variety Magazine of the day […]
The Policy Man (1938)
The Policy Man (1938) hasn’t been found yet but we know that it existed. It includes the Savoy Lindy Hoppers, which is another name for Whiteys Lindy Hoppers, and the Count Basie Orchestra, possibly doing a Big Apple. Some jazz film collectors think of it as the “Holy Grail” because it has been sought […]
Radio City Revels (1938)
RKO Benjamin Stoloff 1938 When Frankie Manning finally got to see the Whiteys Lindy Hoppers sequence of the 1938 film “Radio City Revels” it was well into the 1990s. He was disappointed to discover that most of his shine had been cut from the dance sequence in the film. This may be because it violated the […]
The Big Apple /Keep Punching (1939)
1939 excerpt from the film KEEP PUNCHING (also a short known as Jittering Jitterbugs) A film clip featuring Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. It was originally part of the black-cast film Keep Punching and was also released as the short “Jittering Jitterbugs” in1943. Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers perform a Big Apple routine which was choreographed by Frankie Manning. […]
Hellzapoppin’ (1941)
1941 Directed by H. C. Potter This movie, based on a hit Broadway play, showcases Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers dancing the most famous and most spectacular Lindy Hop scene ever preserved on film. The dancing was choreographed by Frankie Manning. This scene featuring Black dancers has only a superficial connection to the rest of the film, […]
Hot Chocolate (1941)
Also known as Cottontail Soundie * 1941 The Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers group that appears in this soundie was also known as the The Harlem Congaroos. They were the undisputed stars of all the groups of Whitey’s dancers. After completing the filming of Hellzapoppin’, the group had a contract to do a second film for Universal […]
Cootie Williams & His Orchestra (1943)
Soundie 1943 Dancers: Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers: Leon James and Dottie Mae Johnson Russell Williams and Connie Hill While most of the men in Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers were drafted to fight in World War 2, Leon James and Russell Williams were disqualified from service due to poor eyesight. Here they are in 1943 holding the fort […]
Jammin’ the Blues (1944)
Directed by Gjon Mili Produced by Norman Granz 10 minutes 1944 This film of top jazz musicians is beautiful to the ears and the eyes. The photographer Gjon Mili, who is responsible for the 1943 LIFE Magazine cover story on Lindy Hop, shot this film as though it were a series of photographs. There are […]
