Product Details

• Actors: Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Lena Horne, Artie Shaw, Louis Jordan
• Directors: Eric Kulberg
• Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: ACORN MEDIA
• DVD Release Date: June 12, 2007
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000NVKZVU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,344 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

JUMPIN & JIVIN - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun collection from mostly terrible sources, May 10, 2009

By 

Randy C. Baer (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jumpin' and Jivin', Vol. 1 (DVD)

The 1940's saw the advent of the first video jukeboxes, actually small film monitors set up at bars, restaurants and other assorted venues. The films produced for these machines were called "Soundies". Despite mediocre production values and distracting cutaways, these miniatures provide a fascinating cultural window, as well as glimpses of some of the top jazz and pop performers of the day. This collection brings together a couple of dozen such performances. The problem is the source materials have so deteriorated that, several of the films are either unwatchable or unlistenable. Acorn Media appears not to have done any restoration. And, as far as I know, this stuff is all Public Domain now, so their costs were near nonexistant to begin with. So, if you value your media shekels, be forewarned. Still, if you spot this at your local library as I did, by all means take a gander at a sound and a time long passed and nearly forgotten.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Fantastic, March 19, 2010

By 

James R. Rohrer (Kearney, NE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jumpin' and Jivin', Vol. 1 (DVD)

I bought this DVD at a bargain store, intending to use it to teach American cultural history. It certainly is a fascinating and immensely illuminating cultural timepiece that brings to life aspects of American society that the music alone does not so clearly convey. To see these musicians performing live, and in their prime, adds to my enjoyment of the music. Given the age of the recordings, I did not expect very much visual or sound quality, but I was very much surprised by how crystal clear both generally are. I do not understand the review that claims that some selections are almost unwatchable. I have viewed the video through multiple times, and have been impressed by how clean the visuals are and how clear the music is. Whether you are interested in the historical significance, or more interested in enjoying great music performed by some of the most gifted musicians of the 20th century, you will be glad if you purchase this DVD. Cab Calloway and Lena Horne alone are worth the price, but I also was blown away by Fats Waller.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jumpin'&Jivin' ,Indeed, August 20, 2009

By 

Alfred Johnson (boston, ma) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jumpin' and Jivin', Vol. 1 (DVD)

I recently reviewed the work, in his prime in the 1960s, of jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. There I noted that my interest in jazz, as such, was at the many places where jazz and the blues intersect. This volume of jazz- centered music from the big band era of the 1940s is a prime example of that statement. Not all of the twenty plus "soundies" (the old time version of MTV-type music videos for the benefit of the younger reader) from the 1940s and early 1950s here derives from the blues but a good number do. The compilers of this DVD have put, in one place at one time, many of the best big bands from that era, including Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine and Count Basie. The production values on some of the material is not great but you are getting this for its look at cultural history, warts and all.

Moreover, there are two performers who perked my interest from the blues perspective. One was the incredible performances of Mr. Cab Calloway in his classic "Minnie The Moocher" and the, well, bluesy "Blues In The Night". I last recall seeing old Cab in the original John Belushi "Blues Brothers" film from the 1980s. That was nothing compared to these performances in his prime. Watch this. The other outstanding performance here is from Lena Horne. Yes, I know, I am supposed to be true-blue to Ms. Billie Holiday. And I am. Except last year I heard Lena doing "Stormy Weather" on a 1940s CD compilation and was blown away. Here on her "soundie" "Unlucky Woman" she does so again. So call me perfidious, okay.