Product Details

• Actors: n, a
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: MVD VISUAL
• DVD Release Date: April 13, 2004
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001DMU8Q
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,764 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

FILMS AND SOUNDIES - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, but be warned....., July 7, 2004

By 

Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Swing Era - Louis Jordan: Films & Soundies (DVD)

The material here is great. Louis Jordan, the crown prince of Jazz comedy and R&B in the 40s appears here in wildly comical selections from his Muslical comedies Beware, Reet Petitie and Gone, and Look Out Sister as well as independent short films of his songs. About 35 in all. Great stuff, such as his bug-eyed lunacy in "Beware," LJ's brilliantly comical dance in "Early in the Morning," and his wacky pre-rap lyrics in "Look Out Sister." Then there's the vivacious wigglings of the early "hoochie mama" videos (as another reviewer has described), in particular Mabel Lee's sumptuous shakings of her considerable pulchritude in "Wham Slam Check Those Gams." Imagine Beyonce doing her thing in the jitterbugging 40s and you'll get the idea.

On the other hand, the transfers are not that great for the segments from "Beware" and "Reet Petite." In the former, the vocals don't synch well with the film (and I've seen better transfers on VHS of that film) and in the latter, the pictures are quite bleached out and not very watchable. This aside, the rest of this compilation has excellent prints and are fun to watch.

Watching the musical segments apart form the original films is fun. However, it would be nice to see "Look out Sister" and "Beware" in their uncut form on DVD. Enjoy after a hard day's work and get some Louis Jordan CD's in the meantime.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lighten Up!, July 4, 2010

By 

roy (Stalybridge) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swing Era - Louis Jordan: Films & Soundies (DVD)

While respecting the thoughts of my fellow reviewers, I believe that another perspective is needed

Yes they could be better quality, yes the audio and video could be in sync

But we should be really grateful to have 35 performances of the great man on an inexpensive DVD

While accepting that to modern sensibilities there may be aspects in these performances that we would like altering, nothing can prevent his talent shining through - singing, playing sax and songwriting

Rock and Roll? Ain't that just like a woman
Rap? Beware
Latin? Early in the Morning
Blues? Buzz me
Swing? GI Jive
Rhythm and Blues 50s style? Let the good times roll

And he could do straight ballads, jazz and lots more

Strange that he is a lowly 59 on the Rolling Stone greatest artists of all time (and they got his picture wrong too) but when two of your biggest fans were Ray Charles and James Brown, no more needs to be said

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Louis Jordan Swing Era DVD (Short Review), March 10, 2006

By 

Glenn Cripes - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swing Era: Louis Jordan and His Tympany Band Films and Soundies (DVD)

Idem Home Video apparently couldn't be bothered to synch the audio with the video.

Jerks.