King of Jazz

Opening the Universal two-strip Technicolor musical revue, starring bandleader Paul Whiteman and his wildly popular orchestra, Charles Irwin the announcer, winds up introducing what was the first-ever Technicolor cartoon, by Walter Lantz, later known for Woody Woodpecker, with some now-dated attitudes, in King Of Jazz, 1930.

One of the wackiest and most brief of the comic vignettes, credited to screenwriter Harry Ruskin, introduced by MC Charles Irwin, in the Universal two-strip Technicolor musical-variety feature, with Laura LaPlante, Jeanie Lang, Merna Kennedy, Grace Hayes and Kathryn Crawford, in King Of Jazz, 1930, featuring the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

Hal Mohr was one of three cinematographers on the project, and was credited with most of the trick photography, seen here as the MC Charles Irwin introduces the de-facto star, bandleader Paul Whiteman, whose soloists include Harry Goldfield on trumpet, Joe Venuti on violin and Eddie Lang on guitar, early in Universal’s King Of Jazz, 1930.

Another event in the revue, this time Bing Crosby in his first on camera appearance in his first movie, with his then-colleagues with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, The Rhythm Boys, Al Rinker on vocals and Harry Barris, also a composer of their song, on piano, in the Universal two-strip Technicolor showcase King Of Jazz, 1930.

Now becoming clear that this is nothing but a revue/variety show, bandleader Paul Whiteman, for whom the picture is titled, introduces the Russell Markert Girls who, upon the opening of the Radio City Music Hall in 1932, would become the Rockettes, accompanied by the Whiteman orchestra, in Universal’s King Of Jazz, 1930.