King of Jazz
"The Pinnacle of Screen Spectacles!"
Plot
A grand, plotless musical revue presented as a series of entries from 'Paul Whiteman’s Scrapbook,' showcasing the talents of the era's most famous bandleader and his orchestra. The film opens with a Technicolor cartoon explaining how Whiteman was crowned the 'King of Jazz' after a lion-hunting expedition in Africa, followed by a succession of lavish musical numbers, comedy sketches, and specialty acts. Highlighting the production is an elaborate performance of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue,' staged within a giant blue piano, and a massive finale titled 'The Melting Pot of Music.' This finale attempts to illustrate the diverse European origins of jazz, culminating in a spectacular ensemble performance that brings all the preceding acts together. Throughout the film, audiences are treated to the screen debut of Bing Crosby and the precision dancing of the Russell Markert Girls, who would later become the world-famous Rockettes.
About the Production
The film had a notoriously troubled production, spending nearly $500,000 before a single frame was shot due to script delays and the high weekly salaries of Whiteman's orchestra. Director John Murray Anderson, a Broadway veteran, was hired after the studio failed to secure Florenz Ziegfeld. The production utilized the massive 'Broadway Crane,' a 60-ton camera crane built for the 1929 film 'Broadway,' to achieve its sweeping, dynamic shots.
Historical Background
Released at the dawn of the Great Depression and the height of the early 'talkie' craze, 'King of Jazz' represents the peak of the Hollywood revue genre. In 1930, studios were competing to produce the most lavish 'all-talking, all-singing, all-dancing' spectacles. However, by the time of its release, the market was oversaturated with musicals, leading to a temporary decline in the genre's popularity. The film also reflects the racial segregation of the era; despite being titled 'King of Jazz,' the film almost entirely excludes African American performers, attributing the origins of jazz to European folk music fused with a stylized, 'primitive' African rhythm represented in the opening cartoon.
Why This Film Matters
The film is a vital historical document of 1920s 'symphonic jazz' and the career of Paul Whiteman, who was the most popular musical figure of his decade. It preserves the only filmed performances of several jazz greats like Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang. Its inclusion in the National Film Registry in 2013 cemented its status as a work of significant cultural and aesthetic importance, particularly for its pioneering use of Technicolor and early sound synchronization.
Making Of
The production was a logistical nightmare for Universal. Paul Whiteman was not an actor and rejected two different scripts that required him to play a character, insisting the film simply showcase his music. This led to the 'revue' format. To ensure high audio quality, Whiteman insisted on pre-recording the music—a revolutionary technique at the time—which Universal executives initially opposed. The 'Rhapsody in Blue' sequence alone cost a fortune, featuring a custom-built silver-and-gray set designed to trick the two-color Technicolor process into displaying a blue-like hue. The production was so expensive that it was nicknamed 'Universal's Rhapsody in Red' by Hollywood insiders after it initially failed to recoup its costs.
Visual Style
The film is a masterpiece of early Technicolor cinematography by Hal Mohr, Ray Rennahan, and Jerome Ash. It utilized the two-color subtractive process (red and green) with incredible ingenuity, using lighting and filters to expand the perceived color palette. The use of the 'Broadway Crane' allowed for unprecedented vertical and sweeping camera movements that were rare in the early sound era.
Innovations
First feature-length film to use a mostly pre-recorded soundtrack. First film to feature a Technicolor animated sequence. Notable for the use of the 60-ton 'Broadway Crane' for complex camera movement. Innovative use of color filters to simulate blue in a two-color system.
Music
The soundtrack is a comprehensive showcase of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra's repertoire. Key tracks include 'Rhapsody in Blue' (Gershwin), 'It Happened in Monterey,' 'Happy Feet,' 'A Bench in the Park,' and 'Song of the Dawn.' It features the vocal harmonies of The Rhythm Boys and solos by John Boles and Jeanie Lang.
Famous Quotes
Paul Whiteman: 'I'm Charles Irwin, and this book is Paul Whiteman's scrapbook. Its pages are crowded with melodies and anecdotes which we are going to bring to life for you by the magic of the camera.'
Narrator (Melting Pot): 'America is a melting pot of music, wherein the melodies of all nations are fused into one great new rhythm: JAZZ!'
Memorable Scenes
- The 'Rhapsody in Blue' sequence featuring a massive blue grand piano that opens to reveal the entire orchestra.
- The opening Technicolor cartoon where a cartoon Paul Whiteman 'soothes the savage beast' with a fiddle.
- The 'Happy Feet' number featuring The Rhythm Boys and a creative use of forced perspective with 'giant' dancing feet.
- The 'Melting Pot' finale where various national groups in traditional costumes descend into a literal giant pot.
Did You Know?
- Features the first-ever Technicolor animated cartoon sequence, produced by Walter Lantz (later creator of Woody Woodpecker).
- Bing Crosby makes his first-ever motion picture appearance as part of The Rhythm Boys.
- The dancers in the film, the Russell Markert Girls, were the original troupe that became the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
- Because two-color Technicolor could not reproduce the color blue, the 'Rhapsody in Blue' sequence had to be filmed using a specific shade of green and filters to create an illusion of turquoise/blue.
- Bing Crosby was originally set to sing the solo 'Song of the Dawn,' but he was jailed for 60 days following a drunk driving accident during production; the song was given to John Boles instead.
- The film was produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., who was only 21 years old at the time.
- Universal produced nine different foreign-language versions of the film, often replacing the master of ceremonies with a local star (e.g., Bela Lugosi for the Hungarian version).
- It was the first feature film to use a pre-recorded soundtrack, allowing the performers to lip-sync and the cameras to move more freely.
- The 'Melting Pot' finale features a giant prop pot that was so large the orchestra and dozens of dancers could perform inside it.
- Bix Beiderbecke, the legendary jazz cornetist, was a member of Whiteman's band but left shortly before filming began due to health issues.
What Critics Said
In 1930, critics were divided; while they praised the technical brilliance and the 'Rhapsody in Blue' sequence, many found the comedy sketches dated and the revue format exhausting. Modern critics view it as a fascinating, if problematic, time capsule. It holds high marks for its visual splendor and musical historical value, though it is frequently criticized today for its 'whitewashed' presentation of jazz history.
What Audiences Thought
Initial audiences in 1930 were somewhat 'musical-weary,' and the film underperformed significantly in the United States. However, it was a massive hit overseas, particularly in South Africa and parts of Europe. Today, it is a favorite among cinephiles and jazz historians who marvel at its restored Technicolor beauty.
Awards & Recognition
- Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Herman Rosse)
Film Connections
Influenced By
- The Hollywood Revue of 1929
- Ziegfeld Follies
- Broadway variety shows
This Film Influenced
- 42nd Street
- The Great Ziegfeld
- Fantasia (specifically the visualization of music)
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Film Restoration
Extensively restored. For decades, only truncated black-and-white or poor-quality color prints existed. In 2016, Universal Pictures completed a major 4K digital restoration from the original nitrate camera negative and other archival sources, restoring it to its full 105-minute length.