Soft Lights and Sweet Music (Original title)
Date: 1936 (Release)Country: United KingdomDirected by: Herbert Smith
Synopsis: A musical revue. Ambrose and His Orchestra - numbers include "We're tops on Saturday Night", "I've Lost my Rhythm", "I'm All In", "Limehouse Blues"; Turner Layton sings "My S.O.S. To You"; Elisabeth Welch sings "Yesterday's Thrill"; Three Rhythm Brothers play "Tiger Rag", Ridin' Up the River Road"; other acts featured are: Western Brothers; Harry Tate; Billy Bennett; Wilson, Keppell & Betty; Five Charladies; Sandy Powell's Harmonica Band; Jimmy Fletcher; Max Bacon; Jack Cooper; Karina & Co; Four Flash Devils; Four Robinas; Donald Stewart and The Hollywood Beauties from The Dorchester Hotel.Shotlist: VARIETY. Collection of variety acts with a linking story featuring the Western Brothers picking up acts on their experimental television equipment. Viewing copy 46123C (Copy ID 696638), list of acts: Ambrose and his Orchestra: opening instrumental plus We're Tops on Saturday Night (sung by Jack Cooper) Harry Tate running a college for the under-45s, with the Western Brothers, Ambrose and Max Bacon as graduates The Five Charladies: dance routine, I'm Just a Little Lady from the Boulevards, plus other comedy routines and dances, plus playing bagpipes [some footage missing] Ambrose and his Orchestra with Evelyn Dall: I've Lost My Rhythm Sandy Powell's Harmonica Band, Jimmy Fletcher singing: It's My Mother's Birthday Today Max Bacon: Cohen the Crooner Ambrose and his Orchestra: Instrumental Elisabeth Welch: Yesterday's Thrill The Three Rhythm Brothers, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra: Tiger Rag Tumbling troupe Karina & Co perform an apache dance in a Paris bar setting Wilson, Keppel and Betty: three Egyptian dances including a tap-dancing Gandhi routine Ambrose and his Orchestra: Madonna (with Jack Cooper singing) [number cut short, although all of Cooper's singing may be there] The Four Robinas do a tumbling routine in a nightclub, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra The Three Rhythm Brothers, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra: Riding up the River Road The Four Flash Devils, black tap-dancing team, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra The Western Brothers: After All That and Mistlethwaite, Don't be a Cad Ambrose and his Orchestra with Evelyn Dall: I'm All In Turner Layton: My S.O.S. To You Ambrose and his Orchestra: Limehouse Blues The Hollywood Beauties perform Spanish, Hawaiian and charleston dance routines, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra. Note 1: The above NFTVA copy is a shortened re-release version, apparently slightly re-ordered, with a Billy Bennett monologue "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", Harry Tate's "Motoring" sketch, Donald Stewart singing "South American Joe" and Turner Layton singing "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" missing. The missing Bennett and Layton items exist in a second shorter copy acquired since (copy ID 1030956), and the "Motoring" sketch exists separately on 9.5mm (as MOTORING SKETCH). An incomplete version of the motoring sketch (which also derives from a 9.5mm copy) is on SOFT LIGHTS AND SWEET MUSIC (viewing copy location 205539A, copy ID 727063). Despite the title, this particular print consists of fragments of numbers from the variety film CALLING ALL STARS (1937). Note 2: The condensed version released on 9.5mm by Pathéscope ran the same as the above to `Tiger Rag', then followed Wilson, Keppel and Betty, Billy Bennett, the Western Brothers introduce the cabaret with the dance number `Putting on your Top Hat' [?], then the Four Robinas, the Four Flash Devils, Evelyn Dall (`I'm All In'), Turner Layton, Donald Stewart (`South American Joe'), the Hollywood Beauties, with `Limehouse Blues' at the finish. (Details supplied by Mr John Stocks). (Harry Tate's "Motoring" sketch was also a part of the 9.5mm release). In 2008, the Archive acquired a VHS copy of this 9.5mm release, albeit an incomplete copy. The acts that appear are as follows: Ambrose and Jack Cooper with 'We're Tops on Saturday Night'; Harry Tate and the college scene; The Five Charladies (most of routine missing); Ambrose and Evelyn Dall with 'I've Lost My Rhythm'; Sandy Powell's Harmonica Band (briefly, and with Jimmy Fletcher's song missing); Max Bacon and 'Cohen the Crooner'; Elisabeth Welch; Ambrose and the Three Rhythm Brothers with 'Tiger Rag'; brief footage of Wilson, Keppel and Betty (with little of Betty); Billy Bennett, and Max Bacon, with rendition of 'The Shooting of Dan McGrew'; Karina & Co.; tap dance routine by The Hollywood Beauties; The Four Robinas; The Four Flash Devils; Ambrose and Evelyn Dall with 'I'm All In'; Turner Layton with 'My S.O.S. To You'; Ambrose and Donald Stewart with 'South American Joe';, The Hollywood Beauties and their Spanish and Hawaiian dance routines; Ambrose with 'Limehouse Blues'. Note 3: The NFTVA acquired (1999) another 3 reel 35mm master copy containing two items not already held on 35mm: Reel 2: Billy Bennett monologue 'Dangerous Dan McGrew'. Reel 3: Turner Layton sings 'East of the Sun and West of the Moon' (which follows his 'My S.O.S. to You') Note 4: The film includes several location shots of Mile End market (before the `Cohen the Crooner' number) and several shots of Piccadilly at night (before `Madonna').
Genres: Comedy, Musical, Variety show
Subjects: Dance band music, Vaudeville, Piccadilly
Releases
Date: 1936Country: United KingdomRelease type: unknownFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SoundRuntime: 86 mins Length: 7782 FeetDialogue (original): English
Title: [Kinematograph Weekly - n1719 28 Mar 1940: no known title]Language: English
In: Today's Cinema v54 n4392 20 Mar 1940
Title: [Today's Cinema - v54 n4392 20 Mar 1940: no known title]Language: English
In: Kinematograph Weekly n1505 20 Feb 1936
Title: [Kinematograph Weekly - n1505 20 Feb 1936: no known title]Language: English
Date: 1936 (Release)Country: United KingdomDirected by: Herbert Smith
Synopsis: A musical revue. Ambrose and His Orchestra - numbers include "We're tops on Saturday Night", "I've Lost my Rhythm", "I'm All In", "Limehouse Blues"; Turner Layton sings "My S.O.S. To You"; Elisabeth Welch sings "Yesterday's Thrill"; Three Rhythm Brothers play "Tiger Rag", Ridin' Up the River Road"; other acts featured are: Western Brothers; Harry Tate; Billy Bennett; Wilson, Keppell & Betty; Five Charladies; Sandy Powell's Harmonica Band; Jimmy Fletcher; Max Bacon; Jack Cooper; Karina & Co; Four Flash Devils; Four Robinas; Donald Stewart and The Hollywood Beauties from The Dorchester Hotel.Shotlist: VARIETY. Collection of variety acts with a linking story featuring the Western Brothers picking up acts on their experimental television equipment. Viewing copy 46123C (Copy ID 696638), list of acts: Ambrose and his Orchestra: opening instrumental plus We're Tops on Saturday Night (sung by Jack Cooper) Harry Tate running a college for the under-45s, with the Western Brothers, Ambrose and Max Bacon as graduates The Five Charladies: dance routine, I'm Just a Little Lady from the Boulevards, plus other comedy routines and dances, plus playing bagpipes [some footage missing] Ambrose and his Orchestra with Evelyn Dall: I've Lost My Rhythm Sandy Powell's Harmonica Band, Jimmy Fletcher singing: It's My Mother's Birthday Today Max Bacon: Cohen the Crooner Ambrose and his Orchestra: Instrumental Elisabeth Welch: Yesterday's Thrill The Three Rhythm Brothers, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra: Tiger Rag Tumbling troupe Karina & Co perform an apache dance in a Paris bar setting Wilson, Keppel and Betty: three Egyptian dances including a tap-dancing Gandhi routine Ambrose and his Orchestra: Madonna (with Jack Cooper singing) [number cut short, although all of Cooper's singing may be there] The Four Robinas do a tumbling routine in a nightclub, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra The Three Rhythm Brothers, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra: Riding up the River Road The Four Flash Devils, black tap-dancing team, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra The Western Brothers: After All That and Mistlethwaite, Don't be a Cad Ambrose and his Orchestra with Evelyn Dall: I'm All In Turner Layton: My S.O.S. To You Ambrose and his Orchestra: Limehouse Blues The Hollywood Beauties perform Spanish, Hawaiian and charleston dance routines, backed by Ambrose and his Orchestra. Note 1: The above NFTVA copy is a shortened re-release version, apparently slightly re-ordered, with a Billy Bennett monologue "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", Harry Tate's "Motoring" sketch, Donald Stewart singing "South American Joe" and Turner Layton singing "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" missing. The missing Bennett and Layton items exist in a second shorter copy acquired since (copy ID 1030956), and the "Motoring" sketch exists separately on 9.5mm (as MOTORING SKETCH). An incomplete version of the motoring sketch (which also derives from a 9.5mm copy) is on SOFT LIGHTS AND SWEET MUSIC (viewing copy location 205539A, copy ID 727063). Despite the title, this particular print consists of fragments of numbers from the variety film CALLING ALL STARS (1937). Note 2: The condensed version released on 9.5mm by Pathéscope ran the same as the above to `Tiger Rag', then followed Wilson, Keppel and Betty, Billy Bennett, the Western Brothers introduce the cabaret with the dance number `Putting on your Top Hat' [?], then the Four Robinas, the Four Flash Devils, Evelyn Dall (`I'm All In'), Turner Layton, Donald Stewart (`South American Joe'), the Hollywood Beauties, with `Limehouse Blues' at the finish. (Details supplied by Mr John Stocks). (Harry Tate's "Motoring" sketch was also a part of the 9.5mm release). In 2008, the Archive acquired a VHS copy of this 9.5mm release, albeit an incomplete copy. The acts that appear are as follows: Ambrose and Jack Cooper with 'We're Tops on Saturday Night'; Harry Tate and the college scene; The Five Charladies (most of routine missing); Ambrose and Evelyn Dall with 'I've Lost My Rhythm'; Sandy Powell's Harmonica Band (briefly, and with Jimmy Fletcher's song missing); Max Bacon and 'Cohen the Crooner'; Elisabeth Welch; Ambrose and the Three Rhythm Brothers with 'Tiger Rag'; brief footage of Wilson, Keppel and Betty (with little of Betty); Billy Bennett, and Max Bacon, with rendition of 'The Shooting of Dan McGrew'; Karina & Co.; tap dance routine by The Hollywood Beauties; The Four Robinas; The Four Flash Devils; Ambrose and Evelyn Dall with 'I'm All In'; Turner Layton with 'My S.O.S. To You'; Ambrose and Donald Stewart with 'South American Joe';, The Hollywood Beauties and their Spanish and Hawaiian dance routines; Ambrose with 'Limehouse Blues'. Note 3: The NFTVA acquired (1999) another 3 reel 35mm master copy containing two items not already held on 35mm: Reel 2: Billy Bennett monologue 'Dangerous Dan McGrew'. Reel 3: Turner Layton sings 'East of the Sun and West of the Moon' (which follows his 'My S.O.S. to You') Note 4: The film includes several location shots of Mile End market (before the `Cohen the Crooner' number) and several shots of Piccadilly at night (before `Madonna').
Genres: Comedy, Musical, Variety show
Subjects: Dance band music, Vaudeville, Piccadilly
Releases
Date: 1936Country: United KingdomRelease type: unknownFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SoundRuntime: 86 mins Length: 7782 FeetDialogue (original): English
Articles held in BFI Reuben Library
(3)
In: Kinematograph Weekly n1719 28 Mar 1940Title: [Kinematograph Weekly - n1719 28 Mar 1940: no known title]Language: English
In: Today's Cinema v54 n4392 20 Mar 1940
Title: [Today's Cinema - v54 n4392 20 Mar 1940: no known title]Language: English
In: Kinematograph Weekly n1505 20 Feb 1936
Title: [Kinematograph Weekly - n1505 20 Feb 1936: no known title]Language: English