Note: this film contains a distasteful, shameful display of black face at the 1:48 mark. Viewer discretion is advised.

One of a series of music films made in the 1940s by Minoco Productions, this “soundie” features Gus Van. It was directed by Warren Murray and produced by Fred Waller. (Note: this song was written by Shamus O’Connor and John J. Stamford. It achieved much more fame when performed by Bing Crosby.)

Soundies are three-minute American musical films, produced between 1940 and 1947, each displaying a song, dance, and/or band or orchestral number. Produced professionally on 35 mm black-and-white film, like theatrical motion pictures, they were printed on the more portable and economical 16 mm film. Some of the films were shown in a coin-operated “movie jukebox” named the Panoram, manufactured by the Mills Novelty Company of Chicago.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com