King of Jazz

King of Jazz is a 1930 American color film starring Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra. The films title was taken from Whitemans controversial, selfconferred appellation. Although using the word to describe Whitemans music may seem absurd today, at the time the film was made, jazz, to the general public, meant the jazzinfluenced syncopated dance music which was being heard everywhere on phonograph records and through radio broadcasts. Lending his title a measure of legitimacy is the fact that in the 1920s Whiteman signed and featured great white jazz musicians including Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang both are seen and heard in the film, Bix Beiderbecke who had left before filming began, Frank Trumbauer and others still held in high regard.

King of Jazz is a revue. There is no story, only a series of musical numbers alternating with blackouts very brief comedy sketches with abrupt punch line endings and other short introductory or linking segments.The musical numbers are very diverse in character, taking a something for everyone approach to appeal to family audiences by catering to the young, the old and the middleaged in turn, rather than attempting to suit everyone all the time. The slow Bridal Veil number, featuring according to Universal the largest veil ever made, drips with Victorian sentimentality that might best appeal to the elderly. The middleaged might be more pleased by John Boles in a lush setting crooning It Happened in Monterey in waltz time, or in a barn with a chorus of redshirted ranch hands belting out the Song of the Dawn. The jazzy Happy Feet number was apt to cause younger dancecrazy heels to rock and toes to tap, and even the youngest attendees could enjoy the cartoon, the sight gags, and the overall eye candy value of it all. ........

Source: Wikipedia