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SONG AND DANCE AT PATHESCOPE

( UK & French Dance Band & Variety Films released on 9.5mm optical sound )

Where there are music links allow 30-90secs for the 9.5mm soundtrack clip to load
If player starts while file downloading, click media player 'stop' button & wait till at about 2/3rd of the file has loaded before clicking media player 'start' button.

Unfortunately British dance band music and variety acts were never really highly rated - in general the reason is obvious when we compare it to American product. However it does provide a certain pre-war style that seems to be lost forever these days. Whilst generally there were vast quantities of records (78rpm) issued, little is recorded on film and generally where it is, the production quality leaves a lot to be desired because of the low budget usually assigned to such projects.

Maybe it was this very reason - cheap, low budget - that attracted Pathéscope to release many of these items on their 'home cinema' 9.5mm optical sound film size. I have attempted to list and detail most of the musical and variety items - for full lists of all the 9.5mm optical sound films released in the UK and France, check out my 9.5mm film catalogues listed elsewhere on this site.

Data has been obtained from the films themselves and mostly from that fanatastic reference book "The British Film Catalogue 1895-1985" by the late Denis Gifford (ISBN 0-7153-8835-5). Further invaluable data comes from 9.5 enthusiast Maurice Trace and his excellent 9.5mm Sound Film Catalogue, whilst the detailed music content has been identified and compiled by Alex Gleason, indefatigable researcher and compiler of music used in British films. Many thanks to those mentioned above and many friends who have passed on information.

Dance Music & Variety Feature Films released on 9.5mm optical sound

T..9348 "CALLING ALL STARS" GB 1937 (Originally 79 minutes) Dir:Herbert Smith. Prod: British Lion
Ambrose and his Orchestra, Evelyn Dall, Davy Burnaby, Flotsam & Jetsam, Carroll Gibbons & the Savoy Orpheans Orch., Arren & Broderick, Leon Cortez & his Coster Pals, Ethel Revnell & Gracie West, Billy Bennett, The Bega Four, Eugine Pini & his Band, Buck & Bubbles, Turner Layton, Elizabeth Welch, Larry Adler, The Nicholas Brothers, Twelve Aristocrats, The Whirlwind Skaters, Max Bacon.

T.9347 "SOFT LIGHTS AND SWEET MUSIC" GB 1936 (Orig. 86 mins) Dir:Herbert Smith Prod:British Lion Ambrose and his Orchestra, Evelyn Dall, Harry Tate, Western Brothers, The Five Charladies, Sandy Powell's Harmonica Band, Max Bacon, Elizabeth Welch, Three Rhythm Boys, Billy Bennett, Karina & Co.,Wilson, Keppel & Betty, The Dorchester Girls, The Robinas, The Four Flash Devils, Turner Layton.

T.9136 "SHE SHALL HAVE MUSIC" GB 1935 (Orig. 91 mins) Dir:Leslie Hiscott. Twickenham F.D. Production

T.9731 "VARIETY JUBILEE" GB 1943 (Orig. 92 mins) Dir:Maclean Rogers. A Butchers Production
June2005

GS.70108 "FEUX DE JOIE" FR 1938 (Orig. 95 mins) Dir:Jacques Houssin. Florida Film
... ............. (this title issued in France on 9.5mm optical sound by Pathé-Baby)

Dance Music Film Shorts released on 9.5mm optical sound

T.9301 "CLAP HANDS" GB 1935 (originally 18 mins?) Dir:Frank Dormand Produced by Fidelity Dist:LMB
Charlie Kunz & the Casani Club Orchestra, (vocalist George Barclay), with Teddy Brown (xylophone)
Check out the Charlie Kunz web-site (use 'back' to return here!):- home.wxs.nl/~bulteman/home.htm

T.9300 "CHEERIO" GB 1935 (17 mins) Dir:Frank Dormand Phot:D.P. Cooper Distributed by Fidelity
Billy Merrin & his Commanders, Ken Crossley, Alice & Jimmy Day

T.9305 "THE SHOW'S THE THING" GB 1936 (18 mins) Dir:Raymond Stross Stuart Stross Productions
Billy Merrin & his Commanders, Ronald Frankau, Jessie the Child Impersonator, The Dorchester Girls

T.9705 "GIRL IN THE POSTER" (9 mins) extract from "Rhythm Racketeer" GB 1937 Dir:James Seymour
Harry Roy & his Band play "Rhythm Racketeer" and "I Fell In Love With a Poster" which opens out into a superb dance production number arranged by Larry Ceballos, reminiscent of Busby Berkeley. Stanley Black is on piano and also in the band is Ray Ellington - who later provided musical interludes in "The Goon Show" on BBC radio.

T.9714 "THE TWO ROYS" (9 mins) - (issued on 9.5 Oct 1952) extract from:
"Radio Pirates" 89 mins GB 1935 Dir:Ivar Campbell Prod:Norman Loudon
Roy Fox & his Band play "The Last Round-Up" and "Old Faithfull" (vocals:Sid Buckman)
AND extract from "Rhythm Racketeer" 85 mins GB 1937 Dir:James Seymour
Harry Roy & his Band play "Seven Different Sweeties A Week"

T.9712 "THE MAD HATTER" (9 mins) extract from:
"Happy Days Are Here Again" 87 mins GB 1936 Dir:Norman Lee Prod:John Argyle
Syd Seymour & his Mad Hatters with music & humour, including "It's All OK For the Spring" & "Melancholy Baby".

T.9692 "JIVIN' AND JAMMIN'" (17 mins) GB 1948 Prod/Dir/Ed:Frank Gardner (issued on 9.5mm Oct '51)
The Maurice Arnold Sextet play "Loch Lomond", "Three Blind Mice" & "I've Found A New Baby"; vocalist Dinah Kaye sings "Honeysuckle Rose" & "These Foolish Things".

Dance Music & Variety Film Shorts from British Lion released on 9.5mm optical sound

All these musical/variety shorts were issued as 'one reelers' with a running time of around 8 to 9 minutes.
They come from three British Lion cinema musical shorts series: "Musical Film Review" (GB 1933), "Equity Musical Revue" (GB 1935) and "British Lion Varieties" (GB 1936). A few were released on 9.5mm with the original titles, the other 25 were released on 9.5mm sound by Pathescope under the title "Variety Number ....". (Even on some of these the Pathescope editor left the original title on the actual 9.5mm film!). Musical items were generally mixed up from the original British Lion releases and sometimes shortened or even duplicated in later releases! (Variety Numbers 4, 20 or 21 do not seem to have been released by Pathescope on 9.5mm). Like the British Lion features, this material is very rare or 'lost' on 35mm, probably making 9.5mm (and 17.5mm!) sound the only source.

T9308 "BRITISH LION VARIETIES - NUMBER ONE" GB 1936 Prod/Dir:Herbert Smith (on 9.5 Jul 1938)
Joe Loss & his Band play "The Wheel Of The Wagon Is Broken"
The Three Accordion Kings play a selection from Gounod's "Faust"
The Three Radio Rogues perform "The Man On The Flying Trapeze"

T9309 "BRITISH LION VARIETIES - NUMBER TWO" GB 1936 Prod/Dir:Herbert Smith (on 9.5 Apr 1938)
The Three Australian Boys in a medley "Turn On The Music"
The Four Aces in song
Anita, Charles & Jack - Apache Dancers

T.9312 "MUSICAL FILM REVUE - NUMBER TWO" GB 1933 Dir: Herbert Smith (on 9.5 Sep 1936)
Terence McGovern & his Orchestra play "Crazy People"
Phyllis Stanley sings "Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day"
The Modernique Quartette play "Tiger Rag"

T.9313 "VARIETY NUMBER 1" (issued on 9.5 Sept 1938)
Joe Loss & his Orchestra play "Love Is Like A Cigarette" with vocal by Vera Lynn
The Petite Ascots, four young girls tap dance to "Whispering"(Schoenberger), "Some Of These Days"(Brooks), and "Nobody's Sweetheart"(Erdman, Kahn, Myers & Schoebel)
Stanelli & Edgar impersonate on violins

T.9314 "VARIETY NUMBER 2" (issued on 9.5 Nov 1938)
The Three Radio Rogues sing "(My) Pretty Quadroon" & "They Cut Down The Old Pine Tree"
Joe Loss & his Orchestra play "On Treasure Island" with vocal by Chick Henderson
The Petite Ascots, tap dancing to "March Winds and April Showers"

T.9315 "VARIETY NUMBER 3" (issued on 9.5 Sept 1938)
The Three Accordion Kings play "East Of The Sun", "I'll Never Say Never Again", "Some Of Those Days"
Joe Loss & his Orchestra play "For You, Madonna" with vocal by Chick Henderson
The Petite Ascots, tap dancers, imitate a train

Chick Henderson (popular 1930's vocalist with Joe Loss - killed at sea during the second World War)

T.9317 "VARIETY NUMBER 5" (issued on 9.5 Sept 1938)
The Four Aces sing "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane"
Harriet Hutchins sings "Dennis, The Menace From Venice"
Anita, Charles & Jack - Apache Dancers - dance to "Apache" by Offenbach
Joe Loss & his Orchestra play "My Shadow Is Where My Sweetheart Used To Be" vocal: Chick Henderson

T.9318 "VARIETY NUMBER 6" (issued on 9.5 Sept 1938)
Eve Becke sings "I Just Couldn't Tell Them What To Do"
Roy Fox & his Band "Hunting The Fox"
The Modernique Quartette play "Tiger Rag"
Bob Lively sings "I Found A New Moon"

T.9319 "VARIETY NUMBER 7" (issued on 9.5 Sept 1938)
Joe Loss & his Orchestra play "My Heart Wouldn't Beat Again" with vocal by Vera Lynn
The Petite Ascots, four young girls tap dancing
The Three Australian Boys sing "For You, Madonna"

T.9320 "VARIETY NUMBER 8" (issued on 9.5 Oct 1938)
The Seven Thunderbolts, acrobats
The Three Radio Rogues impersonate Layton & Johnston with "Sweethearts Forever"
Joe Loss & his Orchestra play "White Heat"

T.9321 "VARIETY NUMBER 9" (issued on 9.5 Oct 1938)
The Four Aces sing "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet"
The Three Australian Boys with Miss Nina Devitt in their version of "Heads Or Tails"
Joe Loss & his Orchestra play "The General's Fast Aleep" with vocal by Vera Lynn

T.9322 "VARIETY NUMBER 10" (issued on 9.5 Oct 1938)
Joe Loss & his Orchestra play "Heads Or Tails"
The Three Accordion Kings with the Overture to "Trieste"
A Skating Diversion
Harriet Hutchins sings "That's What Harlem Means To Me"

T.9323 "VARIETY NUMBER 11" (issued on 9.5 Oct 1938)
Terence McGovern & his Orchestra play "Same Old World"
Freddie Bamberger (piano) and Nevil Bishop (drums) play a rag time tune - same as T9335 "Variety No. 23"

T.9324 "VARIETY NUMBER 12" (issued on 9.5 Nov 1938)
Reggie Bristow & his Band with the Modernique Quartette perform "Yes, Ma'am"
Betty Astell sings "No More You"
Terence McGovern & his Band
The Six Lady Harpists play "Speak To Me Of Love"

T.9325 "VARIETY NUMBER 13" (issued on 9.5 Mar 1939)
Terence McGovern & his Band play "The London Fire Brigade" ; thanks Mike Thomas for spotting the tune!
Betty Astell sings "I've Got The World On A String (Sitting On A Rainbow)" - as T9340 "Varierty No. 28"
The Albert Sandler Trio play "Tell Me Tonight"

T.9326 "VARIETY NUMBER 14" (issued on 9.5 Dec 1938)
The Nile Players, directed by Leslie Bridgewater, perform "Danny Boy" on harps
Betty Astell, accompanied by a pianist, sings "Something Came And Got Me In The Spring"
The Modernique Quartette sing "I Heard"

T.9327 "VARIETY NUMBER 15" (issued on 9.5 Nov 1938)
Terence McGovern & his Band play "Sweet And Hot" and "Crazy People"
Walsh and Barker sing "The Girl I Met Walking Down The Street" and "Ding Ding"
Reggie Bristow & his Band play "When I'm In Love With You" with vocal by The Modernique Quartet
[NB: When first advertised in Pathescope Monthly & 1939 Pathescope Catalogue the contents were incorrect]

T.9328 "VARIETY NUMBER 16" (issued on 9.5 Dec 1938)
Stanelli & Edgar play Rubenstein's "Melody In F" on two grand pianos - with a few humerous interuptions
The Nile Players render on harps "Speak To Me Of Love"
Betty Astell sings "I Raised My Hat"

T.9329 "VARIETY NUMBER 17" (issued on 9.5 Dec 1938)
The Terence McGovern Trio (mandolin, whistle and cornet) play "Tiger Rag"
Freddy Bamberger in a piano medley "Happy-Go-Lucky You (and Broken-Hearted Me)" - playing first with two hands, then one hand with the keyboard covered
Stanelli plays a classical piece "Heijre Kati (Czardas)", on the violin

T.9330 "VARIETY NUMBER 18" (issued on 9.5 Jan 1939)
Albert Sandler, violin, plays "Bacarolle" by Offenbach
Terence McGovern Quartette play "Nobody's Sweetheart"
Phyllis Stanley sings "That's My Home"
Stanelli & Edgar play a classical piece "Schoen Rosemarin" on violins

T.9331 "VARIETY NUMBER 19" (issued on 9.5 Jan 1939)
The Nile Players (seven ladies on harps) play "Lullaby Of The Leaves"
The McGovern Trio (xylophone, piano, violin) play "Mighty Lak A Rose"
Pamela Grey & Pat Green sing and dance "This Is The Rhythm For Me" - as T9337 "Variety Number 25"
Stanelli & Edgar play "Get Out And Get Under The Moon"

T.9334 "VARIETY NUMBER 22" (issued on 9.5 Jan 1939)
Reggie Bristow & his Band play "That's What Life Is Made Of"
David Burnaby sings "The Midshipmaid"
Albert Sandler (violin) with "Hungarian Dance" by Brahms

T.9335 "VARIETY NUMBER 23" (issued on 9.5 Oct 1938)
Reggie Bristow & his Band play "Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia" vocal: The Modernique Quartette
Doris Hare sings "Clarence, That's My Beau"
Freddie Bamberger & Nevil Bishop on piano/drums play "Some Of These Days" - as T9323 "Variety No. 11"
The Six Lady Harpists perform "Pizzicato Polka"

T.9336 "VARIETY NUMBER 24" (issued on 9.5 Oct 1938)
Reggie Bristow & his Band play "Peter Peter"
Nat Mills and Bobbie as King Charles and Nell Gwynn (comedy act)
The Six Lady Harpists play a waltz by Durand

T.9337 "VARIETY NUMBER 25" (issued on 9.5 Nov 1938)
Reggie Bristow & his Band play "Stay Out Of My Dreams"
Phyllis Stanley sings "That's My Home" - same as T9330 "Variety Number 18"
Pamela Grey & Pat Green sing & dance to "This Is The Rhythm For Me" - as T9331 "Variety Number 19"
Teddy Brown (drums) with "Star Spangled Banner"

T.9338 "VARIETY NUMBER 26" (issued on 9.5 Feb 1939)
Reggie Bristow & his Band with Helen Raye singing "One Tiny Tear"
Mario de Pietro (mandolin) plays "Londonderry Air"
Betty Astell sings "What Are Little Girls Made Of"
Terence McGovern & his Band play "Crazy People"

T.9339 "VARIETY NUMBER 27" (issued on 9.5 Feb 1939)
Reggie Bristow & his Band with Helen Raye singing "In The Valley Of The Moon"
Freddie Bamberger (piano) and Nevil Bishop (drums)
Teddy Brown (saxophone) with "Cabin In The Pines"
Betty Astell sings "You've Got Me Crying Again"

T.9340 "VARIETY NUMBER 28" (issued on 9.5 Mar 1939)
Reggie Bristow & his Band play "Hold Me"
Betty Astell sings "I've Got The World On A String (Sitting On A Rainbow)" - as T9325 "Variety Number 13"
Freddie Bamberger (piano) plays "Happy Go Lucky You" and "Paradise"

NOW AVAILABLE ! (Dec 2007) A 100 minute DVD "BRITISH LION MUSICAL SHORTS" which includes a baker's dozen of these fascinating pre-war British Lion variety shorts sourced from original 9.5mm optical sound prints. Artists include the bands of Joe Loss, Roy Fox, Reggie Bristow and Terence McGovern, songs from Vera Lynn, Betty Astell, Bob Lively and Phyllis Stanley plus variety acts from Freddie Bamberger, Stanelli & Edgar, Nat Mills & Bobby plus many others! Send a cheque (payable G.L. Newnham) for £7.95 plus 75p UK postage) to:- G.L. Newnham, 22 Warren Place, Calmore, Southampton, SO40 2SD. e-mail: presto @ pathefilm.freeserve.co.uk (remove spaces for correct e-mail)

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Last updated: 31 December 2007 ........................ 95flmdance.htm ............................... © G.L. Newnham MM