Mystery in Swing is an American murder mystery film released in 1940.[1] It was directed by Arthur Dreifuss, based on a script by Arthur Hoerl.[2][3][4] (The University of California at Berkeley erroneously states it was directed by Arthur Hoerl.)[5]
| Mystery in Swing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Arthur Dreifuss |
| Screenplay by | Arthur Hoerl |
| Produced by | Rudolph Brent[citation needed], Arthur Dreifuss |
| Starring | Monte Hawley Marguerite Whitten Tommie Moore Edward Thompson Buck Woods Jess Lee Brooks Josephine Edwards (actor) Sybil Lewis (actor) Robert Webb (actor) Alfred Grant Thomas Southern Halley Harding |
| Edited by | Robert Crandall |
Production company | Aetna Film Corp. |
Release date |
|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Mystery in Swing features music by The Four Toppers and Cee Pee Johnson and his Orchestra and was noted as being the first time a Black orchestra recorded an entire score for a film.[6] It is currently held in the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.[7]
Plot edit
An unpopular band leader at a nightclub is murdered, and the of suspects is long.
Cast edit
- Monte Hawley as Biff Boyd
- Marguerite Whitten as Linda Carroll
- Tommie Moore as Mae Carroll
- Edward Thompson as Captain Hall
- Buck Woods as Buck Bedford
- Jess Lee Brooks as John Carroll
- Josephine Edwards as Maxine Ray
- Sybil Lewis as Cleo Ellis
- Robert Webb (actor) as Prince Ellis
- Alfred Grant as Chet Wallace
- Thomas Southern as Sgt. Phipps
- Halley Harding as Editor Bailey[2]
Music edit
Songs in the movie include "Jump, the water's fine", "Let's go to a party" performed by The Four Toppers, "You can't fool yourself about love", "Beat my blues away", and "Swinging sweet and lightly" performed by Cee Pee Johnson and his Orchestra.[4]
Reception and legacy edit
A review in Box Office noted, "The cast, largely comprising night-club entertainers, delivers competently and there are a few welcome and well-done musical interludes."[8] Mystery in Swing has been noted for being the first time a Black orchestra recorded an entire score for a film.[6]
The Pittsburgh Courier ran a story on the film as it was in production.[9]
References edit
- ^ "Mystery In Swing, poster, US poster art, 1940". Getty Images.
- ^ a b "Mystery in Swing (1940) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
- ^ Dreifuss, Arthur, director. Mystery in Swing. International Road Shows, Inc., 1940.
- ^ a b "MYSTERY IN SWING". Library of Congress.
- ^ "Mystery in Swing (1940) | UC Berkeley Library". www.lib.berkeley.edu.
- ^ a b Morris, Earl J. (1940-02-10). "Race Band Records for Film". The Pittsburgh Courier. p. 21. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
- ^ "Mystery in Swing". National Museum of African American History and Culture.
- ^ "Reviews Exploitips: Mystery in Swing." Boxoffice. Vol. 36, Iss. 17, (Mar 16, 1940): 31-32.
- ^ ""Mystery in Swing" Arthur Ray, The Pittsburgh Courier, Pittsburgh, PA 3 Feb 1940, Sat, p.19". February 3, 1940. p. 19 – via newspapers.com.
External links edit
- Mystery in Swing at IMDb
- Mystery in Swing is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
