Jailhouse Blues
''Jailhouse Blues'' (1929) is a short musical film released by Columbia Pictures. It features Mamie Smith, who was a top star in Black Vaudeville and a recording artist with Okeh Records. By the time ''Jailhouse Blues'' was made her contract with Okeh had ended. Basil Smith directed. The film and its soundtrack have been rediscovered. Synopsis Mamie is missing her man, and finds him in jail. She pleads through her singing for his release. Cast *Mamie Smith *Homer Tutt * Porter Grainger * Billy Mitchell *Andrew Fairchild Related history and preservation status Two songs were prerecorded by Victor Talking Machine Company, Victor Records, "Jailhouse Blues" and "You Can't Do It!" as for the film's soundtrack. The visual element has been held at the Library of Congress for a long time, but no soundtrack disc was known. At one point a disc was located, but was destroyed accidentally in shipping. An intact disc was discovered in Australia in 2009 and, as of this writing (March 2011) ...
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Musical Film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate "production numbers". The musical film was a natural development of the stage musical after the emergence of sound film technology. Typically, the biggest difference between film and stage musicals is the use of lavish background scenery and locations that would be impractical in a theater. Musical films characteristically contain elements reminiscent of theater; performers often treat their song and dance numbers as if a live audience were watching. In a sense, the viewer becomes the diegetic audience, as the performer looks directly into the camera and performs to it. With the advent of sound in the late 1920s, musicals gained popularity with the public and are exemplified by the films of Busby Ber ...
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