''Syncopation'' is a 1942 American film from RKO directed by

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Hollywood primarily as a director for much of his ...

and starring Adolphe Menjou,

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...

, and

Bonita Granville Bonita Gloria Granville Wrather (February 2, 1923 – October 11, 1988) was an American actress and producer. The daughter of vaudevillians, Granville began her career on the stage at age three. She initially began as a child actress, making h ...

. It is set during the early days of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

. It is also known as ''The Band Played On''.

Plot

In 1906, the Congo Square Building in New Orleans, which was previously used as a slave market, is transformed into an African-American unemployment bureau. Close by there is also an African-American musical college, where little Reggie Tearbone, seven years old, is learning to play Bach on his cornet. He has trouble following the sheet and starts improvising. It begins to sound more like a jazz piece. Reggie's mother Ella works as a housekeeper for architect George Latimer. The Latimers are an old aristocratic family who has started to get financial problems. Because of this, when George's old friend Steve Porter come to visit, he offers the Latimer family, including George's daughter Kit and Ella, to return to Chicago with him. The whole family go to Chicago, but Reggie stays behind, having gotten a permanent spot in King Jeffers' Basin Street Band. Ten years later, Kit turns seventeen, and is left alone by both the Latimers and the Porters, who are out entertaining a client. Ragtime has developed from the regular jazz, and Kit meets the young street musician Johnny Schumacher when she is out walking alone. The two youngsters go to a party at a musical promoter together, and Kit plays the piano in a new style, leading to her arrest. She gets off by playing the boogie-woogie to the jury. Then comes World War I and changes everything, making the King Jeffers' Basin Street Band stop playing and Reggie, now known as "Rex Tearbone" and "King of the Cornet", goes to Chicago to continue his career. Steve's son Paul and Kit are now engaged to be married, but Paul is forced out in the war. He is killed in battle. Soon, Johnny and Kit fall in love with each other and become sweethearts. When the war ends they marry. Johnny gets a job with a big jazz orchestra traveling Round, playing the cornet, but Kit doesn't want to join him on the road. Tired of not getting his place in the spotlight, Johnny soon quits the band and starts looking for true inspiration as a hobo. After a while, Johnny is contacted by the music promoter he once attended a party at, and is offered to come to New York. Kit has started working for the promoter, and they reunite in New York. Johnny gets to play in a new band and get a few good gig with the help of his promoter. After a slow start for the new band and its "innovative" sound, the audience realize that its great for dancing. The new sound is named "swing" and it revolutionizes jazz music completely.

Cast

* Adolphe Menjou as George Latimer *

as Johnny chumacher*

as Kit Latimer *

George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts and at the national and internati ...

as Mr. tevePorter *

Robert Benchley Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor. From his beginnings at '' The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, thr ...

as Doakes * Walter Catlett as Spelvin *

Ted North Ted North Jr. (born Edward Ernest Steinel) (November 3, 1916 – November 22, 1975) was an American film actor of the 1940s, sometimes credited as Michael North. The son of tent show operator Ted North, he was born in Topeka, Kansas, and gr ...

as Paul Porter *

Todd Duncan Robert Todd Duncan (February 12, 1903 – February 28, 1998) was an American baritone opera singer and actor. One of the first African-Americans to sing with a major opera company, Duncan is also noted for appearing as Porgy in the premier produ ...

as Rex Tearbone * Connie Boswell as herself (Café singer) * Frank Jenks as Smiley Jackson *

Jessie Grayson Jessie Coles Grayson (also credited as Jessie Grayson and Jessica Grayson) (March 7, 1886 – February 27, 1953) was an American singer and actress, known for '' The Little Foxes'' (1941), ''Cass Timberlane'' (1947) and '' Homecoming'' (1948 ...

as Ella earbone* Mona Barrie as Lillian *Lindy Wade as Paul Porter as a child *Peggy McIntyre as Kit Latimer as a child *

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", " Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffl ...

as Himself *

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

as Himself *

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

as Himself *

Jack Jenney Truman Eliot "Jack" Jenney (May 12, 1910 – December 16, 1945) was an American jazz trombonist. Early life Born in Mason City, Iowa, Jenney first played trumpet, then switched to trombone. His father was a musician and music teacher. Jenney pe ...

as Himself *

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

as Himself *

Alvino Rey Alvin McBurney (July 1, 1908 – February 24, 2004), known by his stage name Alvino Rey, was an American jazz guitarist and bandleader. Career Alvin McBurney was born in Oakland, California, United States, but grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Early i ...

as Himself *

Joe Venuti Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie L ...

as Himself * Emory Parnell as Judge Jack Thompson as Rex Tearbone as a child.

Reception

The film recorded a loss at the box office of $87,000.Richard B. Jewell, '' RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan Is Born'' (

University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by facul ...

, 2012) p 252

References

External links

* * {{William Dieterle 1942 films 1942 comedy films American comedy films American black-and-white films Films about music and musicians Films directed by William Dieterle Films scored by Leith Stevens Films set in Chicago Films set in New Orleans Films set in New York City Films set in the 1910s 1940s English-language films 1940s American films