Duke Ellington plays his symphonic jazz piece ('A Rhapsody of Negro Life') with his orchestra and Billie Holiday.

Classic short staring Duke Ellington, featuing a brief vocal by a 19-year-old Billie Holiday, and a performance of Ellington's jazz composition along symphonic lines. Ellington plays his symphonic jazz piece, "A Rhapsody of Negro Life," with his orchestra against slice-of-life background scenes.

A film by Fred Waller

USA / 1935 / documentary, 10 min., black & white, 16mm. FAB 6260

starring Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Barney Bigard


Runtime: 9 min 29 s
Sound Mix: Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)
Color: Black and White
Aspect Ratio: 1.37 : 1
Film Length: 250 m (1 reel)
Negative Format: 35 mm
Cinematographic Process: Spherical
Printed Film Format: 16 mm, 35 mm

Production: Paramount Pictures, 1935.

Adolph Zukor... presenter

Director: Fred Waller;
Photography: William Steiner, Jr.

Writers
Milton Hockey... (continuity by) (as Milton Hocky) and
Fred Rath... (continuity by)

Cast (in credits order)
Duke Ellington... Himself
Duke Ellington Orchestra... Themselves
Barney Bigard... Himself - Clarinet (uncredited)
Billie Holiday... Herself - Blues Singer (uncredited)
Joe'Tricky Sam' Nanton... Himself - Trombone (uncredited)
Earl'Snake Hips' Tucker... Jilting lover / specialty dancer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
William O. Steiner... (as William Steiner Jr.)

Production Company
Paramount Pictures

Distributors
Paramount Pictures (1935) (USA) (theatrical)
Kino Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
Kino Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
Bach Films (2009) (France) (DVD)
U.M. & M. TV Corporation (USA) (TV)
Valburn/Ellington Collection of the Library of Congres

Description
motion picture | Short film (under 30 minutes). "The laborers", "A triangle (Dance - Jealousy - Big city blues), "A hymn of sorrow", "Harlem rhythm" by Duke Ellington. (Songs). Duke Ellington and his Orchestra:- Arthur Whetsol, Freddy Jenkins, Cootie Williams, trumpet; Joe Nanton, Lawrence Brown, Juan Tizol, trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney, reeds; Duke Ellington, piano; Fred Guy, guitar; Wellman Braud, acoustic double bass; Sonny Greer, percussion; Billie Holiday, vocal; Bessie Dudley, The Three Rhythm Kings: augmented in some shots with musicians from the Mills Blue Rhythm Band. (Personnel On Camera).
Recorded in late 1934 at Paramount's Eastern Service Studios, Long Island, New York. Motion Picture (Form).

More info:
www.loc.gov/item/jots.200019804/