FILM FAN MONTHLY April 1973 Fats Waller SOUNDIES B695

“Soundies” were the granddaddies of music videos: single-song musical movies that played in special jukeboxes during the 1940s. Some of the biggest musical stars (and stars of the future) appeared in these films: Louis Armstrong, Spike Jones, Liberace, Fats Waller, Stan Kenton, Cab Calloway, and many others. Thanks to Soundies, hundreds of unique musical performances were photographed for posterity. These mini-musicals were originally nothing more than a ten-cent novelty. Today, to film and music fans, they’re a priceless part of history. Scott MacGillivray and Ted Okuda, authors of the landmark resource book The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America, now offer this revised and expanded guide to the Soundies musicals. This all-new book picks up where the original left off: more than 1800 titles are classified by performer, title, and date—many with new, individual annotations and all with new cross-references for easy reading and consultation. There is also a historical account of the prolific Soundies production companies, a look at Soundies’ many competitors and descendants (including telescriptions and Scopitones), a checklist of the dozens of Soundies home-movie editions, and a listing of alternate titles to help collectors identify the films more easily. All in one handy volume: The Soundies Book.

This book contains descriptions and excerpts of radio and television broadcasts featuring Fats Waller from 1923 to 1943 (the year he died), as well as later tributes and accounts of broadcasts. The listing incorporates dates of the broadcasts and songs played. Also included is a perhaps unparalleled, very extensive discography of all known recordings--about 150 pages--compiled from the author's record collection and other sources; it is annotated and lists record label information, musicians, and format. The indexes are divided between people and places, and tune titles. Taylor is a retired engineer and a Fats Waller enthusiast. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)