syncopation

November 15 movie: Syncopation. This is a bizarre movie about the origins of jazz. According to this movie it was Jackie Cooper and Bonita Granville who brought hot jazz to Chicago. The movie hints at black musicians, and there's a character who's supposed to be King Oliver, but according to the movie his influence on hot jazz was to teach it to Granville as a child and then disappear. She's the first lady jazz piano player, Hollywood's version of Lil Hardin I guess. Except for the part about marrying Louis Armstrong (who does not appear in this movie, neither fictionalized nor as himself. For shame!).

This movie is still worth watching to anyone who's interested in jazz, due to brief appearances by a bunch of (white) stars like Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Connee Boswell, Harry James, Gene Krupa, and Alvino Rey. Also because it's so hilarious how they mangle the history. There's a fictionalized version of Paul Whiteman which is particularly funny. They describe his music as "taking jazz and covering it with marshmallows" which is, well, exactly how I'd describe Paul Whiteman. And in truth, Granville and Cooper turn in good performances. I read that they were dating in real life at the time, and it shows. They sparkle together.

(Georg just commented that in the later scenes they made Jackie Cooper up to look like Bunny Berigan, little moustache and everything. And in fact, Berigan did the trumpet playing for Cooper's character, so maybe that was intentional.)

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

Bonita Granville