Harlem Bound
Milton Schwarzwald, 1935, 17 min. Digital
A newly preserved Mentone musical short featuring the Cotton Club chorines in a setting that replicates the historical actuality of white club patrons watching Black performers.
Featuring Buck and Bubbles; lesser known, soprano Avis Andrews: “Harlem’s silver voiced delineator of songs”and MC Norman Astwood who acted in many Black cast dramas of the era.

Film courtesy of Universal Studios and preserved by Ron Hutchinson

Smash Your Baggage
Roy Mack, 1932, 10 min. 16mm
A Vitaphone short subject featuring the Smalls Paradise Entertainers. A group of redcaps in a train station perform musical numbers to raise money for a sick member of their group.

16mm print preserved by The Library of Congress 

Symphony in Black — A Rhapsody of Negro Life
Fred Waller, 1935, 10 min. 16mm
Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday in a musical short. Numbers include: "The Laborers," " A Triangle" (Dance–Jealousy–Big city blues), "A Hymn of sorrow," and "Harlem Rhythm."

16mm print courtesy of The NYPL Performing Arts Library Reserve Film & Video Collection
Digital file courtesy of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division.

Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party
Fred Waller, 1935, 8 min. Digital
Broadcasting from Harlem’s Cotton Club “A musical Description of Darkest Harlem.” And a walk through Harlem nightlife with Cab and his pals.

The Black Network
Roy Mack, 1936, 20 min. Digital
A talent packed Vitaphone Variety broadcasting to Harlem. Will romantic partners and stars of the network, Nina Mae (McKinney) and the Harlem Gondolier (Babe Wallace)  find their dream home in Harlem’s Sugar Hill neighborhood? 

A closing night reception with light refreshments will follow the screening.