Mystery in Swing
{{Infobox film
| name = Mystery in Swing
| image = File:Mystery in Swing poster.png
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name =
| director = Arthur Dreifuss
| producer = Rudolph Brent{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}, Arthur Dreifuss
| writer =
| screenplay = Arthur Hoerl
| story =
| based_on =
| starring = Monte Hawley
Marguerite Whitten
Tommie Moore
Edward Thompson
Buck Woods
Jess Lee Brooks
Josephine Edwards (actor)
Sybil Lewis (actor)
Robert Webb (actor)
Alfred Grant
Thomas Southern
Halley Harding
| narrator =
| music =
| cinematography =
| editing = Robert Crandall
| studio = Aetna Film Corp.
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|1940}}
| runtime =
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Mystery in Swing is an American murder mystery film released in 1940.{{Cite web|title=Mystery In Swing, poster, US poster art, 1940.|url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/mystery-in-swing-poster-us-poster-art-1940-news-photo/1137148317|website=Getty Images}} It was directed by Arthur Dreifuss, based on a script by Arthur Hoerl.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/319747/mystery-in-swing|title=Mystery in Swing (1940) - Overview - TCM.com|website=Turner Classic Movies}}Dreifuss, Arthur, director. Mystery in Swing. International Road Shows, Inc., 1940.{{Cite web|title=MYSTERY IN SWING|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200017942/|website=Library of Congress}} (The University of California at Berkeley erroneously states it was directed by Arthur Hoerl.){{Cite web|title=Mystery in Swing (1940) | UC Berkeley Library|url=https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/mrcvault/videographies/mystery-swing-1940|website=www.lib.berkeley.edu}}
Mystery in Swing features music by The Four Toppers and Cee Pee Johnson and his Orchestra and was noted as being the first time a Black orchestra recorded an entire score for a film. It is currently held in the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.{{Cite web|title=Mystery in Swing|url=https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2015.167.16.1ab|website=National Museum of African American History and Culture}}
Plot
An unpopular band leader at a nightclub is murdered, and the of suspects is long.
Cast
- Monte Hawley as Biff Boyd
- Marguerite Whitten as Linda Carroll
- Tommie Moore as Mae Carroll
- Edward Thompson as Captain Hall
- Buck Woods as Buck Bedford
- Jess Lee Brooks as John Carroll
- Josephine Edwards as Maxine Ray
- Sybil Lewis as Cleo Ellis
- Robert Webb (actor) as Prince Ellis
- Alfred Grant as Chet Wallace
- Thomas Southern as Sgt. Phipps
- Halley Harding as Editor Bailey
Music
Songs in the movie include "Jump, the water's fine", "Let's go to a party" performed by The Four Toppers, "You can't fool yourself about love", "Beat my blues away", and "Swinging sweet and lightly" performed by Cee Pee Johnson and his Orchestra.
Reception and legacy
A review in Box Office noted, "The cast, largely comprising night-club entertainers, delivers competently and there are a few welcome and well-done musical interludes.""Reviews Exploitips: Mystery in Swing." Boxoffice. Vol. 36, Iss. 17, (Mar 16, 1940): 31-32. Mystery in Swing has been noted for being the first time a Black orchestra recorded an entire score for a film.{{Cite news|last=Morris|first=Earl J.|date=1940-02-10|title=Race Band Records for Film|pages=21|work=The Pittsburgh Courier|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/62040004/race-band-records-for-film/|access-date=2020-10-28}}
The Pittsburgh Courier ran a story on the film as it was in production.{{Cite web|date=February 3, 1940|title="Mystery in Swing" Arthur Ray, The Pittsburgh Courier, Pittsburgh, PA 3 Feb 1940, Sat, p.19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11621057/mystery-in-swing-arthur-ray-the/|pages=19|via=newspapers.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0032833}}
- {{Internet Archive film|id=MysteryInSwing|name=Mystery in Swing}}
Category:American mystery films
Category:African-American films
Category:American black-and-white films