Hop on the Soundies time machine, we are about to head off on our next journey.
It is Monday, January 6, 1941, and over the weekend a reel of film was delivered for the strange coin-operated contraption in the company lunch room. For those beginning their lunch break at the defense plant, the chance to finally see a Panoram in action has arrived. As you arrive for lunch, a little late, the first Soundie shared that day, Sweet Sue, is just ending. (We posted Sweet Sue a while ago, and it can be seen at my website where all of the Soundies presented here are archived: https://www.jazz-on-film.com/sweet-sue-six-hits-and-a-miss-with-the-lorraine-page-orchestra/)
Everyone in the lunchroom is excited, and there is no wait before someone puts in a dime to see the second Soundie offered during this very first week of operation. It ends up being a familiar tune, “Jungle Drums,” by Ernesto Lecuona, presented in a manner reflecting the exotica of the song title.
Featured on screen in Jungle Drums is dancer Carmen D’Antonio. While never a huge name in entertainment – she often appeared as a dancer, or in smaller bit parts – D’Antonio nevertheless made dozens of film appearances, including Another Thin Man, Destry Rides Again, and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. She remained busy throughout the 1950s and ‘60s, making regular television appearances on scores of shows, including The Twilight Zone.
All of the Soundies in this initial program feature backing from a radio orchestra led by Victor Young. But since we have a jungle theme running here, all of the instrumentalists on screen are playing simple wooden flutes and drums. The reference to “Eddie Durant’s arrangement” is probably included just to provide variety to the title frame; all of the songs in the session were arranged by Gilbert Grau and Johnny Richards. The entire cast is more undressed them dressed, and this did not please the censors: This Soundies was not allowed to be screened in Maryland or Pennsylvania.
As was the case with many of the earliest Soundies, pageantry and a well-dressed set is a large part of the production. Ralph Likes International Studio, later the site of the beloved Monogram, welcomed the Soundies production team. The studio had rental stages, and their storeroom of props provided the backdrop and all of the native plants necessary for the short. Jungle Drums was undoubtedly popular with the Panoram audience, if only because of the very unique nature of the medium, and visual/musical interpretation presentation … and let’s not forget a dozen or so half-naked performers.