Look, if you are the kind of person who likes watching old grainy footage of guys in suits playing massive instruments, you should probably watch this today. If you hate old-timey singing or organs that sound like they are wheezing, you will *definitely* hate this. It is only about seven minutes long so it won't kill you either way. 🎹
I found this while looking for something short to watch before bed. It features Milton Charles. He was a big deal on the organ back then, I guess. He sits at this massive console that looks like it has enough buttons to launch a rocket.
He starts singing 'Crying for the Carolines.' He looks very serious. Like, *very* serious. His hair is parted so perfectly it almost looks painted on.
Then the animation kicks in. It is not like the stuff you see in
Lulu. It is much more basic. It is basically a moving postcard of the south.
There are these little drawings of cabins and trees. They look like they were sketched in a hurry. Sometimes they fade in and out while Milton is still playing.
It is kind of a weird vibe. It is like a karaoke video from 90 years ago. But with more feelings.
I noticed at one point that the organ pipes in the background look a bit dusty. You can see the light hitting them in a weird way. It makes the whole thing feel very real and dusty.
Milton’s voice is that high, warbly tenor that everyone seemed to have in 1930. It’s the kind of voice that makes you feel like you’re sitting in a very drafty theater in a rainstorm.
I liked the part where the animation shows a map. It’s so literal. He sings about the Carolines, so they show you a map of the Carolines. 🗺️
There is this one shot where a face appears in the clouds. It’s supposed to be nostalgic, I think. But it actually looks a bit like a ghost is haunting the song.
It reminded me a bit of the atmosphere in
Sweet Adeline but way more stripped down. Just a guy and his giant machine.
I wonder how many takes they did. He doesn't mess up a single note, which is impressive because those organs look hard to play. His feet are moving all over the pedals.
It’s way more interesting than
The Newlyweds' Christmas Party which is just people standing around. Here, at least there is a giant organ to look at.
I did notice that the sound sync is a little bit off. Just a tiny bit. His mouth moves and then the sound happens a fraction of a second later.
It’s that early sound tech stuff. It gives it a charm, I guess. Or it just makes you feel a bit dizzy.
The song itself is fine. It’s very catchy in a way that you’ll be humming it for ten minutes and then forget it forever.
I think the animation was meant to be the 'big draw.' But honestly, I just liked watching Milton's hands. He has very fast fingers.
It’s not a masterpiece like
Dream Street. It’s just a little bit of fluff that survived from the 30s.
If you’ve got ten minutes and want to see what people thought was 'high tech' entertainment in 1930, give it a go. Just don't expect it to change your life.
Also, the way it ends is so abrupt. He finishes a note and *bam*, black screen.
**Didja notice?**
• The weirdly shiny finish on the organ.
• Milton looks like he’s staring into your soul during the chorus.
• The little animated birds that don’t quite move right.
• There is a weird shadow on the left side of the screen for like three seconds.
• He wears a very stiff looking collar that looks uncomfortable.
• The way the music gets really loud right at the end for no reason. 📢
It's a weird little thing. Not as weird as
Colonel Heeza Liar's Forbidden Fruit, but close.
I’m glad I watched it, but I probably won’t watch it again unless I’m trying to explain what a Vitaphone short is to someone. It's just a guy, his organ, and some shaky drawings. Sometimes that's enough.
