Look, if you have six minutes and you like those dusty old shorts where people just stand there and sing, you’ll dig this. It’s
very short so it won't kill you if you end up hating it.
People who want a big story or *character development* should probably stay away. This is just a filmed stage act, plain and simple. 🎷
Grace Johnston walks out and immediately starts singing 'That's My Baby.' She has a lot of energy. Maybe even a little too much for the tiny frame she's standing in.
Her eyes are really wide and she does these little jerky hand movements. It feels very much like a *'I am on a movie set and don't know where to look'* vibe.
The Indiana Five are behind her. They look like they’ve been playing in a smoky basement for three days straight without a nap.
There is this one guy on the horns who looks like he’s mentally checking his grocery list while he plays. I found myself watching him more than Grace for a second.
The middle part is just the band doing an instrumental. It’s okay jazz. Nothing that’s going to change your life or make you dance in your seat.
Then Grace comes back for 'Rag Doll.' This song is a bit slower.
She looks a bit more relaxed during this part. Or maybe she was just getting tired of standing under the hot studio lights.
The sound quality is pretty rough, honestly. You can hear that constant hiss of the old film the whole time, which I actually kind of like.
It’s way more grounded than something like
Everywoman. No big metaphors here, just people playing instruments.
I noticed the backdrop looks like it was painted about five minutes before they hit the record button. It’s literally just some curtains and a flat floor.
There’s a moment where the drummer almost looks like he’s going to drop a stick. He doesn't, but I wish he had just to make it more interesting.
I love seeing these tiny, unpolished moments. It makes the whole thing feel *human* and not like some shiny corporate product.
I’ve sat through worse things like
Fangs of Justice. At least this has a decent beat you can tap your foot to.
Is it a 'must see' for everyone? Probably not.
But it’s a cool little window into what people thought was top-tier entertainment a hundred years ago.
I’ll probably forget the songs by tomorrow morning. But for those few minutes, it was *totally fine*.
