Vitaphone Billboard Review: 1920s Vaudeville on Life Support

A Weird Time Capsule

Honestly, don't press play on Vitaphone Billboard unless you are a massive nerd for dead formats and crackly audio. People looking for a actual story will turn this off in thirty seconds, but if you want a bizarre window into what 1920s people thought was peak entertainment, it is a trip. 🎥

It is basically a filmed vaudeville flyer. Back then, they just stuck a camera in front of stage acts because sound was the big new magic trick.

The Acts

First up are the Liazeed Arabs, who do some pretty wild tumbling. They spin around so fast the camera can barely keep up with them.

It actually feels a bit dangerous because the stage looks super slippery. One guy almost loses his turban mid-flip and awkwardly tries to shove it back on while smiling. I love tiny, unpolished details like that.

Then we get Joe Peanuts. I am still not entirely sure what his whole deal was, but he brings this chaotic energy that is hard to look away from.

It honestly reminds me of the frantic, messy movement in Charleston Parade. Just people doing stuff because they can.

How it Sounds

The audio is so scratchy it sounds like someone is frying bacon in the room next door. You can hear the heavy breathing of the performers over the music, which is kind of creepy but also cool.

Obviously, this is a far cry from the sleek, gorgeous musical numbers you find in Top Hat. This is raw, sweaty, and deeply imperfect.

But that is exactly why it is fun. It is only a few minutes long, so you do not have much to lose here.

Give it a watch if you want to see what your great-grandpa's TikTok feed looked like. 🕰️