Okay...but the real story is what's really interesting.

This is one of the newest of the Vitaphone shorts--known as a "Melody Master". These later musical shorts generally had been more straight forward and had simpler sets and no real story to tie it all together--just a famous band of the day doing their stuff. However, starting during the war years these shorts began to have a narrator and purported to give a bit of background on the band leader.

Spade Cooley was a country western band leader who looked a bit like Roy Rogers--which is interesting as the two had worked together. There wasn't that much background information on him--but I can fill in with information on his later life (at the end of this review). The set looked like the front of an old general store and the sound and look of this short is very, very similar to one featuring Bob Willis the year before this one. However, it included some very bad stock footage that just didn't fit (it was grainy). All in all, if you love this country western music that sounds like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers music, you'll be happy. I felt it was all pretty ordinary, but as I am not a fan of the music my opinion is less than informed.

Here is a bit more information. Donnell Clyde Cooley's career ended when he was convicted of murdering wife! He apparently beat her to death in front of their daughter! As a result, he spent a decade in prison before he died. Pretty weird.

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This short chronicles the rise in popularity of Spade Cooley and his unique blend of country and swing music.

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Spade Cooley: King of Western Swing

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