Kay Star and Jimmy Dodd complain about the racket coming from the ceiling in this lively wartime soundie.

Soundies were a type of short subject that can be considered ancestral to the sort of music videos that play on MTV. They were meant to be played on a device called a Mills Panoram, which was a sort of video jukebox that might be found in bars in the early 1940s. You put in a dime, and got one of ten songs with performers syncing along to the recording. Mills produced an estimated ten a week for more than seven years, and there were several competitors. Major musical talent got their start performing for the system.

Dodd was an actor, singer, and even composer, who wrote the Mickey Mouse March. He died in 1964, age 54.

The music genre features stories showcasing musical performances, music-related documentaries and recordings of live concerts and music festivals.

Prince and Apollonia Kotero in Purple Rain (1984)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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War-time Soundie with Kay Starr and Jimmie Dodd singing the title song.

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Jimmie Dodd and Kay Starr in Stop That Dancin' Up There (1944)

Jimmie Dodd in Stop That Dancin' Up There (1944)

Kay Starr in Stop That Dancin' Up There (1944)

Stop That Dancin' Up There

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