Name: Turkey in the Straw
Genre: Short, Musical
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Freddie Fisher

Freddie Fisher and his band perform a funny version of the old tune on instruments including an ocarina and a saxophone Fisher can't get into his mouth.

Soundies were short films, about three minutes in length. The were meant to be played on a machine called a Mills Panoram, a video jukebox that was typically to be found in bars, lounges, and similar venues. You put a dime in and got a performance from the ten on the machine. The movies would be changed weekly, and from 1940 through 1946, Mills and other companies produced more than two thousand soundies.

Although the history of the tune we call "Turkey in the Straw" wanders through some now racist versions in early minstrel shows -- and earlier English ballads like "The Old Rose Tree" -- in its current form, and here, it's an innocuous, silly little number.

The musical genre features stories that combine music, singing, dancing, acting, and often spoken dialogue to tell a story or convey a narrative. Musicals incorporate various elements of drama, music, and choreography to create a cohesive theatrical experience that engages audiences on multiple levels.

Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)

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.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

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Turkey in the Straw

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