Arthur White's Lindy Hoppers and Jitterbugs

"Hot Chocolate" is a short film that is a 'Soundie'...an early sort of music video that was played on specially built jukeboxes from 1940-1947. These jukeboxers were unusual because they not only played music but video...like music videos of the modern era. And, if you are curious about this an other soundies, you might want to buy yourself a copy of "Soundies the Ultimate Collection"...a 4 disc set of about 200 of these films.

In this Soundie, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra play for a group called "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers". The Lindy Hop, by the way, was a dance much like the Jitterbug...very athletic and loved by the young (adults mostly saw this type of dancing as a sign of the coming apocalypse!). This Soundie is a bit unusual in that Basie credits one of his featured performers by name...folks you likely have never heard of and it might be one of the only times you can see and hear them.

The star of this one clearly are these amazing dancers. I doubt if I ever could have danced this well and this athletically and they are pretty amazing to watch....so much so that you barely notice the music!

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.

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

Duke Ellington leads his orchestra as the Lindy Hoppers (aka The Harlem Congaroos) dance in this soundie (a short musical filmclip).

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life

Hot Chocolate

Photos

Top Cast26

User reviews2

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed