Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1939)
*** (out of 4)
This short was one of three that Artie Shaw made at Warner during this single year. It's clear that Shaw was very popular back in the day as it was quite rare for any artist to get a second short let alone three in a single year. Thankfully Turner Classic Movies constantly shows all three and each of them are worth sitting through for fans of music who want to check out what was popular back in the day. The orchestra is what we'd consider a "Big Band" today but they're very tight and come together for a pretty powerful sound full of energy and emotion. The majority of the men have to stand in place but you can tell that they feel like jumping and bouncing around as they crank out the numbers. Cole Porter's 'Begin the Beguine' gets a spot here, which appears to have been a favorite for many performers in this era as it has appeared on a couple of these Warner shorts. 'Let's Stop the Clock' is another fast number with Helen Forrest also on hand. 'Pross Tchai' is the final number in the 9-minute short and Tony Pastor does the vocals and impresses to say the least.