British-born Victor Saville—a contemporary of Alfred Hitchcock at Gaumont—directed this early “soundie” which features an American cast. Actress Estelle Brody croons “Mean to Me” and “My Suppressed Desire” with alluring panache. Though uncredited, viewers will delight in the “hot” jazz sound of Chicago’s Ben Pollack Band, whose members include a 20-year-old Benny Goodman on clarinet. —Timoleon Wilkins
Director: Victor Saville. Production: British International Pictures. Distribution: Wardour Films. Cast: Estelle Brody, Ray Bauduc, Vic Breidis, Benny Goodman, Jimmy McPartland. 35mm, b/w, 7 min.
Laboratory services by Fotokem, Audio Mechanics, Simon Daniel Sound, DJ Audio. Special thanks to: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia; Ron Hutchinson—The Vitaphone Project.
