Documentary

The Savoy King – Feature Documentary in Post-Production

17.10.2010 by Chris

Facebook might be overwhelming but sometimes I discover interesting things like these rough cut clips from an upcoming feature documentary “THE SAVOY KING: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America” which seems to be in post-production now.

THE SAVOY KING, produced/directed/written by Jeff Kaufman, is about the Swing-era drummer-bandleader Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald and Harlem's Savoy Ballroom.

These clips are from the latest cut of the film, finished on October 6, 2010.

Rough Cut Clip: “Ella Fitzgerald Vignette”

Interviews with Norma Miller, Frankie Manning and Van Alexander, among others!

Rough Cut Clip: “Chick Webb Vignette”

Interviews with Norma Miller, Louis Bellson and Joe Wilder, among others!

I love watching documentaries, especially about the Swing era, and I'm looking forward to the release of The Savoy King.

Frankie Manning “The King Of Swing”: Article on FLYP

28.05.2010 by Chris

This is the last post of the Frankie Manning week series.

While doing some research for my Frankie Manning week here on Shuffle Projects, I found another gem on the web: A beautifully designed online-magazine called FLYP.

Read and watch the article about Frankie “The King Of Swing” by Amy Van Vechten, issued on 10th September 2008.

UPDATE: Apperently, the online magazine doesn't exist anymore. Therefore, I deleted the links.

Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging (Documentary)

26.05.2010 by Chris

Happy Birthday Frankie!

Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging, is a half hour documentary produced and directed by Julie Cohen, the producer of the hugely popular shows The Jews of New York and New York Goes to War.

“Frankie Manning was a man who truly LIVED every moment of his life”, said Julie Cohen, director of the documentary. “Having spent the past two months watching hundreds of hours of footage of him dancing from the 1930s to the present, I’ve seen the joy he took in every step.”

The program also features an interview with Ruthie Rheingold, a 92 year old Jewish woman, who along with her partner Harry Rosenberg made up the only white couple to dance in Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, and a reunion between Frankie and Ruthie, caught on film.

Never Stop Swinging

“Never Stop Swinging” features the last major interview of Frankie Manning before his death, as well as precious archival footage of his dancing from the 1930s to 2009 in New York, Hollywood, Sweden, France, Italy and Singapore.

Footage highlights include scenes of Frankie Manning’s birthday parties, where he danced with one woman for each year he’d been alive, the legendary dance scene choreographed and headlined by Frankie Manning for the movie “Hellzapoppin'” and the phenomenal duet with his 76-year-old son, Chazz Young, himself a professional dancer. Frankie was a born storyteller, with a huge smile and an even bigger laugh.

The documentary was premiering on Thursday, 21st May 2009, on Thirteen.

What do you think about this documentary? Please leave a comment!