King of Jazz
John Murray Anderson, Paul Fejos · 1930
King of Jazz (1930) is a studio-made musical revue starring Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, filmed in early two-colour Technicolor. With no plot, it strings together musical numbers, blackout sketches, and novelty acts—including the first Technicolor animated segment, featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Though technically ambitious and historically significant (selected for the US National Film Registry in 2013), its static camerawork, dated humour, and promotional framing make it a demanding watch. Its value lies in preservation: as a record of early sound-film craft, Whiteman’s curated jazz, and the industrial logic of Hollywood’s transition to colour.