Login
At only twelve-and-a-half minutes in length, Boogie-Woogie Dream packs a wallop that many feature length films only wish that they had. A veritable wall-of-sound as the short is practically all-singing, all-jazz piano talent on display with only slight detours into plot and dialog.
Filmed in 1941 but unreleased until 1944, Boogie-Woogie Dream came out right as Lena Horne became a radiant star and highlights her in only her second on-screen appearance. In this early form she is still a vibrant and glowing presence, and trying to make her appear as a plain Jane waitress seems an effort in futility the moment she smiles. Her glamour fills up the screen at even this early stage, and it's always a pleasure to hear her sing.
But Dream is even more notable for being the only film footage of Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson. The trio play a kitchen staff who daydream about becoming big-time nightclub sensations, only to awaken from the group dream to obtain the opportunity after being overheard singing and playing the piano by a wealthy patron of the club they work at. It's pure fluff, but the amount of talent on display is staggering. The short is in the public domain and can be watched in its entirety here.
