[Dixielandjazz] Beating a Dead Horse: More Soundtrack Discrepancies in the Nichols Vitaphone Short?

[Hal Vickery]

I've been playing that Vitaphone short repeatedly just to find out if the
soundtrack was dubbed, and I've come to the conclusion that it was.  Check
out Pee Wee Russell's clarinet solo during Ida.  I hear both a trombone and
trumpet when you can clearly see Nichols off to the right holding his
trumpet down while he waves his hand around "leading" the band.  Heck, I'm
having trouble hearing Russell during the chorus before that although he's
clearly "playing" visually.  Could be my ears, though.

 

I'm also not sure that I hear Condon's banjo during Who Cares until after
they cut from the group shot to a close-up of Nichols and then cut back to
the group shot, but again, that could be my ears.

 

I've been trying to figure out the mysterious trumpet when Nichols is no
longer playing.  It does not sound to me like a different player.  It sounds
like Nichols playing all the way through.  So my guess is that by whenever
in 1929 this was filmed, Warner Bros. had figured out how to dub a
soundtrack.  The band does a terrific job of synchronizing their playing to
it, far better than what I've seen in many later big band shorts.

 

One thing that helped me was finally figuring out how to go full-screen with
the video.  Oh, and to Fr. Mike, thanks for answering my question about
where the banjo came from.  I had completely missed that on the smaller
screen.

 

Hal Vickery