The Outline of Jitterbug History

Stan Kenton's orchestra plays it fast and hot while White's Lindy Hoppes demonstrate some fast shuffling, with lots of costume changes in this fine soundie.

A soundie was a short film, usually topping out at three minutes. It was meant to be played on a machine called a Mills Panaram. You could find them in bars, night clubs, the sort of place you might find a jukebox. The difference was when you dropped in a dime you got a film from a reel of ten that was changed weekly. Mills and other producers turned out out more than two thousand soundies from 1940 through 1946.

Good music, good dancing, and lots of costume changes make this a far more expensive soundie than most, and the money transfers to the screen in a way you can see.