Jungle Jig

Ceepee Johnson and his band play the title song, while the underdressed Dorothy Dandridge sings and dances in this lively soundie.

Miss Dandridge was nineteen when this came out, but already a six-year veteran of the movies. The soundies didn't pay much, but they certainly offered exposure in a wide variety of venues. The machine to play them, the Mills Panaram could be found in bars, restaurants, and other places where you might find a jukebox. Miss Dandridge would appear in five of them, while she was also appearing as part of a sister act, and small parts in major films.

It was not a unique career arc. Other performers, like Doris Day and Nat 'King' Cole got early exposure in the soundies. Usually, though, wearing more clothes.