Film clips from Stage Door Canteen: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A motion picture film strip with scenes from the feature film Stage Door Canteen. It consists of a single reel of positive, black-and-white, 16mm acetate film with bilateral variable-area optical sound. The footage opens with a group of people surrounding a man who speaks into a microphone. The man introduces Benny Goodman and the audience applauds before Goodman begins playing his clarinet. Shortly after, jazz singer Peggy Lee joins Benny Goodman and his orchestra on stage; the group performs the jazz song "Why Don't You Do Right." Immediately after their performance, Benny Goodman and His Orchestra perform another tune, "Bugle Call Rag." Members of the audience dance to this second performance.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1943
• Directed by: Frank Borzage, American, 1893 - 1962
• Subject of: Benny Goodman, American, 1909 - 1986
• Subject of: Peggy Lee, American, 1920 - 2002
• Subject of: Lon McCallister, American, 1923 - 2005
• Subject of: Marjorie Riordan, American, 1921 - 1984
• Owned by: Ernie Smith, American, ca. 1925 - 2004
• Type: sound films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Type: film clips
• Medium: acetate film
• Dimensions: Duration (digital file): 00:05:12
• Dimensions: Physical extent (film): 280 ft
• Place depicted: New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place filmed: New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place filmed: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Musicians
• Object number: 2015.275.21.1a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anonymous Gift in memory of Ernest (Ernie) R. Smith, Jazz Historian
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.