St. Louis Blues: History and Collection Facts

St. Louis Blues: Original format: Film, video. Medium: Film, Video. Genre: Music.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team•Updated September 29, 2026•2 min read•✓ Fact-checked

Editorial graphic for: St. Louis Blues: History and Collection Facts — Editorial graphic by Pop Culture Files · not a photograph

Collection details

Original format: Film, video
Medium: Film, Video
Genre: Music
Language: English
Collection: LC Purchase Collection
Repository: Motion Picture, Broadcasting And Recorded Sound Division
Call number: Mavis identifier: 63365
Catalogue date: 1929
Catalogue subjects: Music
Named contributors: Mordecai, Jimmy; Handy, W.C. (William Christopher), 1873-1958; Sack Amusement Enterprises; Murphy, Dudley; Smith, Bessie, 1894-1937; Blackhawk Films; Johnson, James P. (James Price), 1894-1955

Catalogue notes

Summary: Legendary blues singer Bessie Smith finds her gambler lover Jimmy messin' with a pretty, younger woman; he leaves and she sings the blues, with chorus and dancers.

Sources and reuse

This guide reorganizes bibliographic facts and catalogue descriptions from the Library of Congress Free to Use and Reuse data package, a published snapshot documented in 2024. The original item record identifies the source material. Audio, films, scores and full-text works are linked through the original record rather than reproduced here.