Vincent Lopez and His Orchestra (1939)

Betty Hutton's about 18 here and is absolutely mesmerizing as 'America's No. 1 Jitterbug.' I'm pretty sure this one was shot at the Vitaphone Studios in NY (if so, this had to be one of the last ones shot there)--- it's essentially a 10 minute concert featuring a rather incongruent (if well done) cowboy 'whislin'' number framed around Betty's fantastic jitterbug songs. The highlight is the last song, 'Old Man Mose' where Betty proceeds to beat the stuffing out of everyone around her without missing a beat. Anyone watching this can see that this girl had a terrific future on screen. Watch for Vince Lopez seemingly trying to avoid a heart attack by dodging a spin with Betty... and watch for the middle trumpeter's (back row) doo-hickey (a muffler?) that accidentally falls on the stage. This is one short you can watch over and over again and never be bored... stuff like this is the reason TCM exists! As shorts go, this is tops! A 10++++ (Betty, you're terrific!!!!!!)