The story of legendary jazz drummer, Gene Krupa. Since his youth, all Gene ever wanted to do is play the drums and make music. This is something his parents would not approve of- they want him to be a priest. When Gene's father dies he promises to enter the priesthood. He soon realizes that he doesn't belong there and leaves to join his friend, Eddie's band. Ethel, Eddie's girlfriend, convinces Gene to go to New York and make it big. The 3 of them head to New York. Here Ethel and Gene soon fall in love and Gene makes a name for himself. Gene starts to live in the fast lane, with drugs, alcohol, women and parties. Ethel, unhappy with Gene's lifestyle, leaves him. Gene soon "hits rock bottom" where he has to face reality and choose where to take his life.
코넷을 연주하는 시골 소년, 로링 레드 니콜스는 1920년대에 음악적인 야망과 원칙을 간직하고 뉴욕으로 온다. 그는 윌 파라다이스 밴드에서 연주하는 일을 얻으면서 딕시랜드 재즈 연주자의 꿈을 접는다. 아내 바비를 보컬리스트로 하는 ‘화이브 페니’ 밴드를 결성한 레드는 점점 유명세를 타지만 절정의 순간에 그와 바비와 사이에서 낳은 딸 도로시에게 소아마비라는 불행이 찾아오고, 레드는 음악을 접고 도로시의 건강에 좋은 기후를 찾아 로스앤젤레스로 이주한다. 틴에이저가 된 도로시는 아버지로부터 빠르게 음악을 습득하게 되고 레드는 작은 나이트클럽을 운영하며 과거 지인들의 도움을 받는다.
Young auto mechanic Dan Brady takes $20 from a cash register at work to go on a date with blonde femme fatale Vera Novak. Brady intends to put the money back before it is missed, but the garage's bookkeeper shows up earlier than scheduled. As Brady scrambles to cover evidence of his petty theft, he fast finds himself drawn into an ever worsening "quicksand" of crime.
Len Lye scraped together enough funding and borrowed equipment to produce a two-minute short featuring his self-made monkey, singing and dancing to 'Peanut Vendor', a 1931 jazz hit for Red Nichols. The two foot high monkey had bolted, moveable joints and some 50 interchangeable mouths to convey the singing. To get the movements right, Lye filmed his new wife, Jane, a prize-winning rumba dancer.
This Vitaphone short features Red Nichols and His Five Pennies performing songs, including China Boy, Nobody's Sweetheart, Ida Sweet as Apple Cider, and Who Cares?.
