Steve D
Perhaps Jazz fans will enjoy. I didn't.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
03/23/24
Full Review
Paul L
Simplistic and a bit corny. Plus did I fall asleep, parts seem missing. Did her fiance die in the war? Is that mentioned? Did Johnny leave the orchestra? When Only he says so later, something about San Francisco. Why would an abandoned wife wait so long. Ridiculous history of jazz. Odd all-star band at end... What became of the black guy?
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
08/08/23
Full Review
philip s
Every year, any number of classic movies is re-issued on DVD and Blu-ray. The re-issues range from modern movies that come from the latter part of the 20th Century (the 1980s and beyond) and those that come from Hollywood's golden era (the 1970s and before). Among that yearly mass of movies, some are sort of memorable. And then there are those that prove to be must have movies for any true movie buff. While 2015 is still very young, already one movie has been released that is more than deserving of the title of a must have for any movie buff. The movie in question is the 1942 classic RKO Pictures movie Syncopation. It was re-issued on Blu-ray and DVD February 10th via Cohen Media Group. Syncopation is a must have not just for any true-blooded movie buff but for any true-blooded lover of music (and more specifically jazz). While it has never been known as one of the major blockbusters of Hollywood's golden age, it is still a wonderful work. The main element of this movie that makes it a must have for any true-blooded movie buff and lover of music is its story. Writers Philip Yordan, and Frank Cavett have crafted a tale from Valentine Davies' original story that bucks the general trend of most romantic movies. Rather than putting the script's romantic plot line at the center of the story, they instead make the movie's music the center of the story. It is the central element off of which the story's romantic subplot works for its own development. And just as the story's essentially inverted story makes the movie enjoyable, so do the transitions used throughout the story. Audiences are presented with solid scene transitions throughout the movie's nearly ninety-minute run time that make the movie's central story easy to follow. The end result is a story that will not only entertain viewers but is also easy to follow. In turn, it will keep viewers engaged from beginning to end and is sure to, again, show why this movie is a must have for any true-blooded movie buff and lover of music. The largely original story and its easily followed transitions are both key elements of what makes Syncopation a must have for any true-blooded movie buff and lover of music. If they are not enough reason, collectively speaking, for audiences to pick up this golden age re-issue, the footage and performances included with the movie as bonus material is sure to convince audiences. Cohen Media Group has included as bonus material a number of classic recordings from the likes of Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and others that equals out to roughly nearly an hour and a half in itself. The recordings in question are taken from their original tapes. And being that they have not been re-mastered, they look just as they did nearly a century ago. And that is not a bad thing, either. As a matter of fact, it helps the overall presentation of Syncopation in terms of taking audiences back in time. It is a wonderful feeling brought on by both that bonus footage and the movie together is a realization that Cohen Media Group's new re-issue of Syncopation is indeed a must have for any true-blooded movie buff and music lover and one of this year's best new re-issues.
Syncopation is one of the best new re-issues of 2015 and a must have for any true-blooded movie buff and music lover. This movie was never one of the bigger names from Hollywood's golden era. But it is still a wonderful classic that any movie buff and lover of classic movies and music will love. The main reason for this is the movie's story. Crafted by co-writers Philip Yordan and Frank Cavett, the movie takes a route not very often taken by screenwriters both past and present. Instead of just being another romance movie, Syncopation makes its romance story secondary while putting the evolution of America's greatest music front and center. From the Dixieland and blues sound of New Orleans to the more up-tempo sounds of Chicago's jazz scene and more, audiences get to hear for themselves the roots of the jazz community. Even better for audiences is that jazz legends Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Harry James, and Charlie Barnet all get some screen time along the way. Getting to see and hear these legends perform makes for an excellent introduction to them and their music for those that might not be so familiar with them or their work. It could be a doorway into a whole new world of music for that matter. And for those that are more familiar with them and their music, it is that much more reason to add this movie to their home collections.
The musical elements of Syncopation's story more than make this movie worth the watch by anyone that has any love of classic movies and the rich history of Hollywood's golden era. They are just part of the story's whole, of course. They are the base on which the movie's secondary romance story sits. The romance side of the story follows Kit Latimer (Bonita Granville) from her childhood in New Orleans to her adult life finding love, losing that love because of war, and learning to love again afterward. Director William Dieterlie didn't allow this subplot to overpower the movie's central story honoring what is America's music, instead balancing both elements together. The end result is a story that proves to be unlike so many other romance stories both of its age and Hollywood's current era and in turn one of the perhaps most underrated movies in Hollywood's history. It is one that any true lover of movies and music should add to their collections should they not already own it.
The dual-lined story that serves as the body of Syncopation makes for plenty of reason for any movie buff and music lover to add it to their personal movie libraries. They are but a tiny portion of what makes it worth the purchase, too. Throughout the course of the movie's story, director William Dieterlie and those behind the cameras make following the story especially easy thanks to the story's scene transitions. The scene transitions are smooth dissolves. There is no jumping from point to point. Audiences will see this as Kit leaves her childhood behind in New Orleans for her new home. They will see it just as clearly when America is pulled into Work War I and the man she loves goes off to fight for her country, and after the death of her childhood nanny Ella. The examples could go on and on. But it should be clear just how Dieterlie used this effect to help advance the story. And because he used them when and where he did, it went a long way toward keeping audiences engaged from beginning to end thus making for even more reason for true-blooded movie lovers and music lovers to pick up this movie's much deserved re-issue.
The writing that went into Syncopation is key to its success and enjoyment. Yordan and Cavett are to be commended for the way in which they balanced the movie's two separate plot lines. Dieterlie's handling of the transitions (and that of those charged with assembling the final product) is just as important to the whole of Syncopation. Both parts are integral to the enjoyment of the story in whole. On another branch, the presentation that is Syncopation's re-issue is made all the more enjoyable thanks to the recordings that make up the movie's bonus features. Cohen Media Group has included a total of nine classic recordings featuring some of the greatest names in jazz. The names in question include: Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and a handful of others. The recordings are presented exactly as they were in their original presentations nearly a century ago. They look and sound surprisingly good considering the fact that well over eighty years have passed since they were originally recorded. Their collective run time comes to almost an hour and a half if not more than that, with the shortest (Jazz A La Cuba w/ Don Aspiazu) coming in at five minutes and nineteen seconds. The longest (St Louis Blues w/ Bessie Smith) comes in at fifteen minutes and forty-one seconds. The recordings aren't just audio tracks, either. They are actual audio/visual recordings that tell stories alongside the songs. And they will definitely keep audiences engaged even by themselves. Lena Horne even makes an appearance in one recording, singing 'Stormy Weather.' She is presented singing her song inside a house, rain falling on the window. The pain in her voice as she sings against that backdrop makes the classic gives the song so much emotional punch. The other bonus recordings offer their own entertainment, too. And audiences will see that for themselves when they pick up Syncopation for themselves whether on DVD or Blu-ray. It is yet another reason that Syncopation's new re-issue is a must-have for any true-blooded movie buff and music lover. What's more it is that much more way in which it proves itself one of this year's best new re-issues. Together with the work of the movie's writing team and the work of those behind the cameras, it proves that without even the slightest shadow of a doubt.
Syncopation proves in its brand new DVD and Blu-ray re-issue that it is one of the best new re-issues of 2015. It proves to be a piece that any true-blooded movie buff and music lover should have in their own home libraries. It proves this through the solid work of co-writers Philip Yordan and Frank Cavett. It proves this just as much through the story's scene transitions. they make both of the movie's story elements entertaining and interesting for audiences. The bonus classic recordings that were unearthed for this re-issue make its presentation whole. That is thanks to the surprisingly impressive quality of their audio and video. The combination of all of these elements makes crystal clear why Syncopation is such a welcome re-issue. Their combination shows without a doubt why it is one of this year's best new re-issues and a work that every true-blooded movie buff and music lover should have in his or her home movie collection. It is available now in stores and online. Audiences can check out a trailer from the movie and check out the movie's image gallery online at https://cohenmedia.net/films/syncopation. A link to Amazon and iTunes is also available at this website for those looking to order or download the movie online. More information on this and other titles from Cohen Media Group is available online at:
Website: https://www.cohenmedia.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CohenMediaGroup
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Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This is an odd little film and definitely part of the WWII propaganda (though disguised a little through WWI). There are some kind of cheesy montages and a little bit of overacting in places but the music (of which there is a lot!) is pretty spectacular, especially if you've only heard but never seen Gene Krupa on the drums. Some spectacular dance scenes as well, one of which involves a knife fight. I must say, though, the structure of the film seemed to suggest how jazz was born out of slavery and oppression but ultimately will carry on through white people.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
great movie good musoic
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
Full Review
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