Mirrors

Creative imagery and great Thirties-style jazz and torch songs! This one-reel 12-minute short is seen on occasion over the classic-film networks. Mirrors are the theme in this high-production-value Vitaphone orchestra feature, reflecting the large musical cast in surreal scenes. The Rich band is quite large, includes strings, and 'Mirrors' has great nonstop instrumental and solo/group music. The 12-minute running time goes quickly indeed.

Heavily invested in bizarre visual effects, this Roy Mack-directed Vitaphone short showcases the superb Fred Rich orchestra of 1934. Jimmy Dorsey and Bunny Berigan are seen (and heard!) in brief solo instrumental cameos, and singer Vera Van -- rather fetchingly, and scantily (un)clad in as little clothing as the production code will allow, sings "I Want To Be Loved" alluringly. Some shots are a little too dark, as though special lighting was devised for an expressionistic effect that the camera didn't quite pick up, and some full band cutaways -- which pull forward and back -- don't read well due to the composition of the shot, at least on television. But overall, it's an outstanding effort, with plenty of great music and good stick technique from Fred Rich.

Mirrors (1934)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Nice Warner short once again showcases a popular musician back in the day. This time we get to see Freddie Rich and His Orchestra as they do some popular songs including "China Boy", "I Wanna Be Loved", "Mardi Gras" and "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans". As was the norm for these Musicals, the production values are quite low as we're usually just left in a small space where the music does all the talking but this is perfectly acceptable as long as the music is good. What we get here is pretty good, although I wouldn't list it as my favorite from these type of shorts. I think the highlight of the film has to belong to Vera Van singing "I Wanna Be Loved". She also does "Chlo-e (Song of the Swamp)" and handles it well. Rich and his group are pretty good as well but I wouldn't put them among the best these Warner shorts have to offer.

My great aunt is in this short, she is Vera Van, which was her show name. Her birth name is Vera Webster, and when I knew her she was Vera Ward, married to George Ward whom she met as a younger. I only knew her as 'aunt Vera' and she always brought pies to family gatherings. As an older woman she lived alone and was VERY physically active. As kids we always thought it was strange that 'Aunt Vera' had a band-aid on her neck. We were told that she had a growth/lump there and that she, sadly, belonged to that Christian Science cult and didn't go to doctors, hence the band aid. But you know, she lived to be quite old, as our family tends to do, so ............ Both Vera and her husband, Geogre, were both great friends of Ronald Regan, and my grandfather, Dick Webster (Vera's brother) had that photo of Ronald Regan, my great aunt Vera and my great uncle George hanging in his music room/TV room for many years. When my grandparents died (my grandfather first), I don't know what ever happened to that 8 x 10 photo. But isn't this short just so much fun?

"Mirrors" begins with one of the peppiest and most enjoyable swing tunes- -during which time you see several featured soloists in the band...including Jimmy Dorsey (a future band leader himself and brother of Tommy Dorsey) on the clarinet. This is followed by a couple songs with soloists such as Vera Van and the Eton Boys. During these songs, the band disappears and you see the singers in some music video sort of affair. The one with Van was odd as it showed her in her undergarments putting on an evening gown and accessories with the help of two maids. A more bouncy tune ("Old Grass Shack in Hawaii") is sung by the Eton Boys and Van just stands there amidst them. The scene switches and suddenly Van is dancing a hula sort of dance and the Eton Boys have also magically changed costumes. Then they sing "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans". I lost track of all the songs, they crammed so many into the film!! To me, the opening number ("China Boy") was the best...though it's all quite pleasant.