Groovie Movie (1944) User Reviews

In the groove...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 29 March 2009]

As an example of the jitterbug craze that swept America during the early '40s, GROOVIE MOVIE is about as good a movie short as possible. The various dances are filmed from odd angles (including beneath a glass floor to show all the intricate steps and patterns).

The dancers are nimble youngsters who obviously know how to strut their energetic stuff before the cameras, mugging for the close-ups and having a high time while swinging their partners not only to and fro but up and over.

A great example of the sort of movie short that played with a feature film in the old days. I'm surprised to read that one of the comments here states: "Not really a movie. It may have been produced to appear in a 'soundie' but I'm not sure about that." Obviously, this person never heard of a movie short, the sort that were a featured part of every double feature program in the '30s and '40s.

Swing baby, Swing!

[hellecat · 29 May 2001]

Groovie Movie is not just groovy, it's GREAT! I'd heard about this little gem quite some time ago, but being from the '40s, it's not one you come across that often. For anybody into the swing scene - or if you appreciate dancing of any kind - then this is for you. This is the real deal! Only a short film, Groovie Movie contains some amazing dance scenes. Very smooth, very stylish - yet fun. While ostensibly a dance instruction film, Groovie Movie is so much more. Highly recommended - if you can find it! Now where are my dance shoes... I must go and work on a few of those crazy steps!!

short clip

[enmurocket · 9/10 · 27 January 2007]

This "Movie" is only 9 minutes long, so I don't think it technically is a movie. It may have been produced to be seen in a "soundie" but I'm not sure about that. It pretends to be an instructional dance video, but is really just a humorous video using dance instruction as a set up to the joke. You may learn a thing or two, but the movies main purpose is humor. It contains a lot of dancing now called Lindy Hop, then it was the jitterbug. (jitterbug and Lindy are both forms of swing dancing). These clips contain some incredible dancers doing some great moves. A must see for anyone who swing dances or enjoys swing dancing. It is also very funny, so if you like to laugh this would be a good thing to see.

Jitterbug 101

[Michael_Elliott · 4 April 2009]

Groovie Movie (1944)

*** (out of 4)

Fun Pete Smith short is part documentary and part what you'd expect from Smith. The short talks about the craze going through American known as jitterbug. We see a couple showing off how the dance works at a slow pace and then we see them really going at it. Smith, the narrator, gives a few funny jokes before letting the people go to work showing off the dance. I can't recall seeing a short talking about the jitterbug so on that level this here is pretty neat. The movie does a very good job at showing off the dance and it's also pretty good technically as we get some great camera angles to show off the action including a few sequences filmed on a glass floor so we can look up. Smith's jokes could have probably been left off but fans of music will certainly want to check this out.