The E-Discographer #1 May, 2000
updated June 7
FOX MOVIETONE RECORDS
Information provided by Vince Giordano
Victor was very strong on quality control and this included
labels. There is a large file of labels affixed to blue index cards in the BMG
archives and that is the source of the information which follows.
Click here to view a photocopy of a card with a corrected label.
Original Bluebird release information is taken
from Brian Rust's Victor Master Book Vol. 2.
Unfortunately the file is not complete so missing items appear in this color.
Please inform us if you have F-102 or F-108.
F-101
A) I'll Build a Nest (from the Fox picture "It's Great To Be Alive") (Kernell)
[from Bluebird B-5087-B mx. BS 76154-1 rec. May 18,
1933]
Bert Lown and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Ted Holt
B) My Heart's Desire (from the Fox picture "Adorable") (Marion-Whiting)
[from Bluebird B-5087-A mx. BS 76155-1 rec. May 18,
1933]
Bert Lown and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Ted Holt
F-102
A) Three Wishes (from the Fox picture "Good Companions") (Furber-Posford)
[from Bluebird B-5138-B mx. BS 76479-1 rec. June 20, 1933]
Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees vocal refrain by Rudy Vallee
B) unknown?? possibly: "Free" (Dana Suesse - Ed Heyman)
[from Bluebird B-5138-A mx. BS 76481-1 rec. June 20, 1933 ]
Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees vocal refrain by Rudy Vallee
F-103
A) Gather Lip Rouge While You May (from the Fox picture "My Weakness") (De
Sliva-Robin-Whiting)
[from Bluebird B-5146-A mx. BS 77677-1 rec. Sept. 15,
1933]
Bill Scotti and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Harold Van Emburgh
B) Be Careful (from the Fox picture "My Weakness") (De Sliva-Robin-Whiting)
[from Bluebird B-5146-B mx. BS 77678-1 rec. Sept. 15,
1933]
Bill Scotti and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Tom Law
F-104
A) Why Am I Happy (from the Fox picture "My Lips Betray") (Kernell)
[from Bluebird B-5239-A mx. BS 77080-1 rec. Chicago Oct.
25, 1933]
Ted Weems and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Weston Vaughn
B) How Do I Look (from the Fox picture "My Weakness") (De Sliva-Robin-Whiting)
[from Bluebird B-5239-A mx. BS 78608-1 rec. Nov. 3, 1933]
Barney Rapp and his New Englanders vocal refrain by male trio
F-105
A) You're My Thrill (from the Fox picture "Jimmy and Sally") (Clare-Gorney)
[from Bluebird B-5277-A as Mike Doty and his Orch. vocal
refrain by Ward Silloway mx. BS 78527-1 rec. Nov. 9, 1933]
Joe Haymes and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Ward Silloway
B) It's the Irish in Me (from the Fox picture "Jimmy and Sally") (Clare-Gorney)
[from Bluebird B-5277-B as Mike Doty and his Orch. vocal
refrain by mx. BS 78528-1 rec. Nov. 9, 1933]
Joe Haymes and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Mike Doty
F-106
A) Eski-O-Lay Li-O Mo (I Wish I Had a Snow Man) (from the Fox picture "I Am
Suzanne") (Brown-Hollander)
[from Bluebird B-5331-A as Eliot Everett and his Orchestra
vocal refrain by Dick Robertson mx. 81026- rec. Jan 3, 1934]
George Hall and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Dick Robertson
B) St. Moritz Waltz (from the Fox picture "I Am Suzanne") (Brown-Hollander)
[from Bluebird B-5331-B as Eliot Everett and his
Orchestra vocal refrain by Dick Robertson mx. 81025- rec. Jan 3, 1934]
George Hall and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Dick Robertson
note: session heading is Dick Robertson in Brian Rust's
Victor Master Book
F-107
A) Carolina (from the Fox picture "Carolina") (Brown-Garney)
[from Bluebird B-5367-A as Mike Doty and His Orchestra
vocal refrain by Dick Robertson mx. BS 81372-1 rec. Jan 3, 1934]
B) Poppin' the Cork (from the Educational picture "Poppin' the Cork")
(Brown-Garney)
[from Bluebird B-5367-B as Mike Doty and His Orchestra
vocal refrain by Dick Robertson mx. BS 81371-1 rec. Jan 3, 1934]
George Hall and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Dick Robertson
note: session heading is Dick Robertson in Brian Rust's
Victor Master Book
F-108
A) Hold My Hand (from the Fox picture "George White's Scandals")
(Henderson-Yellen-Caesar)
[from Bluebird B-5371-A mx. BS 81397-1 rec. Feb. 15, 1934]
Teddy Black and his Orchestra vocal refrain by Edith Caldwell
B) unknown?? possibly Sweet and Simple (from the Fox
picture ??? ) [from Bluebird B-5371-B mx. BS 81399-1 rec. Feb. 15, 1934]
Teddy Black and his Orchestra
F-109
A) My Dog Loves Your Dog (from the Fox picture "George White's Scandals")
(Henderson-Yellen-Caesar)
[from Bluebird B-5388 as Eliot Everett And His Orchestra
vocal refrain by Dick Robertson mx. BS 81721-1 rec. Feb 19, 1934]
Enoch Light and the Governor Clinton Hotel Orch. with vocal refrain
B) So Nice (from the Fox picture "George White's Scandals")
(Henderson-Yellen-Caesar)
[from Bluebird B-5388 as Eliot Everett And His Orchestra
vocal refrain by Dick Robertson mx. BS 81722-1 rec. Feb 19, 1934]
Enoch Light and the Governor Clinton Hotel Orch. with vocal refrain
F-110
A) You Nasty Man (from the Fox picture "George White's Scandals")
(Henderson-Yellen-Caesar)
[from Bluebird B-5374-A as Totem Lodge Orchestra vocal
refrain by Blanche Bow mx. BS 81724-1 rec. Feb. 19, 1934]
B) Six Women (Me and Henry the Eighth) from the Fox picture "George White's
Scandals" (Henderson-Yellen-Caesar)
[from Bluebird B-5374-B as Totem Lodge Orchestra with
vocal refrain (Dick Robertson) mx. BS 81723-1 rec. Feb. 19, 1934]
Sam Robbins and his Hotel McAlpin Orch. with vocal refrain
note re.: F-109 and 110; session heading is Al Mitchell's
name in Brian Rust's Victor Master Book
Thanks to Rodger Holtin for additional information.
During the late 1920's M-G-M had enjoyed considerable
success with lobby sales of its movie discs, eventhough they were merely
inexpensive Harmony recordings with Metro labels. Fox apparently decided to
borrow the idea and contracted with RCA Victor to manufacture its discs but 1933
was a very bad time for such a venture. The public was simply not that
interested in phonograph records when radio was so trendy and programs were
free. The file cards held by BMG give no indication of how many were pressed but
the number could not have been very large.
Ross Laird provides information on subsequent issues-
It seems that after the Victor pressings the label was produced by A.R.C. and I
have three such issues which use exactly the same label design and catalog
series, as follows:
F-119-A
ALICE FAYE with orchestra accomp. - My future star (from Fox picture "365
Nights in Hollywood") mx. 16065-1
F-119-B
ALICE FAYE with orchestra accomp. - Yes to you (from Fox picture "365 Nights
in Hollywood") mx. 16066-1
F-123-A
CLIFF EDWARDS, novelty vocal - Hunkadola (from Fox picture "Geo. White's 1935
Scandals") LA1010-B
F-123-B
ALICE FAYE, vocal with orchestra - According to the moonlight (from Fox
picture "Geo. White's 1935 Scandals") mx. 16921-1
F-133-A
JOHNNY JOHNSON & HIS ORCHESTRA, vocal chorus by Bob Treaster - Sing baby, sing
(from 20th Century-Fox picture "Sing Baby, Sing") mx. 19521-1
F-133-B JOHNNY JOHNSON & HIS ORCHESTRA, vocal chorus by Barbara Blake - You
turned the tables on me (from 20th Century-Fox picture "Sing Baby, Sing") mx.
19520-1
So it seems that there were at least 23 further issues!!!
The following is an exploratory listing of true rarities,
movie exploitation discs which were not sold to the public. Label information is
mimeographed indicating an extremely short pressing run, perhaps only for use by
first run theaters in major cities and some may have been only for internal use
at the studio. The earlier group is unnumbered and only access to TCF files may
ever determine how many were made. Matrix numbers are from Recordings Inc., an
independent Hollywood recording studio which had been used by Brunswick in the
early 1930's. The early discs are pressed in shellac by Allied Manufacturing,
the former Columbia pressing plant. About 1940 the TCF matrix series was
adopted, possibly Twentieth Century Fox set up its own studio at that time.
Highest number currently reported is TCF 241 (1943) so there are a lot of these
obscurities to be documented. Worse yet, some matrices were cross-coupled in
various combinations. Information sources are listed in brackets: [RDI] = Rigler
Deutsch Index; [GM] = Moonlight Serenade: a Discography of The Glenn Miller
Civilian Band by John Flowers; [BG= Benny Goodman: Record of a Legend by D.
Russell Connor] and special thanks to Dave Weiner [DW] for sharing details from
his extensive research.
(B-5980)
Title: Think Twice
Picture: SALLY, IRENE & MARY
Artist: ALICE FAYE, MARJORIE WEAVER & JOAN DAVIS
(5981)
Title: Think Twice
Picture: SALLY, IRENE & MARY
Artist: PETERS SISTERS [DW]
(6646)
Title: Swing Me an Old Fashioned Song
Picture: LITTLE MISS BROADWAY
Artist: SHIRLEY TEMPLE & VOCAL ENSEMBLE [The Sportsmen][DW]