Bob Wills on WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX, 1955

"Music Country Style" - Host Billy Gray presents Bob Wills and the 1955 incarnation of His Texas Playboys, featuring "younger brother" Billy Jack Wills on local Dallas/Fort Worth TV channel WFAA (16:08).

From Videobeat's compilation of Public Domain Bob Wills footage.

DOWNLOAD (Divx as multi-part rar-file):

PART 1 (95 MB)
PART 2 (95 MB)
PART 3 (7.73 MB)


NOTE: 
You'll need a program 
like WinZip, WinRar or similar
to extract/combine parts.

James Newill croons "Barbecue Bill" in "Renfrew of the Royal Mounted" (1937)

While browsing the listings of public domain movies at archive.org, I came across the following review:

Reviewer: surfvh -

- July 7, 2008
Subject: The best baritone in movies
This is a really fun film with the lead actor being the best baritone in all of the movies I've watched so far. His rendition of "Barbecue Bill" is really great, and worth watching the movie just to hear him sing it! The rest of the movie is good as well, especially the Italian chef who is Renfrew's rival. I highly recommend this film. You gonna love it!

Naturally, I had to download this 1937 film - and was quite pleasantly surprised by the performance singled out by above reviewer - to the point of having to include it in my own archives (and this blog).

So please, grab a soda and some popcorn (or some hamburgers...), make yourself comfortable and enjoy

A LAUGHING...SINGING DAREDEVIL of the WILDS!
The first motion picture of the famous radio and fiction character...with Jimmy Newill, sensational star of radio.

Info from archive.org:
Director: Albert Herman
Producer: Al Herman
Production Company: Grand National Pictures Inc.
Audio/Visual: sound, b&w
Creative Commons license: Public Domain

Cast:
James Newill
.... Sgt. Renfrew
Carol Hughes
.... Virginia Bronson
William Royle
.... George Powlis
Herbert Corthell
.... James Bronson
Kenneth Harlan .... Roger 'Angel' Carroll

Dickie Jones .... Tommy MacDonald
Chief Thundercloud .... Indian guide (as Chief Thunder Cloud)
William Austin .... RCMP Constable Kelly
Donald Reed .... RCMP Constable MacDonald
Lightning the Wonder Dog .... Lightning, Renfrew's Dog

Additional review:

Reviewer: ccandreva - - August 19, 2004
Subject: Very Enjoyable

...While the general image quality of the print is very good, there are a number of drop-outs. The beginning and end seem to have frames missing, as are bits throughout the movie. Including an entire punch line to a joke.

DOWNLOAD 
(ENTIRE MOVIE, 56:09: Divx as multi-part rar-file):

PART 1 (95 MB)
PART 2 (95 MB)
PART 3 (95 MB)
PART 4 (95 MB)
PART 5 (95 MB)
PART 6 (95 MB)
PART 7 (95 MB) 
PART 8 (22 MB)

DOWNLOAD "BARBECUE BILL"
(Divx, 2:00, 24 MB)

Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five, AFRS "Jubilee" Radio Shows (c. 1943-'45)

From Wikipedia:
"The prime of Louis Jordan's recording career, 1942-1950, was a period of segregation on the radio. Despite this he was able to score the crossover #1 single "G.I. Jive"/"Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?" in 1944, thanks in large part to his performance in the Universal film Follow the Boys. Two years later, MGM had its cartoon cat Tom sing "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?" in the 1946 Tom and Jerry cartoon short Solid Serenade.
During this period Jordan again placed more than a dozen songs on the national charts. However, Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five dominated the 1940s R&B charts, or as they were known at the time, the "race" charts. In this period Jordan scored a staggering eighteen #1 singles and fifty-four Top Ten placings. To this day Louis Jordan still ranks as the top black recording artist of all time in terms of the total number of weeks at #1....
Jordan's popularity was boosted not only by his hit Decca sides, but also by his prolific recordings for Armed Forces Radio and the V-Disc transcription program, which helped to make him as popular with whites as with blacks. He also starred in a series of short musical films, as well as making numerous "soundies" for his hit songs. The ancestor of the modern music video, "soundies" were short film clips designed for use in audio-visual jukeboxes. Jordan also had a cameo role in the Hollywood wartime musical Follow the Boys.

TECHNICAL NOTES: 
This is uploaded as a multi-part rar-file - to extract and combine the parts, you'll need a program like WinRar or WinZip.

Once extracted/combined, you'll have a folder with lossless FLAC-files, an ffp-"Flac Fingerprint"-file (to verify the integrity of your files), a txt-file with setlist and notes on the recording and CD artwork (for an 80 min. CD-R).

You can convert the FLAC-files to wav-files (for burning as audio CDs) with software like Trader's Little Helper or other tools for your specific OS.

01. Five Guys Named Moe - 3:07
02. Pistol Packin' Mama - 5:22
03. I Can't Get Started - 5:21
04. Rose Room - 4:52
05. Good Ol' Nagasaki - 3:19
06. "Outro Tune" - 2:29
07. Jumpin' At The Jubilee - 1:58
08. I'm Going To Move To The Outskirts Of Town - 2:54
09. Better Off Without You - 1:35
10. How High Am I? - 2:20
11. Hey! Now Let's Live - 2:25
12. Slender, Tender, and Tall - 2:31
13. (My Feet Are Killing Me Marching In) The Infantry Blues - 2:18
14. Is Ya Is, Or Is Ya Ain't My Baby - 3:18
15. Caldonia Boogie - 2:09
16. Bahama Joe - 2:39
17. Couldn't Happen To Nobody Else But Me - 2:52
18. Caldonia Boogie - 1:25
19. You Was Right Baby - 3:00
20. O'Fay And Oxford Gray - 2:34
21. Reconversion Blues - 2:22
22. Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe - 2:36
23. Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe - 2:21
24. Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't My Baby - 3:02
25. Don't Worry 'bout That Mule - 2:14
26. "Outro Tune 2" - 2:19
27. Choo-Choo, Ch' Boogie - 2:37
28. Let The Good Times Roll - 2:41

These tracks come from multiple broadcasts, specific locations and dates are unknown, but at least some of the tracks were recorded at The Zanzibar Club, New York, NY.

DOWNLOAD:
PART 1 (95 MB)
PART 2 (95 MB)
PART 3 (95 MB)
PART 4 (95 MB)
PART 5 (7.35 MB)

Taper-friendly artists: Mary Gauthier, Ottersum, NL, June 4, 2010 (soundboard/audience matrix)

Moved to my new blog "Taperfriendly Artists" at
http://taperfriendlyartists.blogspot.com/

Carson Robison, "Ford R&G Used Cars" Show, date unknown (c. 1930s-1940s)

And even more oldtime country radio  
- 128 kbps VBR mono mp3 file, 
complete info in ID3 tag:

Carson Robison & His Buckaroos:
01 Careless Love (Opening Theme)
02 Home On The Range
03 Ford "R&G" Used Cars Sales Pitch
04 Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie
05 Down On The Levee
(Down In The Valley)
06 Intro
07 Goin' Back To My Good Old Texas Home
08 Ford "R&G" Used Cars Sales Pitch
09 Golden Slippers
10 Wabash Moon
11 Intro
12 Boots And Saddles
13 Ford "R&G" Used Cars Sales Pitch
14 Whistling Solo (Closing Theme)
(TOTAL TIME: 14:56)

FROM RADIO TRANSCRIPTION DISCS 

(commercially unreleased, 
believed to be PUBLIC DOMAIN), 
location and exact date of recording unknown (c. 1930s-1940s).


NOTE: The 1977 public domain material/"bootleg" album, releasing these transcriptions for the first time, dates them as coming from 1949 (which is probably incorrect, as a listing of surviving transcriptions in The Carson J. Robison Collection should indicate).

DOWNLOAD (13 MB Mono mp3)

Carson Robison, "CR Ranch" Show #2 (date unknown, c. 1935)

More oldtime country radio  
- 128 kbps VBR mono mp3 file, 
complete info in ID3 tag:


CARSON ROBISON 
& His Pioneers
(with John Mitchell, Bill Mitchell, Pearl Mitchell):


01 Wait For The Wagon
02 I Left My Gal In The Mountains
03 There's A Bridle Hanging On The Wall
04 Hear Dem Bells
05 Carry Me Back To The Lone Prairie
06 I Left Her Standing There
(With A Do-Dad In Her Hair)
07 Careless Love
08 Whistling Solo
09 Home On The Range
10 Closing Theme
11 Red Wing
(TOTAL TIME: 21:11)

FROM RADIO TRANSCRIPTION DISCS 
(commercially unreleased, believed to be PUBLIC DOMAIN), 
location and exact date of recording unknown (c. 1935).

DOWNLOAD (22 MB Mono mp3)

Carson Robison, "CR Ranch" Show #1 (date unknown, c. 1935)

More oldtime country radio - 128 kbps VBR mono mp3 file, 
complete info in ID3 tag::

CARSON ROBISON 
& His Pioneers
(with John Mitchell, Bill Mitchell, Pearl Mitchell):
01 Opening Theme
02 The West Ain't What It Used To Be
03 Aura Lee
04 Rovin' Gambler
05 Sittin' By The Fire
06 Cowboy Romeo
07 Birmingham Jail
08 Return Of Barnacle Bill The Sailor
09 Lonesome Road
10 Prune Song
11 Happy Go Lucky Me  
(TOTAL TIME: 23:27)

FROM RADIO TRANSCRIPTION DISCS 
(commercially unreleased, believed to be PUBLIC DOMAIN), 
location and exact date of recording unknown (c. 1935).

DOWNLOAD (22 MB Mono mp3)

Grand Ole Opry, Sep 20, 1941

And yet another one from my own collection
- 128 kbps VBR mono mp3 file, complete info in ID3 tag:

Grand Ole Opry, 
The Opry House - War Memorial Auditorium, 
Nashville, TN, 
September 20, 1941 (29:58).

NBC - Prince Albert Show

01. Intro > Prince Albert Theme
02. Solemn Old Judge Intro
03. Roy Acuff
- Lonesome Valley
04. Zeke Clements
- Walking the Floor Over You
05. Prince Albert Promo
06. Crook Brothers Band
- Soldier's Joy
07. Ford Rush - Old Shep
08. Uncle Mac MacGarr
- Arkansas Traveler
09. Pap and Odie - Camptown Races
10. Prince Albert Promo
11. Roy Acuff - Weary River
12. Crook Brothers - Sally Goodin'
13. Brother Oswald
14. Roy Acuff - Ida Red > Outro

DOWNLOAD (27 MB Mono mp3)

Grand Ole Opry, Dec 28, 1940 (with Bill Monroe)

Another oldtime country radio show from my collection
- 128 kbps VBR mono mp3 file, complete info in ID3 tag:

Grand Ole Opry, 
The Opry House - War Memorial Auditorium, 
Nashville, TN, 
December 28, 1940 (29:37).

NBC - Prince Albert Show

01. Intro - Prince Albert Theme
02. Solemn Old Judge intro

03. Roy Acuff - Old Joe Clark
04. Bill Monroe - Were You There?
05. Prince Albert Promo
06. Paul Warmack 
and The Gully Jumpers
- Paddy on the Turnpike
07. Ford Rush
- When You and I Were Young Maggie
08. Entire Cast - Fisher's Hornpipe
09. Pap and Odie
- The Old Grey Goose
10. Prince Albert Promo
11. Roy Acuff - That Beautiful Picture
12. Ford Rush - Little Whitewashed Chimney
13. Bill Monroe - Katy Hill
14. Brother Oswald - Whoa Mule                
15. Prince Albert Promo
16. Entire Cast - Tennessee Breakdown
17. Outro

DOWNLOAD (27 MB Mono mp3)

Grand Ole Opry, Dec 1939, with unissued Uncle Dave Macon tracks

An oldtime country radio show from my collection
- 128 kbps VBR mono mp3 file, complete info in ID3 tag:

Grand Ole Opry Radio Show 
(prob. incomplete, 15:23)
Sponsor: Prince Albert Smoking Tobacco
MC: George D. Hay 

Radio Station WSM / NBC Network

War Memorial Auditorium, 
Nashville, TN, December 1939.

01. Uncle Dave Macon
- Lonesome Road Blues
02. Roy Acuff - Sally Goodin'
03. Ford Rush
- Swing The Ladies
04. Roy Acuff
- Beautiful Brown Eyes
05. Uncle Dave Macon
- Something's Always Sure To Tickle Me
06. Roy Acuff - Gray Bonnet
07. David Stone - Prince Albert Commercial
08. Roy Acuff - Little Liza Jane

NOTE:
The Uncle Dave Macon tracks from this particular show are NOT included in Bear Family Records' allegedly "complete" Uncle Dave Macon box-set nor in the discography by Ralph Rinzler, Norm Cohen and Tony Russell from that set.

DOWNLOAD (14 MB Mono mp3)

Hollywood and the Stars: The Angry Screen (1964)

Another item from the FedFlix section of archive.org, this episode of the 1960s TV series "Hollywood and the Stars" (Season 1, Episode 20: "The Angry Screen"), according to IMDB, was originally aired Feb 10, 1964.

Info from archive.org:

National Archives and Records Administration
Hollywood and the Stars
National Security Council. Central Intelligence Agency. 

(09/18/1947 - 12/04/1981)
ARC Identifier 651276 / Local Identifier 263.2011. 

This film explores the evolution of the motion picture to its present state as a potent communications medium, with great potential for social protest and propaganda.

Producer: National Archives and Records Administration

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

DOWNLOAD
(Divx as multi-part rar-file)

PART 1 (95 MB)
PART 2 (95 MB)
PART 3 (95 MB)
PART 4 (18 MB) 

NOTE: 
You'll need a program like WinZip, WinRar or similar
to extract/combine parts.

or download other formats (OggVideo, MPG2, etc.) from archive.org.

Race Movies: The Popular Art of the Black Renaissance (1985)

Info from archive.org:

Smithsonian Institution
Anacostia Neighborhood Museum
Race Movies: The Popular Art of the 1920's
AVA16475VNB1, 1985

The program explores the contributions to filmmaking by blacks through the twenties, with a focus on the films and the production companies.


This movie is part of the collection: FedFlix
Producer: Smithsonian Institution
Audio/Visual: sound, color
Keywords: si.edu; public.resource.org

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

DOWNLOAD 

(Divx as multi-part rar-file, VHS-sourced, 19:20):

PART 1 (95 MB)

PART 2 (95 MB)

PART 3 (47 MB)

NOTE: You'll need a program
like WinZip, WinRar or similar
to extract/combine parts.

Dial Comes to Town (undated, prob. 1930s)

Undated film from archive.org/Prelinger Collection, probably from early 1930s
(20:15, Sound/B&W).
Creative Commons license: Public Domain


Reviews at archive.org:

Reviewer: dynayellow - - September 9, 2003
Subject: Gol-darned new-fangled technology
I highly recommend watching this film, if only for the definitive "old people hate new things" performance by the grandfather, who can't understand why we need to replace our old phones.

Strangely, the film presents no reason why the new dial phones are better. In the opening bit, Gramps complains of the poor reception when people are listening in, and I thought we would learn that the new electronically connected phones would solve this. Nothing doing. You'll still have crummy reception if the busybodies don't get off the line.

In the end, even Gramps learns how to use the phone, but what choice did he have? You'll use these new phones and like it, old man!

Weird to see a world where people only had 4 digit phone numbers, and the directory was thinner than a TV Guide.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - September 6, 2003
Subject: "It sounds like THIS you MORON!"
Similar to 'How To Use The Dial Phone' but made for stupider people, this film details a town's acceptance of the newfangled device.
Gramps reads all about the dial phones in the paper. He exclaims something (I think it's a swear word) then phones his friend (who's in dire need of acting lessons) to tell him about it. Dad then tells Gramps they're going to a meeting to have people tell all about it. At the meeting, the two gentlemen talkers are fine, but 'Miss White' wins the award for speaking down to the morons with her speech by repeating everything twice, reminding us like 5 times what the dial 'tone' (read buzz) sounds like and while enthusiastically fondling an oversize dial pad, so you know, those stupid country people would GET IT. Very condescending and strange, this film is recommended!

DOWNLOAD (Divx as multi-part rar-file):

PART 1 (95 MB)

PART 2 (95 MB)

PART 3 (59 MB)

or download other formats from archive.org.

How to Use the Dial Phone (1927)

Info from archive.org:

Training film for users of the new dial telephones.

Producer:  
American Telephone 

and Telegraph Co. (AT&T)
Audio/Visual: Silent, B&W

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

DOWNLOAD 
(87 MB Divx, 7:07)

Celluloid Indians (07): First Americans - Past and Present (1920s)

A fairly recent addition to archive.org/Prelinger Archives, not commented and fully identified yet.

This 10-minute silent film (black and white/sepia) is EXTREMELY Euro-centric and full of racial stereotypes (as provided screenshots should amply illustrate) -- Native Americans, a "primitive people", are seen as "wards" of Uncle Sam, worshipping "strange gods" in "pagan ceremonies", the "Indian maiden" does not subscribe to the latest trends in lingerie fashion nor hairstyle, which allows us to (tentatively) date this item as early 1920s (when the "bob cut" was at the height of its popularity).

DOWNLOAD 
(from archive.org):

Ogg Video (38 MB)
512Kb MPEG4 (38 MB) 
h.264 MPEG4 (207 MB) 

DOWNLOAD (Divx, 95 MB)