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Ain't Misbehavin' (1974)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Compilation of extracts from 'blue' movies from 1900 to the 1940s intercut with clips of popular music and dancing, and excerpts from newsreels and shorts, mostly 'topical' features involving women. Includes glimpses of Fats Waller, George Formby, Nat 'King' Cole and other performers.
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Some of Manie's Friends (1959)
Character: N/A
A multitude of entertainment's biggest stars come together to celebrate the life of the late Manie Sacks, recording executive for Columbia Records, and vice president of both NBC and RCA.
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Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark (2014)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Take an in-depth look at the life and talent of the trailblazing musician who conquered racial barriers to leave an indelible mark on the jazz world.
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Make Believe Ballroom (1949)
Character: Self
Liza Lee, fast-talking press agent for Al Jarvis, persuades Jarvis to stage a Musical Mystery Contest, with a $5000 prize to the person who can first name the most musical numbers and their performers. Lots of musicians perform.
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Sarah Vaughan & Other Jazz Divas (2005)
Character: N/A
Here's a perfect chance to compare and contrast a clutch of the greatest jazz divas in the history of the genre. "Sassy" Sarah Vaughan appears along with her fellow pop-jazz queens, sultry Lena Horne, Ella "The First Lady of Song" Fitzgerald, gorgeous Dorothy Dandridge and Billie "Lady Day" Holiday. Rarely has there been more outstanding vocal talent compiled on a single disc.
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The Nat King Cole Musical Story (1955)
Character: Nat King Cole
This short film shows the musical career of Nat "King" Cole, shows the ups and downs of his career, his conquest of illness, how he switched from being the leader of a trio to a solo vocalist, and his growing popularity with the record-buying public. Numbers include: "Sweet Lorraine," "Route 66," "That's My Girl" and "Pretend."
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Shy Guy (1946)
Character: Self
A "Soundie" short subject featuring Nat King Cole and the King Cole Trio performing the song "Shy Guy"
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Rhythm and Blues Revue (1955)
Character: Self
Rhythm and Blues Revue is a plotless variety show, one of several compiled for theatrical exhibition from the made-for-television short films produced by Snader and Studio Telescriptions, with newly-filmed host segments by Willie Bryant. Originally 86 minutes, the "short" version available on public domain collections and websites is missing a reel
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It's Black Entertainment (2002)
Character: Self (archive footage)
A star-studded tribute (from the creators of That's Entertainment) to the contributions of Afro-Americans in film over the last century. Vanessa Williams traces the struggles and triumphs of the superstars of music and film. Among the many artists featured are: Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Cab Calloway, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Little Richard, Also included are today's contemporary superstars: Snoop Dogg, Ice T, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Russell Simmons, and many, more! 80 minutes plus DVD bonus features.
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The Unforgettable Nat King Cole (1989)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Enjoy the smooth voice and cool rhythms of legendary American recording artist Nat "King" Cole with this music set, which includes popular hits like "Mona Lisa," "Save the Bones for Henry Jones," "Shine On Harvest Moon," "Sweet Lorraine" and more. The first African-American to host a television variety show, Cole sold millions of records throughout the course of his career and continues to possess enduring popularity worldwide.
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The World of Nat King Cole (2004)
Character: Self
Combining rare original archive footage, home movies and authored by 40 intimate interviews with friends and celebrity fans this feature length film charts Nat "King" Cole's battle with racist 50’s America to become a superstar. An intimate portrait, it’s filled with music and accompanied the release of the album of the same name.
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JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala (2017)
Character: Self
Documentary about the star-studded pre-inaugural gala that took place on January 19, 1961 to celebrate John F. Kennedy's election.
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Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer (2006)
Character: Self (archive footage)
"Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer" is a feature-length documentary. In this entertaining look at the legendary singer's life, hosted by two-time Grammy award singer Lou Rawls, Frankie tells his own story. Classic archive footage of the great performances of the past has been painstakingly collected, and new interview material shot with distinguished guests such as Clint Eastwood,Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, Dick Clark, Ringo Starr, Patti Page, Pat Boone, Maria Cole, Mitch Miller, Michel Legrand, John Williams, Kay Starr, Jack Jones, Herb Jeffries, Peter Marshall, Howard Keel, Terry Moore, Lucy Marlow, Sammy Nestico, and A.C. Lyles. From Dick Clark's American Bandstand to The Bob Hope Show, from Rawhide to Blazing Saddles, from the Ed Sullivan Show to Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, audiences will journey through the life of one of the most popular male vocalists of all time.
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I Can't Give You Anything But Love: The Jimmy McHugh Story (2024)
Character: Self (archive footage)
An aspiring singer is tasked with promoting the music catalogue of his great-grandfather, the famous songwriter Jimmy McHugh, recorded by everyone from Sinatra to Lady Gaga. While licensing these songs for movies, commercials, TV and Broadway shows, the singer journeys through the magic of his great-grandfather's stellar career.
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My Music: A Classic Christmas (2019)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Gavin MacLeod and Marion Ross host a Christmas celebration that features classic performances of popular holiday standards and traditional carols performed, throughout decades past, by an array of artists, including Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, Brenda Lee, Eddy Arnold, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Mitch Miller and the Gang, Gene Autry, Jimmy Boyd, the Supremes, Rosemary Clooney, the Lennon Sisters, Burl Ives, Mahalia Jackson, Mitzi Gaynor, Julie Andrews, the Beach Boys, the Carpenters, Jose Feliciano, the Drifters, Ronnie Spector, the Harry Simeone Chorale, and David Bowie.
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The Harlem Renaissance (2004)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Chronicling the Harlem Renaissance era, this retrospective documentary tracks the origins of the soulful music of the period, along with the challenges many of the genre's artists faced when trying to gain recognition within conventional society. Included are anecdotes from musicians and historians, plus footage of performances and interviews with Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more.
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St. Louis Blues (1958)
Character: W.C. Handy
Will Handy grows up in Memphis with his preacher father and his Aunt Hagar. His father intends for him to use his musical gifts only in church, but he can't stay away from the music of the streets and workers. After he writes a theme song for a local politician, Gogo, a speakeasy singer, convinces Will to be her accompanist. Will is estranged from his father for many years while he writes and publishes many blues songs. At last the family is reunited when Gogo brings them to New York to see Will's music played by a symphony orchestra.
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Love Songs at the BBC: Volume Two (2023)
Character: Self
A stunning selection of perfect performances of love songs from the BBC's music archives, including the sounds of Nat King Cole, Shania Twain, Billy Joel, Ed Sheeran and many, many more.
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Killer Diller (1948)
Character: Self (as King Cole Trio)
An all-Black comedy and dance revue with stars of stage and screen.
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Rat Pack (2022)
Character: Self (archive footage)
In the 1950s, a small group of artists monopolized the attention of the cameras and the public. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford together form the "rat pack": they sing the most popular hits of the moment, star in the most profitable Hollywood films and are already making a splash on television . This documentary, produced by a recognized specialist in the history of Hollywood, recounts the exceptional destiny of this informal group which flirted with the greats of this world, notably through Sinatra, personal friend of American President Kennedy.
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Istanbul (1957)
Character: Danny Rice
A suspected diamond smuggler returns to Istanbul and finds the lady love he thought was dead...or does he?
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Breakfast in Hollywood (1946)
Character: Self
The goings on of a few members of a radio show's audience is the premise for this feature film derived from the popular ABC radio show of the 1940s. This film features Tom Breneman, the radio show's host, as well as Bonita Granville, Beulah Bondi, Zasu Pitts, Billie Burke and Hedda Hopper. Musical performances are provided by Nat King Cole and the King Cole Trio, along with Spike Jones and his City Slickers.
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China Gate (1957)
Character: Goldie
Near the end of the French phase of the Vietnam War, a group of mercenaries are recruited to travel through enemy territory to the Chinese border.
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Small Town Girl (1953)
Character: Nat King Cole
Rick Belrow Livingston, in love with Broadway star Lisa, is sentenced to 30 days in jail for speeding through a small town. He persuades the judge's daughter Cindy to let him leave for one night, so that he can visit Lisa on her birthday. After that he goes on the town with Cindy and she falls in love with him. But Dr. Schemmer wants his son to become her husband.
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Here Comes Elmer (1943)
Character: King Cole
This musical comedy stars radio star Al Pearce has a double role playing himself and Elmer Blurt, the leader of a small-town band that struggles toward stardom in the big city. Their journey begins when Elmer decides to eject their female singer because she isn't really right. Unfortunately, her angry father is their sponsor and when he finds out, he withdraws all support.
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The Green Book: Guide to Freedom (2019)
Character: Self - Musician (archive footage)
In 1936, Victor H. Green (1892-1960) published The Negro Motorist Green Book, a book that was both a travel guide and a survival manual, to help African-Americans navigate safe those regions of the United States where segregation and Jim Crow laws were disgracefully applied.
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Stars on Parade (1944)
Character: Nat 'King' Cole
In this musical showcase, two aspiring stars attempt to wow a pair of talent scouts with their stellar abilities. Songs include "My Heart Isn't in It" (Jack Lawrence), "It's Love, Love, Love" (Mack David, Joan Whitney, Alex Kramer), "When They Ask about You" (Sammy Stept), "Jumpin' at the Jubilee" (Ben Carter, Mayes Marshall), "Taking Care of You" (Lou Brown, Harry Akst), "Where Am I Without You?" (Don Raye, Gene De Paul), "Two Hearts in the Dark" (Dave Franklin), "Somewhere This Side of Heaven," "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel."
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Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Character: Self - Singer (voice)
One evening, Hammer gives a ride to Christina, an attractive hitchhiker on a lonely country road, who has escaped from the nearby lunatic asylum. Thugs waylay them and force his car to crash. When Hammer returns to semi-consciousness, he hears Christina being tortured until she dies. Hammer, both for vengeance and in hopes that "something big" is behind it all, decides to pursue the case.
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See My Lawyer (1945)
Character: Self
Ole and Chic are comedians employed in a nightclub, but seeking to be released from their contracts to take a better job. But the prissy nightclub owner, B. J. Wagonhorn, refuses to let them go. In reprisal, they start hurling insults at the nightclub patrons… a ploy that soon has them facing multiple lawsuits… to the delight of three struggling attorneys, Charlie Rodman, Bettty Wilson and Arthur Lane.
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The Blue Gardenia (1953)
Character: Nat King Cole
Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.
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Piano Blues (2003)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Director — and piano player — Clint Eastwood explores his life-long passion for piano blues, using a treasure trove of rare historical footage in addition to interviews and performances by such living legends as Pinetop Perkins and Jay McShann, as well as Dave Brubeck and Marcia Ball.
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Cat Ballou (1965)
Character: Shouter - Sunrise Kid
A woman seeking revenge for her murdered father hires a famous gunman, but he's very different from what she expects.
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Night of the Quarter Moon (1959)
Character: Cy Robbin
A POW marries a woman he meets in Mexico. Controversy erupts when people find out that she's one-quarter black.
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The Scarlet Hour (1956)
Character: Nightclub Vocalist (singing 'Never Let Me Go')
An unhappy wife uses her powers of manipulation to draw an infatuated man into an ill-fated jewelry heist.
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An Evening with Nat King Cole (1963)
Character: Self
Broadcast on the BBC in 1961, this performance by legendary vocalist Nat King Cole features many of his greatest hits, including "It's Only a Paper Moon," "Unforgettable," "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer," "Mona Lisa" and "Sweet Lorraine." Missing for more than three decades, this incredibly rare concert program presents 14 classic songs and is one of the few Cole performances filmed in color.
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