Why Did I Fall for Abner?

1942 Soundies musical short starring The King's Men

Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra perform "Au Reet"

Doris Day sings "Is It Love or Is It Conscription?" with Les Brown and His Orchestra

Stan Kenton and his Orchestra perform "This Love of Mine" with Cyd Charisse and other dancers

Les Brown and His Orchestra perform "My Lost Horizon" with Doris Day

Lew Hearn and Phyllis Kenny perform "Deep in the Heart of Texas"

Sylvia Froos features in this Vitaphone short from 1941.

Anna Case sings a song while the Cansino family dances in the background.

Cab Calloway performing his famous hit "Minnie the Moocher".

Anita O'Day with Gene Krupa and His Orchestra perform "Let Me Off Uptown".

The Charioteers perform "Swing for Sale"

In this Soundie, the Mills Brothers sing the title song to a cut-out image of Dorothy Dandridge, which then comes to life and dances for them.

Big Band leader and 1930s Broadway starlet Gracie Barrie sings a lovely little ditty about a wife’s revenge on her cheating husband. (Oddball Films)

"When Hitler Kicks the Bucket" is sung by Toni Lane. The lyrics recount all the delightful things that will happen on the day of Hitler's funeral.

Helen Huntley and Stan Kenton and His Orchestra perform "Jammin' in the Panoram."

Johnny Taylor sings "Good Nite All" at a house party.

Alan Ladd was discovered by Sue Carol for his incredible voice in radio. And then she married him. In I Look At You, he is sweet and graceful. And at the very beginning of his career in film. He sings and leads Rita Rio's all-girl band while she dances around him.

1943 Soundies musical short starring Larry Clinton

Count Basie does a little rhyming rapping before going into this Benny Goodman instrumental composition. While he's playing, plenty of couples are jitterbugging constantly until, one by one, they get tired and start to fall down on the floor.

Mel Tormé and the Mel-Tones sing the title song in this 1945 Soundie (a short film produced to be played on jukebox-like Panoram machines).