Soundies have been called the music videos of the 1940s, but that doesn’t begin to describe their cultural importance. It’s true that they feature a remarkable range of talent, from big-band luminaries like Duke Ellington and Count Basie to then-emerging stars like Doris Day and Ricardo Montalban, and lesser-known artists of the American nightclub circuit. But Soundies are also a rich, largely overlooked chronicle of American popular culture during and just after World War II. Produced for coin-operated jukeboxes in neighborhood bars and taverns, Soundies have an uncanny way of revealing what Americans were thinking about topics that weren’t discussed openly, from sexuality to ethnicity and race.

Curated by Susan Delson, author of Soundies and the Changing Image of Black Americans on Screen: One Dime at a Time, this four-disc collection presents a diverse sampling of 200 shorts—jazz, country-western, folk, and the boogie woogie roots of rock ’n’ roll—newly restored from 35mm and 16mm materials preserved by the Library of Congress and other archives. Never have so many Soundies been celebrated in one collection, or presented with such care: thematically organized, accompanied by on-screen introductions and a booklet of essays, photos, and credits.

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Video Quality

Soundies: The Ultimate Collection comes to Blu-Ray thanks to Kino Classics with four discs of rarely-seen films sourced from newly restored 35mm and 16mm materials preserved by the Library of Congress and other archives. With a set as massive as this one, it is difficult to list the exact source and quality of each of the 200 shorts provided, but each source seems to be in the best shape possible for work that would otherwise be lost to the sands of time. If you do not go in expecting the detail and clarity of big budget studio productions of the time, you should be knocked sideways by this wonderful presentation.

These transfers show off a fair amount of depth and some discrete detail within the film’s composition. Contrast is typically defined quite well, but the transfer experiences a good amount of flicker and moments of damage to the print. There are stray, faint vertical lines and other anomalies that make quick appearances without ruining the overall experience of the short. Black levels present with some passable depth with no significant occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The black-and-white material shines with all of the natural grain intact. These transfers do allow for some textures on the outfits and within the backgrounds. Kino Classics has taken on the monumental job of presenting this wide-range of material to film and music fans in the most consistent manner possible, and their efforts are staggering.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents these films with DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio tracks that sound as stable as the source material will allow. There is quite a bit of age-related wear and tear, but there is no doubt that these shorts have been taken care of to some extent. Much of the music comes through without clipping or becoming distorted in the higher registers, and crackles and humming are kept to a minimum. Some of the title treatments and small other moments have missing audio due to the source that was available for restoration. Music fans should be pleased with the sound quality of these tracks, as everything comes through to the best of its ability.

Special Features

Birth Of Soundies: A 14-minute featurette with author Mark Canton who discusses the advent of the soundies, the musicians strike of the 1950s, the different styles of soundies, why they should be preserved and more.

From The Vault: An eight-minute piece with Matt Barton and Mike Mashon from the Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center at the Library of Congress who discuss soundies as a time capsule, how soundies factored in when musicians could not record a record, the recording process and more.

Inside The Panoram: Another four-minute piece with Mark Canton who shows off a version of the panoram machine that showed soundies.

Modes of Production: The next seven-minute installment with Canton, who talks about the quick and inexpensive manner in which soundies were created.

The Minoco Logo: A two-minute montage of the Minoco logo being shown during a soundie.

Epilogue: A final nearly eight-minute interview with Mark Canton who discusses “orphan films”, the fading away of soundies and more.

Celebrating The Chorus Line: A 22-minute collection of additional soundies is provided.

Booklet: A 44-page booklet is provided which provides numerous essays.

Final Thoughts

Soundies: The Ultimate Collection is a treasure chest of riches that elevates it to one of the most essential home entertainment releases of the year. This particular artform is one that is well known by so few people that it is virtually lost. Yet, once you know that soundies existed, you understand how they provide a roadmap to so many musical innovations of the past. This particular collection is smartly curated and presented in a way that keeps you captivated from section to section. It is truly an incredible journey. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray set featuring a strong A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. If you are someone who loves excavating the history of music, you will be in heaven with this collection. Highly Recommended

Soundies: The Ultimate Collection is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.