Spreadin' the Jam

October. 27,1945      
Rating:
6.2
Trailer Synopsis Cast

A young woman who is unable to pay her rent gets some unexpected help when the other tenants throw a last-minute rent party in her apartment. In the process, they all charm the landlady out of a year's rent. The entire story is told in song (swing music) and dance (Jitterbug, Lindy Hop etc.).

Jan Clayton as  Sally
Ben Lessy as  Rent Party Organizer
Les Brown as  Bandleader (uncredited)

Similar titles

Donald Duck's Christmas Favourites
Donald Duck's Christmas Favourites
In Donald Duck’s Christmas Favorites you’ll be treated to some of the best and most hilarious cartoon shorts from the days when Walt Disney himself added his magical touch to each film. The full effect of his presence can be felt in these sparkling gems that for generations have brought joy and laughter to kids and families everywhere. Want to find out how a real snow ball fight is done? Discover how to replace snow with popcorn? Learn how an alpine expedition should not be done? You’ll get all the answers you need in this collection of Donald Duck’s Christmas Favorites – a delightful winter collection from all of us to all of you. Features: Hockey Champ (1939), Snow fight (1942), Rescue dog (1947), Chip an' Dale (1947), Winter storage (1949), Toy Tinkers (1949), Corn Chips (1951), On ice (1935), Alpine climbers (1936), The art of skiing (1941)
Donald Duck's Christmas Favourites 2012
Seasons
Seasons
Two girls meet by chance in a bookstore and experience an instant connection.
Seasons 2016
DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!
DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!
Kamandi and his friends Prince Tuftan of the Tiger Kingdom and humanoid mutant Ben Boxer are kidnapped by a gorilla cult dedicated to finding the reincarnation of their god, The Mighty One. Golgan, the cult’s leader, puts Kamandi’s team through a series of deadly tests to find if any of them know the secret of … The Mighty One.
DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth! 2021

Reviews

SunnyHello
1945/10/27

Nice effects though.

... more
Tobias Burrows
1945/10/28

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

... more
Zandra
1945/10/29

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

... more
Cheryl
1945/10/30

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

... more
MartinHafer
1945/10/31

When the story begins, a lady cannot afford to pay her rent, so her friends organize a 'rent party' and try to drum up money for the landlord. It's the sort of thing that is reminiscent of films like "Babes in Arms"...where someone has a barn and they let the kids borrow it so they can put on a very professional Broadway style review....complete with music that appears from out of no where as well as many talented singers and dancers!So is it any good? Well, the quality of the singing and dancing is good...which isn't surprising consider it's made by MGM. The lyrics are also pretty catchy....with plenty of jive lingo from the era. Also, the bald little leading man is pretty good...too bad Ben Lessy didn't make a lot more films. An interesting curio from long ago that folks might enjoy if they like swing music.

... more
mark.waltz
1945/11/01

Unable to pay her rent, young singer Jan Clayton is evicted by her landlady, Helen Boyce, and ends up in a jam session with fellow musicians from the boarding house who are swingin' the jam around when the nasty landlady invades. Will she be swayed by the swing? Or will she reveal herself to be the old fuddy duddy she seems to be, and evict everybody else for disturbing her peace? Practically all sung in dialogue with rhythm, this one reel short is truly an entertaining mix a song and dance and is very reminiscent of some of the more inventive early musicals where plot was developed through song, disguised as poetry to music. Jan Clayton would go onto Broadway success with both Carousel and a revival of Show Boat, but this is a rare chance to see her on screen. Boyce, however steals the scene as the seemingly nasty landlady and really seems to be having a lot of fun. A forgotten gem of a musical short from MGM, this is one of the better musical shorts to come out of the swing years.

... more
evening1
1945/11/02

Very nice dancing, music, and ebullient atmosphere in a kind of renter's fairy tale.I thought of the wonderful "Parapluies de Cherbourg" while watching this lively romp...could this trifle have inspired the sublime jazz opera? I like the joyousness of this short but wondered how everyone could be so darn gleeful just months after the end of the Holocaust. The juxtaposition felt a little uncomfortable.Maybe we have a glimpse here of a world that was to change radically soon after...with the beginning of rock and roll and the dizzying, nascent trajectory of technology.In sum, a bit of old-fashioned fun.

... more