Red Nichols & His World Famous Pennies (1936) User Reviews

The title of this musical live-action short is sort of puzzling . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 6/10 · 21 July 2020]

. . . inevitably causing viewers to wonder "Just how many cents are REALLY "world famous," and does Mr. Nickels--as the title character of this piece--actually HAVE any coins of renown? When I was 7 or 8, I used to study that little red book purporting to detail the value of American coinage. The only notable pennies that stuck in my mind are the handful of 1943 COPPER cents that some mint guys churned out as a prank. (The 1.1 billion bulk of that year's pennies were 99% steel and 1% zinc.) However, since this short was filmed in 1936, it's obviously impossible that Mr. Nickels had any of the ultra rare 1943 copper pennies in his pocket. It's also improbable that he could have anticipated Crystal Night, World War Two, a subsequent copper shortage and an infamous prank on the part of some mint dudes! And IF he had a mint in his hankie-holder, it was most likely chocolate-covered.

The Story and Music Both Work

[Michael_Elliott · 1 May 2011]

Red Nichols & His World Famous Pennies (1936)

*** (out of 4)

This is a pretty entertaining musical from Warner that not only shows off the music of Red Nichols but it also features a good story. A woman from Carolina (not certain which one) comes to New York to find work but can't get lucky so she ducks into a movie house where she pays a penny for each movie she watches. These shorts are songs from Nichols and his band and includes 'Wail of the Winds', 'Get Happy', 'When It's Sleepy Time Down South', 'Troublesome Trumpet', 'Cryin' for the Carolines', 'Carolina in the Morning' and 'Can't Yo' Heah Me Callin' Caroline'. As you can tell, all of the songs are aimed at the South and this here plays an important part in the film since the young woman is wishing she's back home. For the most part I was impressed with each of the songs with The Wallace Sisters doing a very good job with 'Get Happy' and I also really enjoyed the dancing by Red and Struggie on 'Troublesome Trumpet', which is set during what's basically a slavery dance. Fans of early music will certainly get a kick out of watching this simply because the music is so good and the nice story is just an added treat.

I suggest you first have a few beers and try to relax...THEN watch this short. If that doesn't work, try more beer!

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 24 August 2011]

"Red Nichols & His World Famous Pennies" aren't exactly a household name today, but they are featured in this obscure Vitaphone short. It begins with a lady at a nickelodeon putting coins in the machines and cranking them. What's weird is that music, too, comes out of them and each time she goes to a different machine, it's a way of introducing the next musical number. The idea is pretty clever. Unfortunately, most of the songs are pretty poor. One in particular, however, is a standout. The song "Sleepy Time Down South" is amazing and a product of its time. The song is a very patronizing song in which blacks are called 'darkies' and words like 'mammy' abound. It is bound to make more than a few folks mad if they see it today. As for me, I just found it a bit distasteful and dated. Too bad you would probably get fired for showing this to school kids--it is a great illustration of how far we've come as a society and I would love kids to see what was very acceptable not all that long ago. And, you really DON'T have to follow my advice in the summary...but then again, you could!