Van and Schenck 'The Pennant Winning Battery of Songland'

Starring: Gus Van, Joe Schenck
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short, Comedy
Length: 8 minutes
1927

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Van and Schenck perform several songs.

Review:

Tim: Like a lot of these early short films, the big appeal of Van and Schenck 'The Pennant Winning Battery of Songland' is getting to see these two perform, over 90 years later. Like so many of these early vaudeville performers, I'd never heard of them. It was fun to get to see this duo perform. That's one of the great attributes of motion pictures- it memorializes people on film and ensures future generations can see and hear people we'd otherwise never experience. In that vein, this movie is a blast to watch. I spent 8 minutes watching this short, did a little research on who Van and Schenck were, and my life is a tiny bit more enriched.

Now, all that being said, this short film isn't all that compelling (how's that for an about-face). We get something a couple of songs from these two. The songs aren't especially memorable. There's some uncomfortable cultural appropriation aspects that haven't aged well. The duo was known for their comedy as well as their musical abilities. None of that seems all that impressive while watching this film.

Watching this short film for me went like this- "Wow, cool! I've never of these two. Let's see what their act is all about. It's just amazing, I get to watch these two perform 9 decades later. Okay, they are singing. Decent performers, for sure. Wow, is this song over yet? This isn't that exciting. Maybe I'll just look at my phone for a moment...." By the end of the 8 minutes, I was ready for this to be over. I wouldn't say I actively disliked the short, but it was eminently forgettable.

You can contrast this with the other 1927 short film I've seen, Bernado De Pace: The Wizard of the Mandolin. It's another vaudeville performer in a musical short film. That one holds your attention. De Pace's skill translates well all these decades later. It was entertaining and I marveled at his talent. I didn't feel much excitement here. In the end, this short film is cool because it's informative, but it comes up short in the entertainment department.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Bernado De Pace: The Wizard of the Mandolin