Rufus Jones for President

Rufus Jones for President

1933 · 21 min · ★ 7.0 · Comedy, Music

A fantasy satire on politics in which a little boy dreams that he becomes President of the U.S. and his 'mammy' is Vice President. The film spotlights two now legendary performers much earlier in their careers: Ethel Waters and Sammy Davis Jr. In his first screen appearance, around the age of seven, pint-sized Davis sings, dances and clowns. Nicknamed 'the beanpole' slim and slinky Waters looks far different from the heavier figure she displayed in Pinky (1949) and Member of the Wedding (1953). Statuesque in a long glamorous white gown, she sings her big hit "Am I Blue." Davis, in turn sings "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You." (Separate Cinema)

Directed by Roy Mack · Written by A. Dorian Otvos

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

38m together

Rufus Jones for President

Service with a Smile

Both from Roy Mack.

More from Roy MackSee all →

The Wedding of Jack and Jill

The Wedding of Jack and Jill · 1930

The Wedding of Jack and Jill

MovieDramaMusic

Wedding Bills

Wedding Bills · 1940

Another in the long series of "Pete Smith" shorts from M-G-M in which William Newell meets and falls in love with Sally Payne, and begins to budget for their plans to get married. His budget, alas, does not include nor anticipate the plans of Sally and her parents. This short was reissued in June of 1950 to be shown as a trailer with 1950's "Father of the Bride" and some sources think this short was made for that express purpose and date it as a 1950 film.

Service with a Smile

Service with a Smile · 1934

Service with a Smile

MovieComedyMusic

Walter Webb, thinking his gas station has been destroyed, describes a "super-deluxe" gas station run by chorus girls to his insurance agent.

Mirrors

Mirrors · 1934

Freddie Rich and His Orchestra perform popular songs and accompany guest performers

20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang

20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang · 1933

20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang

MovieComedyMusic

Four convicts escape from a chain gang. Shortly thereafter, changes are made at the prison, because a blue ribbon commission will be investigating conditions there. The changes include steak every day for dinner and stage shows for entertainment. After reading about this, the four escapees plead with the warden to take them back in. Or was this all a dream?

Picture Palace

Picture Palace · 1934

In this Vitaphone Broadway Brevity musical short, Hal and Dawn work at the same vaudeville theater, where he's an usher, she's a chorus girl. When they both get fired, they form an act and vow to get back to their old theater, as performers.

The Knight Is Young

The Knight Is Young · 1938

The Knight Is Young

June never leaves her apartment, which has a view of an advertising sign of a knight in shining armor. She is two weeks behind in her rent and believes that if she leaves the apartment, the landlord will never let her back in. The only way she gets food is when her friend, singer Earlayne Schools, brings it to her. One evening June sees Hal, a tap-dancing sign painter, painting over her knight. She explains her predicament, and he does his best to help her out.

Frances Carroll & 'The Coquettes'

Frances Carroll & 'The Coquettes' · 1940

Frances Carroll & 'The Coquettes'

Bandleader Frances Carroll leads The Coquettes, an all-female band, in several swing tunes.

One for the Book

One for the Book · 1940

One for the Book

MovieComedyFantasy

In this entertaining short, famous literary figures step out of the pages of books after dark.

The Song Plugger

The Song Plugger · 1930

The Song Plugger

'Blind Bob' has written a song and the folks at the music publishing company think that Joe Frisco, his old friend from the Bowery is just right for it. So we see Joe at stage doing his peddler routine. He goes over to the publishing company, where he flirts with a girl act, and then tries out some eccentric dancing to the new song, which happens to be 'Get Happy.'

Rhythmitis

Rhythmitis · 1936

MovieMusicComedy

A doctor develops pills that make Hal a great tap dancer. Lola Green sees Hal dancing in a drugstore and asks him to join her vaudeville show. Everything is fine until Hal's pills disappear.

Paree, Paree

Paree, Paree · 1934

MovieRomanceMusic

A young American man in Paris spots a beautiful woman in a crowd and is instantly smitten, but soon loses sight of her. Later, as he and several friends are sitting at a table at an outdoor cafe and he is describing her to them, he sees her again. His friends begin to tease him about her, and he bets them that he can win her love in 30 days even though he has no money.

That's the Spirit

That's the Spirit · 1933

That's the Spirit

MovieComedyMusic

In this musical short, two night watchmen hear songs performed in a haunted pawn shop.

The Sultan's Jester

The Sultan's Jester · 1930

The Sultan's Jester

The Sultan is not a very happy man. He charges his royal jester to make him laugh before sunrise or die.

Hotel a la Swing

Hotel a la Swing · 1937

Hotel a la Swing

MovieMusicComedy

In this musical-comedy short, an out-of-work theatre troupe assumes management of the debt-ridden Grand Majestic Hotel.

The Prisoner of Swing

The Prisoner of Swing · 1938

The Prisoner of Swing

MovieMusicComedy

Musical satire based on Anthony Hope's Ruritanian novel "The Prisoner of Zenda" in which a commoner takes the place of a lookalike king.

More Like This

Couldn't load this row right now.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter