Does the Jazz Lead to Destruction
StarringEthel Bennetto
George Irving
Release date
  • 4 August 1919 (1919-08-04)
CountryAustralia
LanguagesSilent film
English intertitles

Does the Jazz Lead to Destruction? is a 1919 Australian silent film about the jazz craze. It is considered a lost film.

Plot

A family of wowsers, the McWowses, oppose jazz dancing but are converted to its joys.[1] Several dances are featured, including 'the Walking Waltz', 'the Jazz', 'the Tickle-Toe' and the 'Whirly Whirly'. These were performed by the leads.[2][3]

Production

Ethel Bennetto and George Irving were both jazz experts from Sydney who performed the dances in the film.[4]

Release

During the lead up to the film's release, letters from the fictitious characters, the McWowses, would appear in press advertising complaining about jazz.[3]

The film is often confused with another jazz comedy, Why Jessie Learned to Jazz, for Australasian Films and director Frederick Ward, which was announced for production but was likely abandoned.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "EARL'S COURT". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Qld. 31 October 1919. p. 6. Retrieved 24 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ "THE WORLD OF PICTURES". The Brisbane Courier. 27 September 1919. p. 12. Retrieved 24 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. 1 2 3 Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 88.
  4. ↑ "Film and Footlights". The Sunday Times. Perth. 14 December 1919. p. 6 Section: First Section. Retrieved 24 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.


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