Internet Shines Spotlight On Mills Panoram Video Jukebox Precursor

BEFORE MTV:For just one thin dime, 1940s consumers could watch a short music film featuring well-known artists on the legendary Panoram jukebox. The successful machine, produced for nearly a decade by Mills Novelty Co., was reported to have earned upwards of $200 a week in good locations.

Produced by the Mills Novelty Co., the first commercial cine jukebox was introduced in 1939. The Panoram played 2- to 3-minute 16mm clips on a 27" rear-projection screen. Popular in bars, train stations and other typical jukebox locations, the machine was loaded with a continuous film loop that included eight clips. Play paused after each song was completed when a notch in the film closed a switch in the film path.

Although largely forgotten today, the Panoram was extremely popular throughout the 1940s. Short films -- called Soundies -- were produced to keep public interest high. In all, nearly 2,000 of these shorts, turned out by a handful of production companies in Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles, went into distribution. Many featured some of the best-known African-American stars of the era, including Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Count Basie and Thomas Wright (Fats) Waller.

For other performers, the Soundies and the Panoram represented a valuable opportunity to reach a wider audience and document rare performances that would have otherwise been lost forever.

While the Panoram eventually faded from the scene, its novelty overtaken by the advent of television, the Soundies have gained a new life on YouTube and other digital outlets. They remain some of the great performances of the time.

For a look back at some of those historic performances produced for coin-op, check out these YouTube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHmXKFhkEJY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CMz2-wHjvA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVym96GyuEE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq9oHhkkVV0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SgKtxIEzx0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1A0JyBQL7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX0UjmDzLXw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM4cGh9_vAQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGD7yGxzFnQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijnfdLFhn2o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaYVWcmPtfI