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Swinging the Lambeth Walk

Len Lye, Music Video, 1939

 Swinging the Lambeth Walk

Swinging the Lambeth Walk

Len Lye

03:32 minutes | 28.81MB

 

The Lambeth Walk was a popular 'swing jazz' dance in London in 1939; it included a hand gesture with the Yiddish "Oi!". New Zealand-born filmmaker Len Lye edited together different versions of the music (including Django Reinhardt on guitar and Stephane Grapelli on violin), and combined them with a variety of abstract images painted and scratched directly onto film - without using a camera. The colourful, dynamic animation was made with public money - for the (UK) Ministry of Information - scandalizing some government bureaucrats.

 

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