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Swanee Shuffle

Nina Mae McKinney acc. by
Curtis Mosby's Blue Blowers

Curtis Mosby, Nina Mae McKinney

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In this excerpt from the 1929 film "Hallelujah" the first all-black motion picture musical, Nina Mae McKinney is featured singing and dancing the "Swanee Shuffle" accompanied by "Curtis Mosby's Blue Blowers".

Nina Mae McKinney was one of the first African-American film stars in the United States and was also among the first to appear on British television. The actress and singer became so popular with film audiences that she was dubbed the "Brown Clara Bow" and the "Black Garbo." Known to European audiences for her astounding beauty, Nina Mae McKinney traveled to Paris in December of 1932. Escaping the racism that she was subjected to in the American entertainment industry, Nina took advantage of the limitless opportunities presented by her new found freedom. While in Paris she worked as a cabaret performer, before moving on to London where she appeared in a number of films prior to her return to the U.S. in 1938.