DESCRIPTION:
Swing For Sale
written by Saul Chaplin and Sammy Cahn
performed by The Four Blackbirds with The Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra, conducted by Carl Stalling
from the Vitaphone cartoon, "Clean Pastures," released theatrically 22 May 1937

Produced by Leon Schlesinger and directed by the legendary Friz Freleng for Warner Brothers' Merrie Melodies cartoon series, this was a parody of Warner Bros.' 1936 film, "The Green Pastures." It tells of an ersatz Heaven called "Pair-O-Dice" and its angels' efforts to win souls from "Hades Inc." Schlesinger and Warner Bros. had problems with "Clean Pastures" from the start. Hollywood censors alleged that the film ran afoul of the Hays Production Code because it burlesqued religion. Later commentators surmise that the censors also objected to the portrayal of a Heaven run by African Americans. In 1968, the short's stereotypical portrayal of black characters prompted United Artists to withhold it from distribution as one of the infamous Censored Eleven.

The Four Backbirds were Geraldine Harris, first tenor; David Patillo, second tenor; Leroy Hurte baritone and guitar; and Richard Davis, bass.

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