Got a Penny Benny

Nat 'King' Cole and his side men perform the title song, with Cole on the piano and singing.

It's one of more than two thousand "soundies" produced between 1939 and 1947, meant to be played on a device called a Mills Panoram. For seven years they could be found in bars, night clubs, and other places where people would gather. Think of them as music videos, available for viewing at a dime a song. Other companies got into the production end also.

The soundies didn't pay huge sums for the performers, but they were clearly a welcome source of income for many, and offered a lot of exposure. Here we get close-ups of Cole, not just his face, but his hands on the piano.