Nine O'clock Folks

In this short, multiple acts perform before an audience in a town hall. Performers include The Aaron Sisters singing trio and the Mound City Blue Blowers musicians. Another act features a tap dancer whose shoes have extensions on them that allow him to balance on the ends as one might use stilts. In the finale, an "inebriated" dog in the audience performs tricks. The short's title refers to the curfew in the town.

Directed by Roy Mack, Nine O'clock Folks leans on a strong ensemble — Roy Fant, Ed Ford — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about music titles of 1931.