Panoram

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Panoram was the trademark name of a video jukebox popular within the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. The device consisted of a jukebox playing a closed-loop 16mm film reel against a glass screen.

The Panoram is now best known for the vast library of short, three minute music videos that were created for it. Called soundies, these films featured most of the great musical stars of the period, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Cab Calloway. The videos survive and are considered a priceless archive.

The Panoram was priced more than $10,000 in 2006 dollars. It was generally seen in bars, cafes, and upscale dancing establishments where they ran as a curiosity. Following World War II, the device never recovered its previous popularity due to competition from Television.