0 . ▁Ar ound ▁Hollywood , ▁the ▁movie ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁called ▁" Univers al ' s ▁R haps ody ▁in ▁the ▁Red ". ▁Because ▁of ▁poor ▁box - office ▁rece i pts ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁and ▁the ▁can cellation ▁of ▁his ▁luc r ative ▁nation ally ▁broadcast ▁radio ▁program ▁by ▁its ▁spons or ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁Wh item an ▁had ▁to ▁let ▁ten ▁band ▁members ▁go ▁and ▁cut ▁the ▁sal aries ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁band ▁members ▁by ▁fifteen ▁percent . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁received ▁mixed ▁reviews . ▁A ▁rev iewer ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁Movie ▁called ▁it ▁a ▁lav ish , ▁over - produ ced ▁" dis app oint ment "; ▁an ▁over long , ▁" d ull ▁m él ange " ▁whose ▁only ▁effective ▁perform ers ▁were ▁Wh item an ▁and ▁John ▁B oles . ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁assert ed ▁that ▁" John ▁Murray ▁Anderson ' s ▁initial ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁aud ible ▁screen , ▁' K ing ▁of ▁Jazz ,' ▁with ▁the ▁rot und ▁Paul ▁Wh item an , ▁reve als ▁this ▁director ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁mag ician ▁of ▁far ▁greater ▁powers ▁than ▁one ▁imag ined , ▁even ▁from ▁his ▁stage ▁compos itions . ▁This ▁Techn icol or ▁pot p our ri ▁of ▁songs , ▁dan cing ▁and ▁fun ▁is ▁a ▁mar vel ▁of ▁camera ▁w izard ry , ▁joy ous ▁color ▁schemes , ▁char ming ▁cost umes ▁and ▁sed uct ive ▁light ing ▁effects ." ▁The ▁rev iewer , ▁M ord