Orchids of Java

Lillie Sterling comes with her husband, John, on a business trip to Java, expecting a second honeymoon. On the ship, she witnesses Javanese Prince De Gace mercilessly whipping a servant and shrinks in horror from the sight. When John is befriended by the Prince, who is very attracted to Lillie, she tries to have little to do with him. During a conversation in their room, John is called away to answer a wire, and the Prince steals a kiss in his absence, for which she slaps him.

The Platters sold more records, played more venues, and appeared in more films than any other vocal group of the time. They truly had the Magic Touch. By 1962, the Platters had placed an astonishing 35 songs on the American pop charts. The lead singer, Tony Williams, influenced an entire generation of singers - black and white. This is one of the most impressive legacies in black music. Virtually all of the Platters' classic recordings from 1955 to 1964 were made for one label, Mercury Records, and they're here complete for the first time.

The Ink Spots played a large role in pioneering the black vocal group-harmony genre, helping to pave the way for the doo wop explosion of the '50s. The quavering high tenor of Bill Kenny presaged hundreds of street-corner leads to come, and the sweet harmonies of Charlie Fuqua, Deek Watson, and bass Hoppy Jones (who died in 1944) backed him flawlessly…