Based on the director's movie making style, he seemed to dislike and ignore close-ups. So much so that if I were to meet Connee Boswell in person, I would'nt know it was her. Same with Windy, too. A close-up is one way that we associate with a character, one way or another. Mr Phil seemed to like long shots as well.
A LOT of low-budget films from the 1930's and 1940's have surprisingly few close-ups, mainly because they were shot on really short schedules and close-ups take time to light and photograph properly. The only time I really missed close-ups were those odd cuts from medium-shot to long-shot during Louis Jordan's "Caldonia" number; the fact that Jordan kept up the intensity level despite these energy-draining cuts (one expects the camera to get closer as the song builds in excitement) is a testament to his extraordinary talent.
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