The Benny Goodman Story (1956)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Valentine Davies

Writer:

Valentine Davies (writer)

Release Date:

1956 (Japan)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

Bio of swing band leader 'Benny Goodman' from age 10 (1919) to his landmark Carnegie Hall band concert in 1938...

Plot Keywords:

Swing | Beautiful Woman | Big Band | Bandleader | Clarinet

Cast

Steve Allen	...	Benny Goodman
Donna Reed	...	Alice Hammond
Berta Gersten	...	Mama Goodman
Barry Truex	...	Benny Goodman (at 16)
Herbert Anderson	...	John Hammond Jr.
Robert F. Simon	...	Papa Dave Goodman
Hy Averback	...	Willard Alexander - Benny's manager
Sammy Davis Sr.	...	Fletcher Henderson
Dick Winslow	...	Gil Rodin
Shepard Menken	...	Harry Goodman (as Shep Menken)
Jack Kruschen	...	'Murph' Podolsky - riverboat band Mgr.
Wilton Graff	...	John Hammond Sr.
Fred Essler	...	Prof Schoepp
David Kasday	...	Benny Goodman (at 10)
John Erman	...	Harry Goodman (at 16) (as John M. Erman)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved | USA:G (1973)

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Benny Goodman played all the clarinet music heard on the soundtrack himself, with the exception of the scene where the young Goodman first tried to play the clarinet - the squeaky notes were actually played by Steve Allen.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the clarinet concerto, the first violinist stands up twice.

Soundtrack:

Goodbye

1930's or 1950's? - Costumes are wrong!

I enjoyed the music in this film immensely but the thing that drove me absolutely crazy was the costumes. This film is supposed to take place from 1910 - 1938 yet Donna Reed is in full 1950's dress including her hair and makeup. It actually screws up your whole perception of when the story takes place. Would it have killed them to dress her and the other women in period dress? There is one sad attempt at a 20's outfit where Donna is at a speakeasy and has on a cloche hat with her bangs in spit curls but of course her dress is a total 50's Dior 'New Look' with a cinched waist and huge skirt. It's also sad that original Benny Goodman vocalist, Martha Tilton, is only on film for like 1 minute singing one short refrain.