The Eddy Duchin Story (1956)

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

Samuel A. Taylor (screenplay)
Leo Katcher (story)

Release Date:

21 June 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Plot:

The life story of the famous pianist and band-leader of the 1930s and 1940s. |

Plot Keywords:

Pianist | Bandleader | Male Female Relationship | Band | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Eddy Duchin
Kim Novak	...	Marjorie Oelrichs Duchin
Victoria Shaw	...	Chiquita
James Whitmore	...	Lou Sherwood
Rex Thompson	...	Peter Duchin, Age 12
Mickey Maga	...	Peter Duchin, Age 5
Shepperd Strudwick	...	Sherman 'Sherm' Wadsworth
Frieda Inescort	...	Mrs. Edith 'Edie' Wadsworth
Gloria Holden	...	Mrs. Duchin
Larry Keating	...	Leo Reisman
John Mylong	...	Mr. Duchin
Gregory Gaye	...	Philip
Warren Hsieh	...	Native boy
Richard H. Cutting	...	George, Destroyer Captain (as Richard Cutting)
Carlyle Mitchell	...	Marjorie's Doctor
Richard Sternberg	...	First boy
Andy Smith	...	Second boy
Lois Kimbrell	...	Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Albertson	...	Piano tuner (uncredited)
Kirk Alyn	...	Young Man at Wadsworths' Party (uncredited)
Arline Anderson	...	Guest (uncredited)
Richard Crane	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Xavier Cugat	...	Himself (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Passerby (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Party Guest at Central Park Casino (uncredited)
Ralph Gamble	...	NYC Mayor Jimmy Walker (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Nightclub Table Extra (uncredited)
Butler Hixon	...	Charles, the Butler (uncredited)
Betsy Jones-Moreland	...	Girl (uncredited)
Michael Legend	...	Bit (uncredited)
Peter Norman	...	Walter (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Rick Person	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Howard Price	...	Range Recording Operator (uncredited)
Joan H. Reynolds	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Nightclub Dance Extra (uncredited)
Gloria Ann Simpson	...	Mrs. Rutledge (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Nightclub Dance Extra (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Brad Trumbull	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Richard Walsh	...	Young Man (uncredited)

Directed by
George Sidney

Writing credits
Samuel A. Taylor		(screenplay) (as Samuel Taylor)
Leo Katcher		(story)

Produced by
Jonie Taps	....	associate producer
Jerry Wald	....	producer

Original Music by
George Duning

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
Viola Lawrence
Jack Ogilvie		(as Jack W. Ogilvie)

Art Direction by
Walter Holscher

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan
Robert Priestley

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Seymour Friedman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
George Cooper	....	sound
John P. Livadary	....	recording supervisor (as John Livadary)

Editorial Department
Ralph James Hall	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Carmen Cavallaro	....	musician: piano recording
Paul Dunlap	....	composer: additional music
Fred Karger	....	music coordinator
Morris Stoloff	....	conductor
Morris Stoloff	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Henri Jaffa	....	technicolor color consultant
Curtis Harrington	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Laykin et Cie  precious jewels

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | USA:Approved (PCA #17752) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Central Park Casino, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The characters of "Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Wadsworth" are fictionalized versions of the real-life Mr. and Mrs. W. Averall Harriman, Marjorie Duchin's uncle and aunt. Averell Harriman was the heir to his father's, E.H. Harriman, railroad fortune, and devoted most of his life to public service, including stints as US ambassador to the Soviet Union and to the Paris Peace talks during the Vietnam War. At the time "The Eddy Duchin Story" was released (1956), Harriman was in the midst of his term (1955-1959) as Governor of New York, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination that year.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: 1950s cars visible in some scenes. The film is set in the 1930s.

Quotes:

Eddy Duchin: What I want to know is why! Why do they have to destroy a man twice? You work and work and just what do you get? Everything, when it gets too good they take it away.
Eddy Duchin: Oh Chiquita, I don't want to die, I don't.

Soundtrack:

Dizzy Fingers

Predictable... handsome... and sentimental!

With the help of Marjorie Oelrichs (Kim Novak), a charming socialite he has met at New York's Central Park Casino, Eddy Duchin was part of the two piano team featured by Leo Reisman (Larry Keating) Orchestra in the late 1920's..

Duchin's distinctive playing wins him rapid fame... His measured weight of fingering ensured a balance between poetry and purpose... Every sound conceivable was possible in his artistic palette... He played wonderful music... His piano tone itself was gorgeous and versatile... He amazed audiences with his immense vigor, virtuosity and daring technique... He was soon a darling of Marjorie and high society...

His love affair with Marjorie culminates in marriage... but the perfect happiness is short-lived as Marjorie fades away in child-birth on Christmas Eve...

Heartbroken, Duchin declines to accept his baby blaming him for Marjorie's death and turns him over to Marjorie's uncle and aunt to be cared and raised, and embarks an overseas concert tour with his friend & manager, Lou Sherwood (James Whitmore).

During World War II, while serving as Naval Lieutenant Commander in the Pacific, Duchin realizes the futility of his attitude about his son, now ten, but his attempts to reconcile with him failed because of the boy's resentment...

With the help of Chiquita (Victoria Shaw) Peter's pretty nanny, he finally wins his son over and with his ability to charm as well as to thrill audiences, he proves himself as the pianist of sentiment par excellence... Nothing equaled the lightness & sweetness of his preluding on the piano...

But tragedy once again overtakes Duchin's daisy fingers as he learns he is suffering from leukemia and has only a short time to live...

Duchin's passing from the scene playing a "little double piano" with Peter is a duo-handkerchief climax...

Tyrone Power won the hearts of the audience playing the pianist and bandleader Eddy Duchin... He does not interpret music, he exudes it, breathes it, compelling showmanship with great freedom, taste and intelligence...

With a stupendous distribution of Duchin's fine piano, the film is predictable, handsome & sentimental...