The Eddy Duchin Story (1956)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

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:

Both Joan Fontaine and Eva Marie Saint were tested for the role of Marjorie. George Sidney preferred the younger Kim Novak.

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:

On the Sunny Side of the Street

Much better than I was expecting

I started watching this movie for only two reasons: Tyrone Power and Kim Novak. I wasn't expecting much, the Hollywood bios in the 50s were never all that great, but I was shocked when I realized I'd been watching the film for an hour and was totally hooked!

Although it seems like it couldn't help being slow, (the film covers Duchin's life from the mid 30s to the early 50s), the movie is actually very well paced. The script itself is a challenge. It is either good and not original in some places, or original and not good in others. But somehow it balances out in the end.

Kim Novak looks ravishing, but the part she took is cut thin, and I think she could have found a better part in 1956.

However, Tyrone hands in one of his best performances. The beginning of the film is not the best part, he is obviously far from a college student age, and he looks it. But later on, when he's struggling to make friends with his son, he's wonderful! As the film progresses, he just looks better and better, perhaps it's because Power never was the jumpy college type, he was always suave. The second part of this movie gives him a chance to be that. It is, rather surprisingly, a worthwhile film - totally satisfying at the end.