A Song Is Born (1948)

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Billy Wilder (based on the story "From A to Z" by) and
Thomas Monroe (based on the story "From A to Z" by)
(more)

Release Date:

19 October 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Plot:

Gangster's moll Honey Swanson goes into hiding when her boyfriend is under investigation by the police...

Plot Keywords:

Remake By Original Director | Remake

Cast

Danny Kaye	...	Professor Hobart Frisbee
Virginia Mayo	...	Honey Swanson
Benny Goodman	...	Professor Magenbruch
Tommy Dorsey	...	Tommy Dorsey
Louis Armstrong	...	Louis Armstrong
Lionel Hampton	...	Lionel Hampton
Charlie Barnet	...	Charlie Barnet
Mel Powell	...	Mel Powell
Buck and Bubbles	...	Dancers
Page Cavanaugh Trio	...	Cavanaugh Trio (as The Page Cavanaugh Trio)
The Golden Gate Quartette	...	Golden Gate Quartette (as The Golden Gate Quartet)
Samba Kings	...	The Samba Kings (as Russo and the Samba Kings)
Hugh Herbert	...	Professor Twingle
Steve Cochran	...	Tony Crow
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Dr. Elfini
Felix Bressart	...	Professor Gerkikoff
Ludwig Stössel	...	Professor Traumer (as Ludwig Stossel)
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Professor Oddly
Esther Dale	...	Miss Bragg
Mary Field	...	Miss Totten
Howland Chamberlain	...	Mr. Setter (as Howland Chamberlin)
Paul Langton	...	Joe
Sidney Blackmer	...	Adams
Ben Welden	...	Monte
Ben Chasen	...	Ben
Peter Virgo	...	Louis
Harry Babasin	...	Bass
Louie Bellson	...	Drums
Alton Hendrickson	...	Guitar
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shirley Ballard	...	Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Edward Biby	...	Headwaiter at Barnet Club (uncredited)
Norman Blake	...	Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
The Brazilians	...	Performers (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Lucille Casey	...	Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Policeman at Twin Oaks Inn (uncredited)
Peter Cusanelli	...	Chef at Dixieland Club (uncredited)
Vivian Dandridge	...	Patron at The Chocolate Club (uncredited)
Roy Darmour	...	Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Adams' Henchman (uncredited)
Carl Faulkner	...	Postman (uncredited)
Maxine Fife	...	Woman at Barnet Club (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
George Ford	...	Man at Table (uncredited)
Louise Franklin	...	Woman at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman	...	Detective from D.A.'s Office (uncredited)
Diane Garrett	...	Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Karen X. Gaylord	...	Woman at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Norma Gentner	...	Girl with Samba Kings (uncredited)
Sue George	...	Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Detective from D.A.'s Office (uncredited)
Barbara Hamilton	...	Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Charles Hawkins	...	Nightclub Patron at The Chocolate Club (uncredited)
John Impolito	...	Chef at the Dixieland (uncredited)
Marjorie Jackson	...	Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Waiter at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Stage Doorman at the Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Bert LeBaron	...	Chef at Dixieland Club (uncredited)
Ford Washington Lee	...	Buck (uncredited)
Will Lee	...	Waiter at the Dixieland Club (uncredited)
Frank Meredith	...	Policeman at Toll Gate (uncredited)
Jill Meredith	...	Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Beverlee Mitchell	...	Girl at Table (uncredited)
Martha Montgomery	...	Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Gene Morgan	...	Man at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Diana Mumby	...	Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Janie New	...	Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Milicent Patrick	...	Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Foster H. Phinney	...	Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Man at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Muni Seroff	...	Waiter (uncredited)
John William Sublett	...	Bubbles (uncredited)
Irene Vernon	...	Woman at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Pat Walker	...	Photographer at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Alice Wallace	...	Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Don Wilmot	...	Messenger (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hawks

Writing credits
Billy Wilder		(based on the story "From A to Z" by) and
Thomas Monroe		(based on the story "From A to Z" by)
Helen McSweeney		dialogue director (uncredited)
Harry Tugend		adaptation (uncredited)

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer

Original Music by
Hugo Friedhofer		(uncredited)
Emil Newman		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Perry Ferguson
George Jenkins

Set Decoration by
Julia Heron		(set decorations)

Costume Design by
Irene Sharaff		(as Sharaff)

Makeup Department
Marie Clark	....	hair stylist
Robert Stephanoff	....	makeup

Production Management
Leon Fromkess	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)
Raoul Pagel	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph Boyle	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound recorder
Larry Gannon	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Harry Redmond Jr.	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects (as John Fulton)

Camera and Electrical Department
W. Howard Greene	....	director of photography (uncredited)
Ralph Hoge	....	grip (uncredited)
Hal McAlpin	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bert Shipham	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Sonny Burke	....	orchestrator
Hugo Friedhofer	....	musical director
Emil Newman	....	musical director
Fletcher Henderson	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Jerome Moross	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
William Fritzsche	....	associate technicolor color director
Samuel Goldwyn	....	presenter
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Sam Freedle	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Anita Speer	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (released through) (as RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #12799) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

In 1948, when "A Song Is Born" was released, the American Federation of Musicians was striking the record companies and union musicians could not legally make records. Nonetheless, the union allowed Capitol Records to make an album of music from the film because the company agreed to donate the proceeds to the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund, In the year between the film shooting and the recording sessions, Benny Goodman had radically changed the personnel of his band - notably adding two bebop musicians, trumpeter Theodore "Fats" Navarro and tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray - so the version of "Stealin' Apples" on the record doesn't sound at all like the one heard in the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At one point, during the last musical session when the two gangsters are holding everyone captive, the wires making the drum jump up and down can be seen.

Quotes:

Professor Hobart Frisbee:[to Miss Bragg, after she has summoned a cab for Honey Swanson] It's all yours, Crabapple Annie!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Superman II: Restoring the Vision (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Redskin Rhumba

The music is incredible in this movie!

This movie (a remake of 1941's "Ball of Fire") is an entertaining movie. But if you like swing or JAZZ, you have got to see this! Most Danny Kaye movies have good musical scores, but this one has Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong and a number of other greats performing. Not as good a movie as "The Five Pennies", but well worth seeing for the music and for Danny Kaye. Recommended to anyone who likes Jazz and/or Swing.