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:

Band | Pianist | Piano | Chopsticks The Song | Bandleader

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Kim Novak	...	Marjorie Oelrichs
Rex Thompson	...	Peter Duchin, Age 12
James Whitmore	...	Lou Sherwood
Victoria Shaw	...	Chiquita Wynn
Tyrone Power	...	Eddy Duchin
Shepperd Strudwick	...	Sherman Wadsworth
Frieda Inescort	...	Edith Wadsworth
Gloria Holden	...	Mrs. Duchin
Larry Keating	...	Leo Reisman
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	...	Xavier Cugat (uncredited)
Richard H. Cutting	...	George, Destroyer Captain (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Passerby (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Party Guest at Central Park Casino (uncredited)
Ralph Gamble	...	NYC Mayor Jimmy Walker (uncredited)
Gregory Gaye	...	Philip (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Nightclub Table Extra (uncredited)
Butler Hixon	...	Charles, the Butler (uncredited)
Warren Hsieh	...	Native Boy (uncredited)
Betsy Jones-Moreland	...	Girl (uncredited)
Lois Kimbrell	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Michael Legend	...	Bit (uncredited)
Mickey Maga	...	Peter Duchin, Age 5 (uncredited)
Carlyle Mitchell	...	Marjorie's Doctor (uncredited)
John Mylong	...	Mr. Duchin (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)
Andy Smith	...	Second Boy (uncredited)
Richard Sternberg	...	First Boy (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)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Stetson	....	key grip
Val O'Malley	....	camera operator (uncredited)

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

Music Department
Carmen Cavallaro	....	musician: piano recording
Fred Karger	....	music coordinator
Morris Stoloff	....	conductor
Morris Stoloff	....	music supervisor
Paul Dunlap	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

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 (1956) (France) (theatrical) (as Columbia Films S.A.)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Laykin et Cie  precious jewels

Also Known As:

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The Central Park Casino was portrayed in the movie by the famed Tavern on the Green, also located in Central Park, since by the time of filming in the mid-50s the Casino was long gone.

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 when 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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Space Ship Sappy (1957)

Soundtrack:

Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 in E Flat Major

A Life of Music and Tragedies

In the late 20's, the talkative newly graduated in pharmacy and aspirant piano player Eddy Duchin (Tyrone Power) comes from Boston to New York expecting to play with the orchestra of Leo Reisman (Larry Keating) at fancy New York's Central Park Casino. However he had misunderstood the invitation of the maestro and while leaving the place, he meets the wealthy socialite Marjorie Oelrichs (Kim Novak) that asks Leo Reisman to give a chance to Eddy. He plays in the intermission and becomes a successful piano showman. Two years later, Marjorie and Eddy get married and in the Christmas, Marjorie has a baby, Peter, but she dies after the delivery. Eddy rejects Peter blaming him for the death of Marjorie and only five years later he meets his son. With the World War II, Eddy Duchin breaks up his band and enlists to fight in the war. With the end of the war, Eddy returns to New York with the intention of getting closer to Peter but he sees the boy connected to his friend Chiquita (Victoria Shaw). When Eddy discovers that he has a terminal disease, he proposes Chiquita and they get married.

When we see the biography of a personality by Hollywood, we are never sure that it is a true story or a fairy tale created by the cinema industry. Despite of that, the melodramatic "The Eddy Duchin Story" is a nice story of a man's life surrounded by music, beautiful ladies and tragedies. The forty-two year-old Tyrone Power has good performance and he really seems to be playing the piano, but it is funny to see him in the role of a newly graduated man. Kim Novak shines with her beauty, elegance and her sweet voice. Victoria Shaw is also gorgeous. The cinematography and the music score are awesome and deserved the nomination to the Oscar. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Melodia Immortal" ("Immortal Melody")