The Five Pennies (1959)

Director:

Melville Shavelson

Writers:

Robert Smith (story)
Jack Rose (writer) ...

Release Date:

August 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

Loring "Red" Nichols is a cornet-playing country boy who goes to New York in the 1920s full of musical ambition and principles...

Plot Keywords:

Jazz | Trumpet | Money In Title | Musician | Number In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Danny Kaye	...	'Red' Nichols
Barbara Bel Geddes	...	Willa Stutsman
Louis Armstrong	...	Himself
Harry Guardino	...	Tony Valani
Bob Crosby	...	Wil Paradise
Bobby Troup	...	Arthur Schutt
Susan Gordon	...	Dorothy Nichols, ages 6 to 8
Tuesday Weld	...	Dorothy Nichols, age 12 to 14
Ray Anthony	...	Jimmy Dorsey
Shelly Manne	...	Dave Tough
Ray Daley	...	Glenn Miller
Valerie Allen	...	Tommye
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Beau
Ned Glass	...	Murray

Runtime:

117 min | Germany:112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:S

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Dena Productions

Trivia:

While Danny Kaye worked hard to be able to accurately fake playing cornet, it was the real Red Nichols who provided all of the cornet playing for Kaye in this movie.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Red leaves the club with Willa (after seeing Louis Armstrong the first time), he takes his cornet with him but has neglected to put it back in its case.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "American Masters: Danny Kaye: A Legacy of Laughter" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Washington and Lee Swing

Sentimental biography of Dixieland trumpeter Red Nichols

This is the sentimental biography of the life of Ernest Loring (Red) Nichols, a trumpeter/band leader during the 1930's. Danny Kaye does a great job playing Red and Barbara Belgeddes plays his wife, Bobbie. Tuesday Weld plays his daughter, Dorothy. The movie follows Red through his career as a great jazz trumpeter who gives up music for family. A must see for Danny Kaye and Big Band fans. Some of the members of Red's "Five Pennies", as his band was known, were Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey. Louis Armstrong puts on a stellar musical performance as himself. Red Nichols does the trumpet solos. Great music, good family viewing.