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A Song Is Born

  • 1948
  • Approved
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Virginia Mayo, and Mel Powell in A Song Is Born (1948)
With her gangster boyfriend under investigation by the police, a nightclub singer hides out in a musical research institution staffed by bachelor professors - one of whom begins to fall for her.
Play trailer2:20
1 Video
56 Photos
ComedyMusicMusical

With her gangster boyfriend under investigation by the police, a nightclub singer hides out in a musical research institution staffed by bachelor professors - one of whom begins to fall for ... Read allWith her gangster boyfriend under investigation by the police, a nightclub singer hides out in a musical research institution staffed by bachelor professors - one of whom begins to fall for her.With her gangster boyfriend under investigation by the police, a nightclub singer hides out in a musical research institution staffed by bachelor professors - one of whom begins to fall for her.

  • Director
    • Howard Hawks
  • Writers
    • Billy Wilder
    • Thomas Monroe
    • Harry Tugend
  • Stars
    • Danny Kaye
    • Virginia Mayo
    • Benny Goodman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    2.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Howard Hawks
    • Writers
      • Billy Wilder
      • Thomas Monroe
      • Harry Tugend
    • Stars
      • Danny Kaye
      • Virginia Mayo
      • Benny Goodman
    • 33User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro

    • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:20
    Watch Trailer

    Photos56

    Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Lionel Hampton in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Danny Kaye, Hugh Herbert, Felix Bressart, J. Edward Bromberg, Virginia Mayo, and Ludwig Stössel in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Virginia Mayo in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Virginia Mayo in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Virginia Mayo in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Felix Bressart, J. Edward Bromberg, Benny Goodman, and Ludwig Stössel in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Lionel Hampton in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in A Song Is Born (1948)
    Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in A Song Is Born (1948)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Danny Kaye
    Danny Kaye
    • Professor Hobart Frisbee
    Virginia Mayo
    Virginia Mayo
    • Honey Swanson
    Benny Goodman
    Benny Goodman
    • Professor Magenbruch
    Tommy Dorsey
    Tommy Dorsey
    • Tommy Dorsey
    Louis Armstrong
    Louis Armstrong
    • Louis Armstrong
    Lionel Hampton
    Lionel Hampton
    • Lionel Hampton
    Charlie Barnet
    Charlie Barnet
    • Charlie Barnet
    Mel Powell
    Mel Powell
    • Mel Powell
    Ford Washington Lee
    • Buck
    John W. Bubbles
    John W. Bubbles
    • Bubbles
    • (as John William Sublett)
    Page Cavanaugh Trio
    Page Cavanaugh Trio
    • The Page Cavanaugh Trio
    • (as The Page Cavanaugh Trio)
    The Golden Gate Quartette
    The Golden Gate Quartette
    • The Golden Gate Quartette
    • (as The Golden Gate Quartet)
    Samba Kings
    • The Samba Kings
    • (as Russo and The Samba Kings)
    Hugh Herbert
    Hugh Herbert
    • Professor Twingle
    Steve Cochran
    Steve Cochran
    • Tony Crow
    J. Edward Bromberg
    J. Edward Bromberg
    • Dr. Elfini
    Felix Bressart
    Felix Bressart
    • Professor Gerkikoff
    Ludwig Stössel
    Ludwig Stössel
    • Professor Traumer
    • (as Ludwig Stossel)
    • Director
      • Howard Hawks
    • Writers
      • Billy Wilder(based on the story "From A to Z" by)
      • Thomas Monroe(based on the story "From A to Z" by)
      • Harry Tugend(adaptation) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Danny Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, was also his personal composer/writer. However, Fine refused to take part in any more of Kaye's projects because he had recently left her for actress Eve Arden. Kaye did not want anyone else writing songs for him, so he simply did not perform any songs in this movie.
    • Goofs
      Whilst at the resort, with everyone sitting around the table, the candles are different lengths depending on the angle of the shot.
    • Quotes

      Honey Swanson: [about Frisbee] Yes, I love him. I love those hick shirts he wears with the boiled collars and the way he always has his coat buttoned wrong. It looks like a giraffe, and I love him. I love him because he's the sort of a guy that gets drunk on a glass of buttermilk. And I love the way he blushes right up over his ears. I love him because he... he doesn't know how to kiss, the jerk.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Two Cents Worth of Hope (1952)
    • Soundtracks
      A Song Is Born
      (1948)
      Words and Music by Don Raye and Gene de Paul
      Orchestrations by Sonny Burke
      Sung by Virginia Mayo (uncredited) (dubbed by Jeri Sullavan (uncredited))
      Sung and played by Louis Armstrong (uncredited)
      Played by Tommy Dorsey (uncredited)
      Sung by The Golden Gate Quartette (uncredited)

    User reviews33

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    It's worth watching for the music alone.
    While there is a decent plot and Danny Kaye does a good job, the best parts are the music scenes with Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey and many others. It is a great collection of popular artists of the 40's and earlier.

    There are surprises in the plot, especially if you don't recognize some of the actors until they perform.

    Danny Kaye's form of humor is not fully appreciated now, but in his time he drew a large following. This movie is a good example of his artistry. His best movie was probably "Hans Christian Anderson." I watched it as a kid and I can still remember the song "Beautiful, Beautiful Copenhagen."
    helpful•18
    6
    • jimmegb
    • Mar 8, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 19, 1948 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • That's Life
    • Filming locations
      • Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • The Samuel Goldwyn Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,400,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Virginia Mayo, and Mel Powell in A Song Is Born (1948)
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