A Song Is Born (1948)
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- Approved
- 1h 53min
- Comedy, Music
- 19 Oct 1948 (USA)
- Movie
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:
Writers:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Danny Kaye | ... |
Professor Hobart Frisbee
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Virginia Mayo | ... |
Honey Swanson
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Benny Goodman | ... |
Professor Magenbruch
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Tommy Dorsey | ... |
Tommy Dorsey
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Louis Armstrong | ... |
Louis Armstrong
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Lionel Hampton | ... |
Lionel Hampton
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Charlie Barnet | ... |
Charlie Barnet
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Mel Powell | ... |
Mel Powell
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Ford Washington Lee | ... |
Buck
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John W. Bubbles | ... |
Bubbles
(as John William Sublett)
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Page Cavanaugh Trio | ... |
The Page Cavanaugh Trio
(as The Page Cavanaugh Trio)
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The Golden Gate Quartette | ... |
The Golden Gate Quartette
(as The Golden Gate Quartet)
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Samba Kings | ... |
The Samba Kings
(as Russo and The Samba Kings)
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Hugh Herbert | ... |
Professor Twingle
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Steve Cochran | ... |
Tony Crow
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J. Edward Bromberg | ... |
Dr. Elfini
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Felix Bressart | ... |
Professor Gerkikoff
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Ludwig Stössel | ... |
Professor Traumer
(as Ludwig Stossel)
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O.Z. Whitehead | ... |
Professor Oddly
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Esther Dale | ... |
Miss Bragg
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Mary Field | ... |
Miss Totten
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Howland Chamberlain | ... |
Mr. Setter
(as Howland Chamberlin)
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Paul Langton | ... |
Joe
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Sidney Blackmer | ... |
Adams
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Ben Welden | ... |
Monte
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Ben Chasen | ... |
Ben
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Peter Virgo | ... |
Louis
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Harry Babasin | ... |
Bass
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Louie Bellson | ... |
Drums
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Alton Hendrickson | ... |
Guitar
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Juliette Ball | ... |
Woman at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
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Shirley Ballard | ... |
Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Edward Biby | ... |
Headwaiter at Barnet Club (uncredited)
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Norman Blake | ... |
Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Lennie Bluett | ... |
Man at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
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The Brazilians | ... |
Performers (uncredited)
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Paul E. Burns | ... |
Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
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Lucille Casey | ... |
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Lane Chandler | ... |
Policeman at Twin Oaks Inn (uncredited)
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Peter Cusanelli | ... |
Chef at Dixieland Club (uncredited)
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Vivian Dandridge | ... |
Patron at The Chocolate Club (uncredited)
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Roy Darmour | ... |
Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Joe Devlin | ... |
Adams' Henchman (uncredited)
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Carl Faulkner | ... |
Postman (uncredited)
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Maxine Fife | ... |
Woman at Barnet Club (uncredited)
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Bess Flowers | ... |
Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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George Ford | ... |
Man at Table (uncredited)
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Louise Franklin | ... |
Woman at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
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Raoul Freeman | ... |
Detective from D.A.'s Office (uncredited)
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Diane Garrett | ... |
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Karen X. Gaylord | ... |
Woman at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Norma Gentner | ... |
Girl with Samba Kings (uncredited)
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Sue George | ... |
Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
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William Haade | ... |
Detective from D.A.'s Office (uncredited)
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Barbara Hamilton | ... |
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Charles Hawkins | ... |
Nightclub Patron at The Chocolate Club (uncredited)
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John Impolito | ... |
Chef at the Dixieland (uncredited)
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Eugene Jackson | ... |
Nightclub patron (uncredited)
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Freddie Jackson | ... |
Nightclub patron (uncredited)
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Marjorie Jackson | ... |
Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Donald Kerr | ... |
Waiter at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Nolan Leary | ... |
Stage Doorman at the Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Bert LeBaron | ... |
Chef at Dixieland Club (uncredited)
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Will Lee | ... |
Waiter at the Dixieland Club (uncredited)
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Wilbur Mack | ... |
Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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Frank Meredith | ... |
Policeman at Toll Gate (uncredited)
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Jill Meredith | ... |
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Harold Miller | ... |
Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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Beverlee Mitchell | ... |
Girl at Table (uncredited)
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Martha Montgomery | ... |
Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Juanita Moore | ... |
Woman at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
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Gene Morgan | ... |
Man at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Diana Mumby | ... |
Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Janie New | ... |
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Milicent Patrick | ... |
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Foster H. Phinney | ... |
Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Jeffrey Sayre | ... |
Man at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Muni Seroff | ... |
Waiter (uncredited)
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Jeri Sullavan | ... |
Honey Swanson (uncredited) (singingVoice)
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Irene Vernon | ... |
Woman at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Pat Walker | ... |
Photographer at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Alice Wallace | ... |
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Don Wilmot | ... |
Messenger (uncredited)
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Directed by
Howard Hawks |
Written by
Billy Wilder | ... | (based on the story "From A to Z" by) and |
Thomas Monroe | ... | (based on the story "From A to Z" by) |
Harry Tugend | ... | (adaptation) (uncredited) |
Helen McSweeney | ... | (dialogue director) (uncredited) |
Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn | ... | producer |
Music by
Hugo Friedhofer | ... | (uncredited) |
Emil Newman | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
Gregg Toland | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
Daniel Mandell |
Editorial Department
William Fritzsche | ... | associate color director: Technicolor |
Natalie Kalmus | ... | color director: Technicolor |
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 |
Mel Berns | ... | makeup department head (uncredited) |
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 Shipman | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
Music Department
Hugo Friedhofer | ... | musical director |
Emil Newman | ... | musical director |
Sonny Burke | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Fletcher Henderson | ... | music arranger (uncredited) |
Louis Kaufman | ... | musician: violin (uncredited) |
Jerome Moross | ... | composer: additional music (uncredited) |
Jeri Sullavan | ... | singing voice: Virginia Mayo (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
Sam Freedle | ... | script supervisor (uncredited) |
Anita Speer | ... | script supervisor (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
Samuel Goldwyn | ... | presenter |
Production Companies
Distributors
- RKO Radio Pictures (1948) (United States) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.) (released through)
- RKO Distributing Corporation of Canada (1948) (Canada) (theatrical) (as RKO Distributing Corporation of Canada, Ltd.)
- RKO Radio Films (1948) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Fotorama (1949) (Norway) (theatrical)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1949) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Pictures, Ltd.)
- RKO Pictures (Australasia) (1948) (Australia) (theatrical)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1950) (France) (theatrical)
- Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment (1997) (United States) (VHS)
- Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1999) (United States) (DVD)
- Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1999) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Archive Collection (2014) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2014) (United States) (DVD)
- Jeunesse kikaku (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
- NHK BS Premium (2016) (Japan) (tv)
- NHK Sôgô (1972) (Japan) (tv) (dubbed version)
- NHK-BS2 (1991) (Japan) (tv)
- Paramount Channel (2022) (France) (tv)
- Showcase Video (1984) (Australia) (video)
- Topanga Canyon Films (2018) (Spain)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
Gangster's moll Honey Swanson goes into hiding when her boyfriend is under investigation by the police. Where better to hide than a musical research institute staffed entirely by lonely bachelors? She gets more than she bargained for when the head of the institute Professor Hobart Frisbee starts to fall for her.
Written by Col Needham |
Plot Keywords | |
Taglines | Danny's latest is his greatest! See more » |
Genres | |
Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
Certification |
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Filming Locations |
Box Office
Budget | $2,400,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
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. See more » |
Goofs | Whilst at the resort, with everyone sitting around the table, the candles are different lengths depending on the angle of the shot. See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022). See more » |
Soundtracks | A Song Is Born See more » |
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. See more » |