The young Benny Goodman is taught clarinet by a Chicago music professor. He is advised by bandleader Kid Ory to play whichever kind of music he likes best, but to make a living, Benny begins by joining the Ben Pollack traveling band.
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Title: The Benny Goodman Story (1956)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Steve Allen | ... | Benny Goodman | |
| Donna Reed | ... | Alice Hammond | |
 |
Berta Gersten | ... | Mama Goodman |
|
|
Barry Truex | ... | Benny Goodman (at 16) |
| Herbert Anderson | ... | John Hammond Jr. | |
| Robert F. Simon | ... | Papa Dave Goodman | |
|
|
Hy Averback | ... | Willard Alexander |
| Sammy Davis Sr. | ... | Fletcher Henderson | |
| Dick Winslow | ... | Gil Rodin | |
|
|
Shepard Menken | ... | Harry Goodman |
| Jack Kruschen | ... | Murph Podolsky | |
| Wilton Graff | ... | John Hammond Sr. | |
|
|
Fred Essler | ... | Prof. Schoepp |
|
|
David Kasday | ... | Benny Goodman (at 10) |
|
|
John Erman | ... | Harry Goodman (at 16) (as John M. Erman) |
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
The young Benny Goodman is taught clarinet by a Chicago music professor. He is advised by bandleader Kid Ory to play whichever kind of music he likes best, but to make a living, Benny begins by joining the Ben Pollack traveling band.
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
3 January 1956 (Japan) See more »Also Known As:
La historia de Benny Goodman See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Benny Goodman: Why?
Harry Goodman: Who's gonna remember a name like Benny Goodman.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Benny Goodman played all the clarinet music heard on the soundtrack himself, with the exception of the scene where the young Goodman first tried to play the clarinet - the squeaky notes were actually played by Steve Allen. See more »Goofs
Trumpeter Buck Clayton never appeared with Goodman's 1937 band; he was a mainstay of Count Basie's. Clayton did, however, perform as a guest artist with Basie and fellow band members Lester Young, Freddie Green and Walter Page at Goodman's legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. See more »Quotes
Harry Goodman: Benny, you oughta change your name.Benny Goodman: Why?
Harry Goodman: Who's gonna remember a name like Benny Goodman.
See more »
Crazy Credits
Benny Goodman's theme song is played over the appearance of the "Universal International" globe. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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This film was certainly made in order to give jazz and swing band fans a real fine dose of perhaps the greatest swing music ever recorded, and this it does in abundance and in very fine form.
However, the story and dramatic part of this film is truly not very well executed, and much inferior to the previous year's "Glen Miller Story".
And, as a previous commentator stated on this site, why couldn't the producers have put in a little more thought into the costumes of the period, not only for the women, although this is where it is obviously not proper period costume, but also for the men.
Are 1920's fashions that difficult to reproduce? I don't think so.While Donna Reed certainly looked beautiful in the clothes she did wear in the film, it was a bit "jarring" to know that the story is taking place in the 20's and 30's, and everyone is parading around in mid 50's clothing.
Otherwise, the film is modestly entertaining, and the music , as mentioned, is superb.