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 | |
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Berta Gersten | ... | Mama Goodman |
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Barry Truex | ... | Benny Goodman (at 16) |
| Herbert Anderson | ... | John Hammond Jr. | |
| Robert F. Simon | ... | Papa Dave Goodman | |
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Hy Averback | ... | Willard Alexander |
| Sammy Davis Sr. | ... | Fletcher Henderson | |
| Dick Winslow | ... | Gil Rodin | |
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Shepard Menken | ... | Harry Goodman |
| Jack Kruschen | ... | Murph Podolsky | |
| Wilton Graff | ... | John Hammond Sr. | |
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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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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.
Plot Keywords:
character name as title | benny goodman character | four word title | swing | clarinet |Taglines:
The Story of a Fabulous Guy, A Wonderful Girl and the Exciting Music They Made Together See more »Parents Guide:
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Benny Goodman: Why?
Harry Goodman: Who's gonna remember a name like Benny Goodman.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
In later interviews about the film, Steve Allen admitted that the real Benny Goodman (who he had met during the making of the film) was not nearly as pleasant an individual as Allen had portrayed him in the movie. See more »Goofs
At the end of the clarinet concerto, the first violinist stands up twice. 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.
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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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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
3 January 1956 (Japan) See more »Also Known As:
La historia de Benny Goodman See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1Looking for some great streaming picks? Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist.
Enjoyed this very entertaining film about Benny Goodman performed by Steve Allen who himself was a great composer, piano player and all around actor and late night show host. This was a very compact Hollywood story detailing the life of the great Jazz King of the 30's. Donna Reed, (Alice Hammond) gave a great supporting role as Benny's girlfriend and then his wife. The film was filled with all great jazz musicians, Gene Krupa, Lional Hampton, Harry James and Sammy Davis Sr. along with many other famous jazz musicians. In the 1950's you were able to go to the Roxy Theater, Paramont and Music Hall in New York City and see these great musicians in between the showing of their feature movies and at very low prices, especially at 10 AM for a price of $1.25 to $2.00. This is a great film and the musical selections will keep you glued to this film from beginning to end.