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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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 |Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
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: That wasn't me - that was Mozart.
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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
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
Alice Hammond: I can't remember when I've been so moved.Benny Goodman: That wasn't me - that was Mozart.
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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I enjoyed the music in this film immensely but the thing that drove me absolutely crazy was the costumes. This film is supposed to take place from 1910 - 1938 yet Donna Reed is in full 1950's dress including her hair and makeup. It actually screws up your whole perception of when the story takes place. Would it have killed them to dress her and the other women in period dress? There is one sad attempt at a 20's outfit where Donna is at a speakeasy and has on a cloche hat with her bangs in spit curls but of course her dress is a total 50's Dior 'New Look' with a cinched waist and huge skirt. It's also sad that original Benny Goodman vocalist, Martha Tilton, is only on film for like 1 minute singing one short refrain.