Loring "Red" Nichols is a cornet-playing country boy who goes to New York in the 1920s full of musical ambition and principles. He gets a job playing in Wil Paradise's band, but quits to ...
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Title: The Five Pennies (1959)
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Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Danny Kaye | ... | 'Red' Nichols | |
| Barbara Bel Geddes | ... | Willa Stutsman | |
| Louis Armstrong | ... | Louis Armstrong | |
| Harry Guardino | ... | Tony Valani | |
| Bob Crosby | ... | Wil Paradise | |
| Bobby Troup | ... | Artie Schutt | |
| Susan Gordon | ... | Dorothy Nichols - Ages 6 to 8 | |
| Tuesday Weld | ... | Dorothy Nichols - Age 13 | |
| Ray Anthony | ... | Jimmy Dorsey | |
| Shelly Manne | ... | Dave Tough | |
 |
Ray Daley | ... | Glenn Miller |
| Valerie Allen | ... | Tommye Eden | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Loring "Red" Nichols is a cornet-playing country boy who goes to New York in the 1920s full of musical ambition and principles. He gets a job playing in Wil Paradise's band, but quits to pursue his dream of playing Dixieland jazz. He forms the "Five Pennies" which features his wife, Bobbie, as vocalist. At the peak of his fame, Red and Bobbie's daughter, Dorothy, develops polio. Red quits the music business to move to Los Angeles where the climate is better for Dorothy. As Dorothy becomes a young teen, she learns of her father's musical past, and he is persuaded to open a small nightclub which is failing until some noted names from his past come to help out. Written by Ray Hamel <hamel@primate.wisc.edu>
Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
August 1959 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Five Pennies See more »Filming Locations:
Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
(1935) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played on the radio during the Christmas scene and at the beginning of the comeback show
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Danny Kaye himself dubbed his songs phonetical into Italian in the Italian version "I cinque penny" of the film "The Five Pennies", released December 30, 1959 in Italy. The Italian track with the phonetical Italian siniging is available on the Region 2 PAL DVD in Italy only. See more »Goofs
When Red leaves the club with Willa (after seeing Louis Armstrong the first time), he takes his cornet with him but has neglected to put it back in its case. Presumably because he was quite drunk. See more »Soundtracks
Wail of the Winds(1935) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played on the radio during the Christmas scene and at the beginning of the comeback show
See more »
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Danny Kaye is known for his comic roles; for his laughter, his singing, his dancing, his light-hearted humor. But this movie presents a different Danny Kaye - serious, brooding, consumed with guilt, confronted by really serious problems - and here Danny Kaye shines. This movie is proof that if he had to, Danny Kaye could have been one of the greatest dramatic actors in the history of motion pictures. There is no question about that. In this movie, Kaye puts aside the clowning to play a subdued, moody and introspective character who nevertheless is still likable and worthy of attention. And it works! In the movie he wins over the audience, he wins over his family, he wins over his friends. And who can ever forget the scene with Louis Armstrong? Kaye's character overcomes all obstacles to triumph and to be loved. Only a highly skilled and sensitive actor could have done the job, and in this movie Danny Kaye proved that he had the requisite qualities to transform what could have been little more than a sudsy soap opera into a powerful statement about a man who, along with his family, not only survives but sets an example for others. For this reason, this movie is a powerful and compelling work of art.