Klarinet Archive - Posting 000375.txt from 1996/05

From: Mitch Bassman <mbassman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: I'm hiding under a blanket so no one will see my embarassment.
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 14:18:32 -0400

Dan Leeson began a thread on the movie _The Benny Goodman Story_. Among
other comments, he observed: Is Steve Allen the worst actor (to say
nothing of an incompetent imitator of a person playing the clarinet) who
ever lived including the lead tomato in "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"?

There were a couple of other comments about Steve Allen's clarinet
imitation, for example,

- from Steve Prescott: Surely a movie such as this is a success if Steve
Allen kept his left hand on the top joint of the clarinet and his right
hand on the bottom joint.

- from Bob Spring: Hey, at least Steve Allen's left hand is on top!

I watched that movie (also on AMC) several years ago and had a different
reaction. I agree that the acting wasn't always great. (But Steve Allen
is certainly *not* "the worst actor" by any stretch of the imagination.
If you want to see *bad* acting, take a chance on the current movie
featuring Rikki Lake; oy, I cannot believe I let myself be talked into
seeing that one.) I was thrilled that a movie had been made of Benny
Goodman's life -- or *based* on his life anyway. The scenes featuring the
original band of Hampton, Krupa, and Wilson (plus Goodman on the sound
track) make the entire film worth viewing -- in spite of the ethnic
stereotyping that probably was unfortunately necessary at the time the
movie was made.

Regarding the comments about Allen's hand position and his being "an
incompetent imitator of a person playing the clarinet," it was my
understanding that he actually could play the clarinet -- just a little.
Steve Allen is, of course, a pianist and composer, who does not read
music. I understood that he took some clarinet lessons in preparation for
this role, so that he would look believable when faking on camera to
Goodman's playing on the sound track. Most of the time, I admit, he's not
believable. I further understood that it is actually Steve Allen whom we
hear playing the clarinet on the sound track, early in the movie, when the
child actor version of young Benny Goodman is shown on screen as a
beginner. Does anyone know if that is true?

--Mitch Basssman
mbassman@-----.com

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org