Klarinet Archive - Posting 000172.txt from 1998/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] The Benny Goodman Story (ugh, gag, choke!!)
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 18:21:04 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.73
> Subj: Re: [kl] Re: The Benny Goodman Story, and an Artie Shaw question

> At 12:34 PM -0400 5/5/98, Lee Hickling wrote:
>
> > As I recall The Benny Goodman Story, and I saw it on the AMC cable channel
> > not long ago, Goodman does not appear in the movie. A lot of great
> > musicians did play themselves -- Fletcher Henderson, Teddy Wilson and
> > Lionel Hampton among them. But Steve Allen, who really used to play the
> > clarinet, played Goodman. He might have played the same make and model that
> > Goodman did, for authenticity.
>
> I think it's fair to say that "authenticity" was not a high priority for the
> producers of this film.
>
> I'm surprised Dan hasn't stepped in on this thread. It's one of his favorite
> movies.

It is true that this disgusting movie is very low on my list of movies
about musicians (or with musicians), but it is a work of high art next
to the one in which Benny Goodman has to sing "Paducah, Paducah" [It
rhymes with Bazooka], which is then picked up by Carmen Miranda in
a hat with 14 pounds of fruit on it. And Benny is smiling like someone
cut his throat, and all the members of the band (in impossible
physical positions) are supposed to be showing just how much fun it
is to play this revolting song.

When I first saw it, I sat like a man watching a cobra; i.e., in
utter fascination and in the hopes that I would soon die and not
have to see the great Benny Goodman reduced to such puke as singing
(in a terrible voice) "Paducah, Paducah." This man who was the
greatest clarinetist of his age (and personally responsible for
the most important clarinet literature of his age) couldn't play
clarinet well enough that they had to have him sing???!!!!

After all, all that was done to humiliate Benny in the biographical
movie was to cut K. 622 to shreds so that the last movement (which was
all he played) lasted a good 4 minutes and 30 seconds. And Teddy
Wilson, and Gene Krupa are sitting there like they know the piece.
And Benny's mother, about as out of place as a turd in a punchbowl,
is glowing with happiness at her son's playing (as well she should have).
That was revolting but I lived through it.

But the Paducah, Paducah movie makes Bruce Lee movies seem like high
art.

If you have never seen it, don't.

>
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=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================

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