Klarinet Archive - Posting 001193.txt from 2003/03

From: "Bill Semple" <wsemple@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Benny Goodman Story (movies about jazz musicians)
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 17:46:07 -0500

I remember seeing an excellent movie about Billie Holladay.

William T. Semple
Office: 202-364-2466
Home: 540-364-4823
Cell: 540-903-6645
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Hausmann" <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] Benny Goodman Story (movies about jazz musicians)

> At 03:38 PM 3/28/2003 -0600, Ed Lacy wrote:
> >We have mentioned several really sappy movies about jazz musicians. It
> >might be fun to try to decide which one is the best (or the least bad)
> >of the group. Let's see, there is:
> >
> >The Benny Goodman Story
> >The Glenn Miller Story
> >The Eddie Duchin Story (the sappiest of all, I think)
> >Young Man with a Horn (starring Kirk Douglas as a Bix Beiderbecke clone)
> >The Five Pennies
> >
> >And there were two movies starring the Glenn Miller orchestra, although
> >they were not specifically about Miller or his band:
> >
> >Orchestra Wives
> >Sun Valley Serenade
> >
> >We mustn't forget the original sound movie, the Jazz Singer, starring Al
> >Jolson, which actually has nothing to do with jazz. This one wasn't
> >very good when it first appeared, but it has been re-made at least two
> >more times (in the 1950's, starring Danny Thomas, and in the 1980's,
> >starring Neil Diamond), and each time it has been remade it has been
> >worse than the previous time.
> >Also, The King of Jazz, one of the earliest movies in both sound and
> >color, about, and starring, Paul Whiteman, which also has little if
> >anything to do with jazz.
> >
> >And, then in later times there is:
> >
> >High Society, with Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby
> >Bird (about Charlie Parker)
> >'Round Midnight (about a fictitious player, but apparently based on
> >events in the life of Dexter Gordon, and the lead is played by him.)
> >(There is also one from the 60's starring Paul Newman and Natalie Wood,
> >but I can't think of the title right now. This is a pretty good one.)
> >
> >Finally, I'll make my nomination for what I think is the most
> >entertaining movie about jazz musicians, although the basic premise has
> >more holes in it than Swiss cheese:
> >
> >The Gang's All Here, starring Benny Goodman, Mel Powell, Louis
> >Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey and more (working from memory of a long time
> >ago).
> >
> >Any other suggestions or additions to the list?
>
> It is my understanding that, of the ones mentioned above, Orchestra Wives
> actually comes closest to portraying the life of a musician at the time.
>
> There is a bio-pic about Gene Krupa, too, which stared Sal Mineo. A web
of
> fiction woven around a few facts, like the other ones mentioned.
>
>
> Bill Hausmann
>
> If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!
>
>
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