The Benny Goodman Story

Viewed from the point of view of a jazz fan interested in the history of swing, this movie is a treasure. There are moments all through when some of the true greats in jazz can be at least glimpsed, and some have ongoing parts: Buck Clayton, on trumpet, Teddy Wilson on piano, Gene Krupa, on drums, Lionel Hampton on vibes, Stan Getz on tenor saxophone (he was the farthest to the right on the front row--almost always cut out of the pan-and-scan print shown on TCM, but he has a great solo and closeup in one of the numbers, in the Palomar ballroom section). There are other stars who appear for one scene, but it's fun to see them, even briefly. Ziggy Elman plays his trumpet solo on "And the Angels Sing" glibly verbatim from the famous recording, but rushes, unfortunately. The plot is quite predictable, and there's no clinch at the end, just shining eyes. A must-buy for the jazz sentimentalist--but get the wide-screen version.

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.

Writer, director Valantine Davies took on this musical challenge as a testimony to the legendary impresario Benny Goodman and what was then called 'Swing' music.' The film itself is called " The Benny Goodman Story " and it features the late great comic Steve Allen. The movie does a good job of incorporating the early life of the famed musician and the life-struggles he encountered. Striving from an early age to learn his instrument and then later to adapt it to create what he called a 'special' type of music for the era of Early Swing and later Jazz age. The movie does not lend itself any of Goodman's foibles or controversies as there were little in his life. Still it does take a few liberties with his personal history, but nothing which detracts from the established music which he help to initiate. Indeed, his ability to play his clarinet and entrance his audiences is what makes this movie and then the cast which includes Donna Reed, Berta Gersted and Barry Truex as Benny Goodman (at 16), is what marks this Bio-pic as a musical Classic and the late great Gene Cruppa on drums. In addition for any who love the legendary sounds of the Big Bands in the age which started them all, you can do no better than sit and enjoy this musical rendition which is a tribute to that era. Easily recommended. Well done.

THE BENNY GOODMAN story, the half brother of the GLENN MILLER STORY and the GENE KRUPA STORY and the first cousin of THE FABULOUS DORSEY'S is a made to order biopic that lacks ooomph because of the reticence of the title character. Steve Allen's Goodman doesn't have the boyish enthusiasm that James Stewart had as Miller, but rather a quiet nerdishness that although possibly respresenting the person correctly, doesn't make for thrilling cinema. Because of this, Allen treads water valiantly, while all Donna Reed has to do is look lovingly at him and look as beautiful as, well, Donna Reed. (The real find in the film is Berta Gerstein, of whom I had never heard, but who I gather from reading the IMBD database, must have been a Yiddish theater/cinema star, as Benny Goodman's mother. She is so real that she makes the rest of the actors seem like cardboard.) But what a treat it is to see and hear Kid Ory, Harry James, Martha Tilton, Lionel Hampton, Ziggy Elman, Urbie Green and to hear Goodman himself.

Where the film shines is in its music and never more so than at the halfway point's Paramount Theater engagement and the ending's Carnegie Hall concert of 1938. In these two spots the film soars. AND THE ANGEL'S SING is classic and SING SING SING will blow the top off your DVD player.

So, THE BENNY GOODMAN STORY, usual biopic with some amazing music. (Want a great double feature? No, not THE GLENN MILLER STORY which is fun, but rather the 1947 NEW ORLEANS with more jazz greats including Louis Armstrong. Now, as Cole Porter would say, you has jazz!)!!!!!!!!

This film is considered by many as being a pretty mediocre film, but I think this film is truly great. Maybe it's just a jazz-lover's point of view; Benny Goodman is my favourite artist, and is the man who inspired me to take up the clarinet. Steve Allen comes across as a likable Goodman, and manages to look the part. Donna Reed also does her job pretty well but the people in the film who will really catch your attention are the jazz musicians that are in the film, playing themselves. These musicians include: the very enthusiastic drummer Gene Krupa, the trombone player Edward "Kid" Ory, the vibraphone player Lionel Hampton and the famous band leader and drummer of the '20s Ben Pollack. Whether you like the film or not, you have got to like the music which includes such Goodman classics as "Don't be that way", "Sing, Sing, Sing", "Let's Dance" and "One o'clock jump". All in all, a highly enjoyable film which, as far as I am concerned, is better than the much acclaimed film "The Glenn Miller Story" starring James Stewart in the part of Miller. "The Benny Goodman Story" is a must-see for all jazz fanatics and all clarinet players. The film also features a very impressive rendition of Mozart's clarinet concerto (Goodman also gave classical music a try, as you can see, to great effect). I'd say that it is decidedly worth seeing. Enjoy!