Birth of the Blues
Music
Romance
Strike Up The Band ! * Here comes happiness . . . in a merry medley of romance . . . and rhythm !
Jeff grows up near Basin Street in New Orleans, playing his clarinet with the dock workers. He puts together a band, the Basin Street Hot-Shots, which includes a cornet player, Memphis. They struggle to get their jazz music accepted by the cafe society of the city. Betty Lou joins their band as a singer and gets Louie to show her how to do scat singing. Memphis and Jeff both fall in love with Betty Lou.
1941-11-07
en
Cast
Director
Victor Schertzinger
Bing Crosby as Jeff Lambert
Mary Martin as Betty Lou Cobb
Brian Donlevy as Memphis
Carolyn Lee as Aunt Phoebe Cobb
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson as Louey
J. Carrol Naish as Blackie
Warren Hymer as Limpy
Horace McMahon as Wolf
Ruby Elzy as Ruby
Harry Barris as Suds
Minor Watson as Henri Lambert
Harry Rosenthal as Piano Player
Donald Kerr as Skeeter, Barbershop Musician
Barbara Pepper as Maizie
Cecil Kellaway as Granet
Ronnie Cosby as Jeff as a Boy
Duke Ellington as Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong as Self (archive footage)
Tommy Dorsey as Self (archive footage)
Jimmy Dorsey as Self (archive footage)
Benny Goodman as Self (archive footage)
Paul Whiteman as Self (archive footage)
Roscoe Ates as Cab Driver (uncredited)
Charles Lane as Wilbur - Bijou Theater Manager (uncredited)
Mantan Moreland as Black Trumpet Player (uncredited)