Birth of the Blues

5.5
  • Genre: MusicRomance
  • Run time: 87 min
  • Premiere: 1941. November 7.

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.

Discover

Bing Crosby

Jeff Lambert

Mary Martin

Betty Lou Cobb

Carolyn Lee

Aunt Phoebe Cobb

Minor Watson

Henri Lambert

Harry Rosenthal

Piano Player

Donald Kerr

Skeeter, Barbershop Musician

Ronnie Cosby

Jeff as a Boy

Ted Lewis

Self (archive footage)

Duke Ellington

Self (archive footage)

Louis Armstrong

Self (archive footage)

Tommy Dorsey

Self (archive footage)

Jimmy Dorsey

Self (archive footage)

Benny Goodman

Self (archive footage)

Paul Whiteman

Self (archive footage)

Roscoe Ates

Cab Driver (uncredited)

Charles Lane

Wilbur - Bijou Theater Manager (uncredited)

Mantan Moreland

Black Trumpet Player (uncredited)

Art

Hans Dreier

Art Direction

Ernst Fegté

Art Direction

Camera

William C. Mellor

Director of Photography

Costume & Make-Up

Edith Head

Costume Design

Directing

Editing

Production

Monta Bell

Producer

Writing

Art

Hans Dreier

Art Direction

Ernst Fegté

Art Direction

Camera

William C. Mellor

Director of Photography

Costume & Make-Up

Edith Head

Costume Design

Directing

Editing

Production

Monta Bell

Producer

Writing