Birth of the Blues

Birth of the Blues

87 mins | Romance, Music | Nov. 7, 1941

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.

Birth of the Blues

87 mins | Romance, Music | Nov. 7, 1941

Birth of the Blues
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.
IMDb rating 6.3
Producers Paramount
Original title Birth of the Blues
Directors Victor Schertzinger
Writers Walter DeLeon, Harry Tugend

Cast

Bing Crosby

as Jeff Lambert

Mary Martin

as Betty Lou Cobb

Brian Donlevy

as Memphis

Carolyn Lee

as Aunt Phoebe Cobb

J. Carrol Naish

as Blackie

Warren Hymer

as Limpy

Horace McMahon

as Wolf

Ruby Elzy

as Ruby

Jack Teagarden

as Pepper

Danny Beck

as Deek

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

Ted Lewis

as Self (archive footage)

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 - Theater Manager (uncredited)

Mantan Moreland

as Black Trumpet Player (uncredited)