The Benny Goodman Story
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Actor: Barry Truex, Berta Gersten, Donna Reed, Herbert Anderson, Steve AllenBrand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 116 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-03-04
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Reviews of The Benny Goodman Story
DVD Review: fine biopic despite a problem here and there
Summary: 4 Stars
The Benny Goodman Story tells the story of Benny Goodman's rise to great fame with his endless touring and a historic concert at Carnegie Hall. Yes, the film is highly fictionalized; but I must agree with many reviewers who comment that the picture is worth seeing for the music alone! The acting is mediocre; Steve Allen plays Benny Goodman in such an understated way that I felt his acting was actually rather flat. He makes Goodman come off as somewhat callous--although I think Goodman wasn't so likable in real life. Donna Reed does a much better job at playing Benny's girlfriend Alice Hammond. The plot moves along at a good pace and the music will hold your attention.
The action starts when we are introduced to a very young, ten year old Benny Goodman played very well by David Kasday. We see Benny getting his first music lessons; and after six years Benny is able to play just about anything. He slowly but surely gets his start but isn't ever comfortable in New York (where Alice lives, just by coincidence) because he and his band had a flop or two early on there.
The movie then progresses to show Benny Goodman form his band; and their eventual climb up the ladder is wonderful to watch. I especially liked the scene at the theater where people stop dancing and just crowd around the stage because they are so much in awe of Benny and his band.
Of course, the famous Benny Goodman concert at Carnegie Hall ends this film in order to show the viewers that Benny was on top--a happy ending made all the happier because we also know that Benny will finally marry his sweetheart Alice Hammond.
There are numerous celebrities in this film; look for Sammy Davis, Sr. to play Fletcher Henderson, who wrote some arrangement for Benny and his band earlier on in their careers; and we also get great performances by Lionel Hampton, Martha Tilton, and Gene Krupa, and Harry James among others. In addition, when Steve Allen plays the clarinet in this film we are actually listening to Benny Goodman himself playing his own clarinet offstage. Great! We hear them play terrific numbers including "Let's Dance, "Stompin' At The Savoy," "One O'Clock Jump," "Moonglow," "Sing Sing Sing (With A Swing)."
The DVD comes without any bonuses or extras; that's a disappointment. Another disappointment is that the costumes are distinctly 1950s looking--and this movie takes place mostly in the 1930s. The cars used are from the right era; but I was quite surprised to see costumes from the `50s.
Overall, this may not be the greatest biopic ever made; but the music, Donna Reed and the celebrity appearances make this more than worth the while. You should see this film if you are a Benny Goodman fan--and people who enjoy swing music will love this!
Description of The Benny Goodman Story
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