The Benny Goodman Story (1956)

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

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.

As biopics go, "The Benney Goodman Story" is seldom seen these days on classic movie channels. The 1956 Universal International picture deserves a look, not only for the story itself, but for the historical events depicted in the film. Directed and written by Valentine Davies, it takes the viewer to one of America's best musician, Benny Goodman, to his humble origins in Chicago and culminating in his milestone January 16th 1938 jazz concert in Carnegie Hall, a venue considered the mecca for classical music until that time.Benny Goodman was an innovator. He discovered American jazz to be one of the most original forms of music, dedicating his life to what he knew best, giving the public pleasure with his many recordings during his lifetime. He had a talent for surrounding himself with the best musicians, as proved with the people he had in his orchestra. Gene Kruppa, Fletcher Anderson, Ted Ory, Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton, Ziggy Elman, and even his own brother Harry were among the people who either played, arranged music, or just influenced him.The story involves his romance with Alice Hammond, a rich woman, way out of Benny Goodman's league, who became a fan after a disastrous first encounter. Alice recognized Benny's talent and fell in love with him. Alice and Benny met through her brother John. He was a record producer who recognized Benny's talent from the start. Steve Allen, seen as Goodman, makes an impression for the way he got the essence of the musician. Donna Reed is wonderful as Alice, the sweet lady that was the love of Benny.

I loved this film. Huge Donna Reed fan, and I think this is one of her best films aside from "From Here To Eternity" that she did in the 1950's. Finally a movie about someones life made in the 1950's without June Allyson. The close up's Donna has in this film make you melt, she is and always was even in her 60's breath taking! And this movie shows that. Her and Steve Allen who plays Benny Goodman have great chemistry, and I have read that Donna & Steve look very much like Mr. & Mrs. Goodman but didn't act like them. According to Steve Benny Goodman was brilliant but wasn't a very nice man. And surprisingly this film didn't do as well as the previous "Glen Miller Story". Which I found to be alittle dull. Anyways great film a recommend it to everyone!

Although in general, Jazz is one of my most unfavourite types of music, I was captivated by the story. I couldn't get up once I had started watching it. Donna Reed and Steve Allen really brought the story (partly fictional by the way) of Benny Goodman out and intrigued me enough to want to learn more about his life and the sort of music he played. The musical numbers in the film are among Goodman's best, and really liven the film up. A great film.