Birth of the Blues
Victor Schertzinger1941-11-07
Strike Up The Band ! * Here comes happiness . . . in a merry medley of romance . . . and rhythm !
6
86 min
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.
Cast
| Name | Character | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Bing Crosby | Jeff Lambert | Unowned |
 |
Mary Martin | Betty Lou Cobb | Unowned |
 |
Brian Donlevy | Memphis | Unowned |
 |
Carolyn Lee | Aunt Phoebe Cobb | Unowned |
 |
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson | Louey | Unowned |
 |
J. Carrol Naish | Blackie | Unowned |
 |
Warren Hymer | Limpy | Unowned |
 |
Horace McMahon | Wolf | Unowned |
 |
Ruby Elzy | Ruby | Unowned |
 |
Jack Teagarden | Pepper | Unowned |
|
Danny Beck | Deek | Unowned |
 |
Harry Barris | Suds | Unowned |
|
Perry Botkin Sr. | Leo | Unowned |
 |
Minor Watson | Henri Lambert | Unowned |
 |
Harry Rosenthal | Piano Player | Unowned |
 |
Donald Kerr | Skeeter, Barbershop Musician | Unowned |
 |
Barbara Pepper | Maizie | Unowned |
 |
Cecil Kellaway | Granet | Unowned |
 |
Ronnie Cosby | Jeff as a Boy | Unowned |
|
Ted Lewis | Self (archive footage) | Unowned |
 |
Duke Ellington | Self (archive footage) | Unowned |
 |
Louis Armstrong | Self (archive footage) | Unowned |
 |
Tommy Dorsey | Self (archive footage) | Unowned |
 |
Jimmy Dorsey | Self (archive footage) | Unowned |
 |
Benny Goodman | Self (archive footage) | Unowned |
 |
Paul Whiteman | Self (archive footage) | Unowned |
 |
Roscoe Ates | Cab Driver (uncredited) | Unowned |
 |
Charles Lane | Wilbur - Bijou Theater Manager (uncredited) | Unowned |
 |
Mantan Moreland | Black Trumpet Player (uncredited) | Unowned |