Happy Birthday: Benny Goodman!

Benny Goodman's band performed in many popular musicals, including The Big Broadcast of 1937, Hollywood Hotel (1938), Syncopation (1942), The Powers Girl (1942), Stage Door Canteen (1943), The Gang's All Here (1943), Sweet and Lowdown (1944) and A Song Is Born (1948). Goodman's only starring movie was Sweet and Lowdown (1944).



Goodman's life story was told in the film The Benny Goodman Story(1955), with Steve Allen and Donna Reed. It was a follow up to, The Glenn Miller Story(1954). Many of Goodman's colleagues perform in the film: Ben Pollack, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton and Harry James.

From the Busby Berkeley 9-film Movie Collection: Hollywood Hotel (1937).

Hollywood Hotel(1937). Directed by Busby Berkeley.Cast: Dick Powell, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, and Ted Healy. Ronald Reagan, Benny Goodman and Harry James (a member of Goodman's band).


It is best remembered for the song "Hooray for Hollywood" by Johnny Mercer and Richard A. Whiting, sung in the film by Johnnie Davis and Frances Langford, accompanied by Benny Goodman and his orchestra. The song has become a standard part of the soundtrack to movie award ceremonies, including the Academy Awards.

Ronnie Bowers, a singer and saxophone player with Benny Goodman's orchestra wins a contract with All Star Pictures. They book him into the Hollywood Hotel, which is also the home of Mona Marshall. The afternoon before the premiere of her latest movie, Mona is interviewed by Louella Parsons, who breaks the news that Mona will not get the lead in a new film. Heartbroken, Mona decides not to go to the premiere and goes into hiding. Publicist Bernie Walton holds a casting call to find a woman who "looks like" Mona, to  show up at the premiere and finds Virginia Stanton, who worked as Mona's stunt double. Worried that Mona's escort, Alexander Dupre, will know the difference, they ask Ronnie to be her date. The next day, Mona returns and demands that Ronnie and Virginia be fired. Ronnie confused by Mona's behavior until Bernie tells him what is going on. Virginia gets Ronnie a job as a car hop, where director Walter Kelton overhears his singing. Kelton offers Ronnie a job dubbing Dupre's voice in the new Mona Marshall movie. After the first screening the actor is invited by Louella Parsons to sing in her program "Hollywood Hotel". He accepts, but he doesn't know that Ronny Bowers does not want to lend him his voice again.

Some of the he best moments of the film are the Goodman's numbers which include a good look at vibraphonist Lional Hampton and drummer Gene Krupa, along with jazz trumpeter Harry James.

Fun Facts:

The actual "Hollywood Hotel" on which this movie is based, was a Hollywood institution. It was a sprawling building built at the turn of the century and had formal gardens, grand lobby, 2 towers and a ballroom. It was the hangout for many stars over the years. It was finally torn down in 1956. The site today is occupied by the new Hollywood-Highland shopping complex and Kodak Theater, where the Oscars are now presented every year.

The drive-in restaurant where Dick Powell's character works is called "Callahans" in the film. The actual coffee shop in Hollywood was called "Carpenter's" and was located at the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine Streets. It was one of the earliest "drive-in" restaurants in the U.S. The uniform worn is based on the actual uniforms the mostly male waiters wore. They were based on the uniforms that service station attendants wore. The reason for this new type of restaurant was to cater to the new younger movie star who wanted to be seen in their expensive automobiles. The restaurant was open all night.

Ginger Rogers was offered a leading role in this movie, but turned it down.

Louella Parsons (August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) was an American gossip columnist who, for many years, was an influential arbiter of Hollywood, often feared and hated by actors, whose careers she could negatively impact via her radio show and newspaper columns.

Parsons also appeared in numerous cameo spots in movies, including Hollywood Hotel (1937), Without Reservations (1946) and Starlift (1951).









Soundtracks:

"Dark Eyes"
 (1937)


Hooray for Hollywood"
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting (as Dick Whiting)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Johnnie Davis and Frances Langford
Performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

"California Here I Come "
(1924) (uncredited)
Music by Joseph Meyer
Performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

"I'm Like a Fish out of Water"
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting (as Dick Whiting)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Dick Powell, Rosemary Lane

"Silhouetted in the Moonlight"
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting (as Dick Whiting)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Rosemary Lane
Reprised by Jerry Cooper and Frances Langford
Performed by Raymond Paige and His Orchestra

"I've Got a Heartful of Music"
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting (as Dick Whiting)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
Reprised by Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa

"Let That Be a Lesson to You"
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting (as Dick Whiting)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Johnnie Davis, Dick Powell, Rosemary Lane, Mabel Todd,
Ted Healy, Harrison Greene, Constantine Romanoff and chorus
Performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

"Sing, Sing, Sing"
(1936) (uncredited)
Music by Louis Prima
Performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

"I've Hitched My Wagon to a Star"
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting (as Dick Whiting)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Dick Powell
Performed by Raymond Paige and His Orchestra

"Ochi Tchornya (Dark Eyes) (uncredited)
Traditional Russian folk tune
Arranged by Raymond Paige
Sung by a chorus and played by Raymond Paige and His Orchestra

"Sing, You Son of a Gun"
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting (as Dick Whiting)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Dick Powell, Johnnie Davis, Rosemary Lane, Frances Langford,
Lola Lane, Jerry Cooper, Glenda Farrell, Ted Healy, Mabel Todd and chorus
Performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra and Raymond Paige and His Orchestra

"I'm a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas"
(1928) (uncredited)
Written by Phil Baxter

"Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)"
(uncredited)
Music by Bernard Hanighen
Played after the premiere upon entering the Orchid Room

"Have You Got Any Castles, Baby?"
(1937)
Music by Richard A. Whiting (as Dick Whiting)
Played at the Orchid Room when Virginia asks Ronnie to dance

"Sonny Boy"
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Al Jolson, Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown
Sung by Ted Healy at the casting window

"Old Black Joe"
(1860) (uncredited)
Written by Stephen Foster
Performed by unidentified singers during the "Love & Glory" number

"Blue Moon"
(1934) (uncredited)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Performed by Raymond Paige and His Orchestra at the beginning of the radio broadcast

"You Oughta Be in Pictures"
(1934) (uncredited)
Music by Dana Suesse
Played during the radio broadcast when Louella Parsons is introduced

"Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)"
(1851) (uncredited)
Written by Stephen Foster
Played during the radio broadcast of "Love & Glory"

"Satan's Holiday"
(1934) (uncredited)
Music by Joe Venuti
Arranged by Benny Goodman

The Benny Goodman Story(1956)

The Benny Goodman Story (1956). Biographical film. Cast: Steve Allen and Donna Reed, Director: Valentine Davies. The film is based on the life of clarinetist Benny Goodman, who recorded most of the clarinet solos used in the film. Lionel Hampton, Martha Tilton, Kid Ory, George Givot, Gene Krupa, and many other musicians have cameo appearances in this film. Ziggy Elman performed on screen recreating his trumpet solo on "And the Angels Sing", he was unable to record his portion for the soundtrack; Manny Klein actually performed it, off-camera.

I just love Biographical films. This story begins with Benny becoming an excellent clarinetist by the time he is fourteen. Benny's grabs the first opportunity to play in a ragtime band, he joins the musicians' union and begins his career. Benny has the opportunity to listen to the "Kid", who tells for him to play the way he feels and invites him to sit in. Benny, joins the Ben Pollack band and plays at dances throughout the country. The Pollack band secures a job in the speakeasy of Benny's former neighbor, now gangster, Little Jake Primo. There he meets John Hammond, a music critic and his sister Alice, who prefers classical.

Pollack's band flops in New York and Benny, begins to worry that there is no audience for his kind of music, and is forced to perform with more traditional dance bands. Still impressed with Benny's talent, Hammond invites him to perform a Mozart clarinet concerto before an audience in the Hammond mansion. Alice is surprised by "all this emotion comes pouring out" when he plays. Benny forms a band and begins to perform on an NBC Saturday night radio program. Jazz musician Fletcher Henderson hears the program and is so impressed that he contributes arrangements for the band. After the show is canceled, Benny's orchestra goes on tour, but before he leaves, he and Alice declare their feelings for each other. The tour is a failure until the orchestra reaches Palomar, California, where, the group is a huge success. Benny sees Alice in the audience and plays "Memories of You" for her. Benny forms a quartet that includes Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa, and by the time Benny, his orchestra and his quartet return to Chicago, they are making headlines. Benny is booked into Carnegie Hall and worries that "a hall full of longhairs" will not like the orchestra's music. Which features guest performers Harry James, Ziggy Elman and Martha Tilton.

Benny Goodman's band performed in many musicals: The Big Broadcast of 1937, Hollywood Hotel (1938), Syncopation (1942), The Powers Girl (1942), Stage Door Canteen (1943), The Gang's All Here (1943), Sweet and Lowdown (1944) and A Song Is Born (1948). Goodman's only starring feature was Sweet and Low Down (1944). Goodman's success story was told in the 1955 motion picture The Benny Goodman Story with Steve Allen and Donna Reed. It was a follow up to 1954's successful The Glenn Miller Story. The screenplay was heavily fictionalized, but the music was real. Many of Goodman's professional colleagues appear in the film, including Ben Pollack. Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton and Harry James.



This clip is, The Benny Goodman big band playing Sing Sing Sing, featuring Gene Krupa at the end. Also... Mr. Harry James plays a trumpet solo.