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Samuel Goldwyn Productions
Not part of a collection.
...with the hottest men in music - beating out the rhythm with'm!
The story of seven scholars in search of an expert to teach them about swing music. They seem to have found the perfect candidate in winsome nightclub singer Honey Swanson. But Honey's gangster boyfriend doesn't want to give her up.
CinemaSerf
Jul 9, 2022 · via TMDB
After two minutes you will spot the obvious similarity with "Ball of Fire" (1941). Swap Gary Cooper with Danny Kaye and Barbara Stanwyck with Virginia Mayo then add some fantastic musicianship from the likes of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Sonny Burke et al, and we have a gently amusing story of a professor (of music this time) who falls for the gangster's moll. "Honey" (Mayo) takes refuge from the pursuing FBI with a bunch of dithery professors creating an over budget dictionary of music and soon the hapless "Prof. Frisbee" (Kaye) is eating out of her hand. The gangster elements of the plot are just a little too contrived: her boyfriend "Crow" (Steve Cochran) maintains this new situation to keep her from testifying against him - until, that is - he can make arrangements to marry her, but in the meantime might she start to fall for poor old "Frisbee"? Neither lead are on great form here, Kaye seems oddly distracted from his role and Mayo always was quite a sterile performer, but there is still enough chemistry between them and, alongside a fun effort from Esther Dale as their somewhat puritanical housekeeper "Miss Bragg" this works ok. Essentially, it's an excuse for some great toe-tappers with a gently simmering romance and some slightly slapstick humour. It's fun to watch and to listen to, and though I still preferred the original it is diverse enough from that to stand well enough on it's own.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Danny Kaye
Hobart Frisbee
Virginia Mayo
Honey Swanson
Benny Goodman
Professor Magenbruch
Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Charlie Barnet
Charlie Barnet
Mel Powell
Mel Powell
John 'Bubbles' Sublett
Bubbles
Page Cavanaugh
Page Cavanaugh
Orlandus Wilson
Orlandus Wilson
Hugh Herbert
Professor Twingle
Steve Cochran
Tony Crow
J. Edward Bromberg
Dr. Elfini
Felix Bressart
Professor Gerkikoff
Ludwig Stössel
Professor Träumer
O.Z. Whitehead
Professor Oddly
Esther Dale
Miss Bragg
Howland Chamberlain
Mr. Setter
Paul Langton
Joe
Sidney Blackmer
Adams
Ben Welden
Monte
Louie Bellson
Drums
Laurindo Almeida
Laurindo Almeida (uncredited)
Sue George
Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Milicent Patrick
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Gregg Toland
Director of Photography
Irene Sharaff
Costume Design
Howard Hawks
Director
Daniel Mandell
Editor
Samuel Goldwyn
Producer
Hugo Friedhofer
Music Director
Hugo Friedhofer
Original Music Composer
Billy Wilder
Original Film Writer
Charles Brackett
Original Film Writer
Billy Wilder
Story
Mamla Garbar Hai
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Oct 19, 1948
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1926
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Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
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2008 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
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2000 · 12 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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