Birth of the Blues
Birth of the Blues
Release: 1941-11-07
·Runtime: 87m
·★ 6.0
Music
Romance
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.
Production Countries
United States of America
Production Companies
Paramount Pictures
Cast
Horace McMahon
as Wolf
Ruby Elzy
as Ruby
Cecil Kellaway
as Granet
Bing Crosby
as Jeff Lambert
Mary Martin
as Betty Lou Cobb
Harry Rosenthal
as Piano Player
Mantan Moreland
as Black Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper
as Maizie
Jimmy Dorsey
as Self (archive footage)
Paul Whiteman
as Self (archive footage)
Brian Donlevy
as Memphis
Carolyn Lee
as Aunt Phoebe Cobb
J. Carrol Naish
as Blackie
Harry Barris
as Suds
Benny Goodman
as Self (archive footage)
Roscoe Ates
as Cab Driver (uncredited)
Charles Lane
as Wilbur - Bijou Theater Manager (uncredited)
Warren Hymer
as Limpy
Minor Watson
as Henri Lambert
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
as Louey
Louis Armstrong
as Self (archive footage)
Ronnie Cosby
as Jeff as a Boy
Duke Ellington
as Self (archive footage)
Tommy Dorsey
as Self (archive footage)
Donald Kerr
as Skeeter, Barbershop Musician
