A Song Is Born

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Steve C 01/05/2021 While no cinematic masterpiece, and no Ball Of Fire, this movie is good fun. What elevates it is the music! A stellar group of the finest jazz musicians of the era obviously enjoyed playing together - and the music shows it. If you have any interest in American popular music pre R&R, check this out. The treatment of Blacks is much more enlightened than most films of the period, so no cringeworthy moments. And the Technicolor is gorgeous. See more 12/19/2019 A Song is Born tells the story of a group of music professors who have isolated themselves so long in preparing to publish a music encyclopedia that they failed to realize new styles of music have grown in popularity. As a result, they send their youngest member to explore the modern music scene. But when he stumbles upon a beautiful woman, nothing will be the same. That’s the premise, and I think when they stuck with the story this movie worked quite well for me. I like this kind of classic romantic comedy, and it helps that Danny Kaye is the star because he can play the shy and innocent professor quite well. Virginia Mayo is a charming leading lady, and she nails her emotional arc. Where the film kind of flounders is in the fact that it also wants to be a show piece for the music. They stop the story multiple times for musical numbers that do nothing to further the plot. It’s tough complaining about this aspect because the music is played by some legendary artists, and it all sounds great. If it were strictly a concert film, I’d probably adore it. If it were only the rom-com, I’d probably love it. But the blending of the two didn’t work for me. I still found A Song is Born enjoyable, but less than the sum of its parts. See more s r @ScottR 05/19/2018 It was worth it just to see Kaye, Armstrong, Barnet and Dorsey. The whole professors discovering Jazz as a new type of music was fun. The music was good. See more 02/25/2018 This movie showcases some of the best jazz performers of the time sharing their talents. However, if you are looking for an intriguing story, this might not be for you. It's fluffy but the music is an incredible treat! See more 03/22/2014 Great movie. How do I buy a copy See more 06/29/2013 There's a lot of talent in this pallid redo of Ball of Fire but even with music and color added it doesn't come close to matching that film's charm. Virginia Mayo was a pleasant screen presence but Barbara Stanwyck she most definitely is not. On it's own terms an okay film but doesn't hold up to comparison to its source material. See more Read all reviews

A Song Is Born

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