Birth of the Blues (1941)
Strike Up The Band ! * Here comes happiness . . . in a merry medley of romance . . . and rhythm !
87 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.
- Release date
- November 7, 1941
- Country of origin
- United States
Cast
- Bing Crosby as Jeff Lambert
- Mary Martin as Betty Lou Cobb
- Brian Donlevy as Memphis
- Carolyn Lee as Aunt Phoebe Cobb
- Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson as Louey
- J. Carrol Naish as Blackie
- Warren Hymer as Limpy
- Horace McMahon as Wolf
- Ruby Elzy as Ruby
- Jack Teagarden as Pepper
Crew
- Victor Schertzinger · Director
- Harry Tugend · Writer
- Walter DeLeon · Writer
- Monta Bell · Producer
- William C. Mellor · Cinematographer
- Paul Weatherwax · Editor