Customer Reviews

A Song is Born

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great movie. It is a re-make of the classic Cooper/Stanwyck movie "Ball of Fire" with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in the lead roles. Before you ask why a re-make was needed, let me say that this is a remake with a twist. The encyclopedia of "Ball of Fire" is now a musical encylclopedia. In addition to getting the expected comedy from Kaye and chemistry between Kaye and Mayo, you also get Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and others performing some great music. If you like the first version or if you like Danny Kaye or both, don't pass this one up.

"A Song Is Born"
(MGM, 1948)
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An excellent 1948 remake, by director Howard Hawks, of Howard Hawks' excellent 1941 comedy, "Ball of Fire," in which a group of fusty, out-of-touch professors are taken in by a tough-talking, vivacious modern gal who shows them a thing or two about the fast-talking modern world.

Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck starred in the original; here, their parts are played by Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, and instead of the gal being a burlesque girl, here she's a nightclub singer. This is handy because in 1948, the perfessers are interested in jazz music, and through diligent work they pull in an amazing all-star band of some of the hottest musicians of the big band era: Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnett, Tommy Dorsey, Lionel Hampton, Mel Powell, The Golden Gate Quartet and a slew of others. Benny Goodman is doubly delicious in his role as a clarinet-toting fuddy-duddy professor who cuts loose when he's exposed to swing.

As remakes go, this is a remarkably durable film. The original is one of my favorite screwball comedies, but this version is also pretty fun, and the musical numbers are not to be missed. Danny Kaye is more believable as a nervous, repressed ivory tower academic, although a great deal of the charm of the original was the casting against type of the virile he-man movie idol Gary Cooper. It's Stanwyck who is really missed here, but Mayo does fine. (Besides, if I want to see Stanwyck, I'll just go back to the original...) All in all, this is a funny, funky film, with some great, hot musical interludes. Definitely worth checking out! (Joe Sixpack, Slipcue film review blog)

im blown away that this film took so long to get a good dvd treatment. one of the best musicals ive ever seen.

Danny Kaye plays a stodgy and reclusive music professor who is working with a group of similar doddering oldsters who are attempting to catalog the roots of music from the ancient past to the present, but due to their ivory tower studies, they've missed the big band, bebop, rag and jazz sensations that were sweeping the nation in the early part of the 20th century. Virginia Mayo is the moll of a local gangster who needs a hideout to lay low in and stumbles on the mansion where the musical research and recording is going on, meets Danny and his long-hair group, and exposes them to these modern rhythms, changing the direction of their work considerably.

The music performances are terrific and don't bog the flow of the movie. The comedy is typical Danny Kaye and delightful without getting too silly. The improbable love story between Kaye and Mayo actually works and is cute. This is an unusual case where the remake is better than the original movie.

A treat is that big band leader and clarinetist Benny Goodman appears as one of the professors, and provides a quite acceptable performance both as a book-wormish scholar, and as a musician who discovers he's got jazz chops he didn't know he had.

Mayo plays her usual voluptuous self, the glamorous and sophisticated showgirl on the lam.

This is a classic light movie that showcases some great musical talent and is very entertaining. Highly recommended.

One of Danny Kayes best films,the other being The Court Jester.
A good cosy film to watch when its raining with a hot chocolate.

This is an excellent classic movie. Danny Kaye at his best. A must see movie.

"A Star is Born" was an off beat comedy about cooped up, out of date professors getting dragged into the modern world by a feisty, charming singer who was also a mobster's girlfriend. It starred Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck, and it's good.

"A Song is Born" is the same premise with some of the best musicians of the twentieth century doing cameos, an incredible soundtrack, and Danny Kaye in all of his comedic glory--- It is GREAT!

Frankly, this movie made me fall in love with Danny Kaye and swing in one fell swoop. Once I found out who Benny Goodman was, it was even funnier!
Danny Kaye at his best was Robin Williams, Gregory Hines, and the sound effects guy from the 7-up commercials all rolled into one, and he was a pretty good actor to boot. In this movie, he was at his best.

I am thrilled that this is out on DVD. My VHS was worn out.

Forget the unhappy reviews of this movie if you love comedy, if you love music and you admire Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. Their chemisty is excellent here, more so than in Walter Mitty by a long shot. The fabulous musicians from that era are nearly ALL on this legendary film playing and if you do nothing else, study their talent and style. This movie offers romance, comedy, thugs (ok, not always believable thugs but how do you honestly make thugs scary in a jazz music based comedy? This is a GREAT FAMILY FILM or date night film for those who do not live on modern digital mashmotion adrenaline hits every few seconds. It's a sweet, sexy love story from a gentler era when men were men and women were ladies...or, at least they could be if somebody really loved them.

I love Danny kaye. He puts all modern day actors to shame. Is is the most talented actor. Singing, Dancing and no one does comedy better. I am so pleased to add this to my collection of Danny kaye movies. Any Danny kaye movie is a must have if you want real entertainment.

This is another super DVD musical comedy of Danny Kaye & Virgina Mayo.
Their chemistry and acting talents are outstanding and joyous.
Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman exemplified first rate musical talents.
Don't miss this one!