Birth of the Blues 82 years old

Strike Up The Band ! * Here comes happiness . . . in a merry medley of romance . . . and rhythm !

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.

Credits

Birth of the Blues Cast

Name Character
J. Carrol Naish He was 45, 77 years old when he died as Blackie
Brian Donlevy He was 40, 71 years old when he died as Memphis
Roscoe Ates He was 46, 67 years old when he died as Cab Driver (uncredited)
Cecil Kellaway He was 48, 79 years old when he died as Granet
Barbara Pepper She was 26, 54 years old when she died as Maizie
Warren Hymer He was 35, 42 years old when he died as Limpy
Louis Armstrong He was 40, 69 years old when he died as Louis Armstrong (archive footage)
Charles Lane He was 36, 102 years old when he died as Wilbur - Theater Manager (uncredited)
Jimmy Dorsey He was 37, 53 years old when he died as Himself, Jimmy Dorsey (archive footage)
Tommy Dorsey He was 35, 51 years old when he died as Tommy Dorsey (archive footage)
Bing Crosby He was 38, 74 years old when he died as Jeff Lambert
Harry Rosenthal He was 41, 52 years old when he died as Piano Player
Horace McMahon He was 35, 65 years old when he died as Wolf
Benny Goodman He was 32, 77 years old when he died as Himself, Benny Goodman (archive footage)
Mantan Moreland He was 39, 71 years old when he died as Black Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson He was 36, 71 years old when he died as Louey
Ronnie Cosby He was 13, 82 years old when he died as Jeff as a Boy
Donald Kerr He was 2, 37 years old when he died as Skeeter, Barbershop Musician
Jack Teagarden He was 36, 58 years old when he died as Pepper
Ruby Elzy She was 33, 35 years old when she died as Ruby
Danny Beck He was 32, 50 years old when he died as Deek
Mary Martin She was 27, 76 years old when she died as Betty Lou Cobb
Harry Barris He was 35, 57 years old when he died as Suds
Minor Watson He was 51, 75 years old when he died as Henri Lambert
Duke Ellington He was 42, 75 years old when he died as Himself, Duke Ellington (archive footage)
Ted Lewis He was 51, 81 years old when he died as Himself, Ted Lewis (archive footage)

Birth of the Blues Crew

Name Department
Harry Tugend as Story. He was 44 (92) years old when He died Writing
Hans Dreier as Art Direction. He was 56 (81) years old when He died Art
Buddy G. DeSylva as Producer. He was 46 (55) years old when He died Production
William C. Mellor as Director of Photography. He was 38 (59) years old when He died Camera
Ernst Fegté as Art Direction. He was 41 (76) years old when He died Art
Robert Emmett Dolan as Music. He was 35 (66) years old when He died Sound
Paul Weatherwax as Editor. He was 41 (60) years old when He died Editing
Victor Schertzinger as Director. He was 53 (53) years old when He died Directing
Walter DeLeon as Writer. He was 57 (63) years old when He died Writing
Monta Bell as Producer. He was 50 (66) years old when He died Production
Birth of the Blues poster
Birth of the Blues (82 years)

Strike Up The Band ! * Here comes happiness . . . in a merry medley of romance . . . and rhythm !

  • Release day: Friday, November 07, 1941
  • Runtime: 87 minutes