A Song Is Born
Seven scholars set out on a quest to learn swing music from an expert, and they appear to have found the perfect mentor in the winsome nightclub singer Honey Swanson. But Honey's gangster boyfriend refuses to let her go.
Director(s)
Howard Hawks
Cast & Crew
Details
Reviews
CinemaSerf
After two minutes you will spot the obvious similarity with "Ball of Fire" (1941). Swap Gary Cooper with Danny Kaye and Barbara Stanwyck with Virginia Mayo then add some fantastic musicianship from the likes of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Sonny Burke et al, and we have a gently amusing story of a professor (of music this time) who falls for the gangster's moll. "Honey" (Mayo) takes refuge from the pursuing FBI with a bunch of dithery professors creating an over budget dictionary of music and soon the hapless "Prof. Frisbee" (Kaye) is eating out of her hand. The gangster elements of the plot are just a little too contrived: her boyfriend "Crow" (Steve Cochran) maintains this new situation to keep her from testifying against him - until, that is - he can make arrangements to marry her, but in the meantime might she start to fall for poor old "Frisbee"? Neither lead are on great form here, Kaye seems oddly distracted from his role and Mayo always was quite a sterile performer, but there is still enough chemistry between them and, alongside a fun effort from Esther Dale as their somewhat puritanical housekeeper "Miss Bragg" this works ok. Essentially, it's an excuse for some great toe-tappers with a gently simmering romance and some slightly slapstick humour. It's fun to watch and to listen to, and though I still preferred the original it is diverse enough from that to stand well enough on it's own.
A Song Is Born FAQs
Howard Hawks is the director of A Song Is Born.
The cast of A Song Is Born includes Felix Bressart as Professor Gerkikoff, Paul Langton as Joe, Ben Welden as Monte, O.Z. Whitehead as Professor Oddly, J. Edward Bromberg as Dr. Elfini, Sidney Blackmer as Adams, Mary Field as Miss Totten, Howland Chamberlain as Mr. Setter, Esther Dale as Miss Bragg, Hugh Herbert as Professor Twingle, Charlie Barnet as Charlie Barnet, Virginia Mayo as Honey Swanson, and more.
The duration of A Song Is Born is 1h 53 mins.
A Song Is Born was released on 19 Oct 1948.
A Song Is Born is listed under Comedy and Music on Fanbiz.
A Song Is Born has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 7.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "After two minutes you will spot the obvious similarity with "Ball of Fire" (1941). Swap Gary Cooper with Danny Kaye and Barbara Stanwyck with Virginia Mayo then add some fantast..."
