I had a crush on Danny Kaye when I was a kid; he looked so kind and funny. A Song is Bornfrom 1948 is the only one I have seen again as an adult and I still like it a lot. I didn’t know, until I started to write this post that it is actually a remake of a Ball of Fire from 1941 with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck- I need to find that movie! As I understand it the plot is basically the same, but A Song Is Born is a musical, collecting a number of the times great musicians, like Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong.
The plot is quite improbable. Danny Kaye plays a professor who, along with a couple of other professors, have spent several years writing an encyclopedia over music. To their surprise they find that music has evolved into jazz and Kaye, being youngest, is sent out into the world to investigate. He meet Virginia Mayo’s nightclub singer and invites her, along with other musicians, to come and play their music for the professors. She isn’t interested, but when her gangster boyfriend tells her to go underground for a while, she realizes that accepting the invite will give her a perfect hide-out. Perhaps I don’t need to tell you that Kaye’s character falls in love with her and she, eventually, falls in love back. The best part of the movie is the music, but Virginia Mayo also have some lovely outfits. I also like her hair and make-up in this movie.
It was difficult to find good pictures, but here are a few.
A video that very nicely show Virginia Mayo’s make-up and hair. Good song too.
And here a clip where you can see her blue dress a bit better.
4 comments:
I love Ball of Fire, and I didn't know it was remade - now I'll have to track down A Song is Born. There's some hot musical numbers in Ball of Fire too, no fear! :)
Beth: How funny! You have to tell me how you like it.
I also love Ball of Fire and didn't know it had been remade! I've always loved Danny Kay, too. I'll have to put this in my netflix cue.
Evie: It's a bit odd to make a re-make after just 7 years, I think.
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