Birth of the Blues
Birth of the Blues is a 1941 American musical film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Mary Martin and Brian Donlevy. The plot loosely follows the origins and breakthrough success of the Original Dixieland Jass Band in New Orleans. It was well received by critics on its release. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score.
Moving ahead we find Jeff Crosby in his late twenties, and he and his boys have been unable to secure a job at any of the classier New Orleans cabarets and have been forced to limit their playing to street corners and to onenight stands in some of the dingier nightclubs. When his lead trombone player asks Jeff why the band cant seem to get anywhere, Jeff replies that he thinks the main problem is that the group lacks a hot trumpet player. He begins to search throughout New Orleans in the hope of finding a trumpet man who can fill the bill. He finds one in a local jail and promises to bail the fellow out as soon as he can raise the money. This he does, and the trumpet player, named Memphis Brian Donlevy, agrees to become a member of Jeffs band.At the same time, Jeff notices a young lady called Betty Lou Mary Martin being overcharged by a horsecab driver. He takes pity on her and her Aunt Phoebe Carolyn Lee and he invites them to stay with him. Memphis is attracted to Betty Lou and he gets her a job at a club owned by Blackie J.Carrol Naish and she agrees to the job if Blackie will take on Jeffs band and he reluctantly agrees to do so. ........
Source: Wikipedia
