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  • Birth of the Blues (1941)
  • Passed
    87 min | History, Music, Romance
Birth of the Blues (1941)
Passed
87 min | History, Music, Romance

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...See moreJeff 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 Louey to show her how to do scat singing. Memphis and Jeff both fall in love with Betty Lou. Written by Lisa Grable See less
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Release date
Nov 7, 1941 (United States)

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Cast

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74 cast members
Name Known for
Bing Crosby
Jeff Lambert Jeff Lambert   See fewer
Mary Martin
Betty Lou Cobb Betty Lou Cobb   See fewer
Brian Donlevy
Memphis Memphis   See fewer
Carolyn Lee
Aunt Phoebe Cobb Aunt Phoebe Cobb   See fewer
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
Louey (as Rochester) Louey (as Rochester)   See fewer
J. Carrol Naish
Blackie Blackie   See fewer
Horace McMahon
Wolf (as Horace MacMahon) Wolf (as Horace MacMahon)   See fewer
Perry Botkin Sr.
Leo (as Perry Botkin) Leo (as Perry Botkin)   See fewer
Minor Watson
Henri Lambert Henri Lambert   See fewer
Harry Rosenthal
Piano Player Piano Player   See fewer
Donald Kerr
Skeeter, Barbershop Musician Skeeter, Barbershop Musician   See fewer
Ronnie Cosby
Jeff as a Boy (as Ronnie Cosbey) Jeff as a Boy (as Ronnie Cosbey)   See fewer
Ted Lewis
Ted Lewis Ted Lewis   See fewer
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington Duke Ellington   See fewer
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong   See fewer
Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey   See fewer
Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey Jimmy Dorsey   See fewer
Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman Benny Goodman   See fewer
Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman Paul Whiteman   See fewer
Rose Allen
Woman in Theater (uncredited) Woman in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Joyce Arleen
Child in Theater (uncredited) Child in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Roscoe Ates
Cab Driver (uncredited) Cab Driver (uncredited)   See fewer
Kathryn Bates
Woman in Theater (uncredited) Woman in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Brooks Benedict
Dance Floor Extra (uncredited) Dance Floor Extra (uncredited)   See fewer
Mildred Boyd
Cake Walker (uncredited) Cake Walker (uncredited)   See fewer
Nell Craig
Woman in Theater (uncredited) Woman in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Dudley Dickerson
Cake Walker (uncredited) Cake Walker (uncredited)   See fewer
Jimmie Dundee
Jake - Thug (uncredited) Jake - Thug (uncredited)   See fewer
Pearl Early
Woman in Theater (uncredited) Woman in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Sarah Edwards
Dowager in Cafe (uncredited) Dowager in Cafe (uncredited)   See fewer
Edward Emerson
Mayor's Son in Cafe (uncredited) Mayor's Son in Cafe (uncredited)   See fewer
Betty Farrington
Woman in Theater (uncredited) Woman in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
John Gallaudet
Dude in Pool Parlor (uncredited) Dude in Pool Parlor (uncredited)   See fewer
Grace Hayle
Fat Woman in Cafe (uncredited) Fat Woman in Cafe (uncredited)   See fewer
Patsy Hunter
Cake Walker (uncredited) Cake Walker (uncredited)   See fewer
Brandon Hurst
Headwaiter in Cafe (uncredited) Headwaiter in Cafe (uncredited)   See fewer
Mae E. Johnson
Cake Walker (uncredited) Cake Walker (uncredited)   See fewer
Payne B. Johnson
Boy in Theater (uncredited) Boy in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Matthew Jones
Cake Walker (uncredited) Cake Walker (uncredited)   See fewer
Yvonne Jungquist
Girl in Illustrated Slides (uncredited) Girl in Illustrated Slides (uncredited)   See fewer
Alice Keating
Woman in Theater (uncredited) Woman in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Richard Keene
Stage Manager (uncredited) Stage Manager (uncredited)   See fewer
Charles Lane
Wilbur - Theater Manager (uncredited) Wilbur - Theater Manager (uncredited)   See fewer
Jeni Le Gon
Black Girl in Jail (uncredited) Black Girl in Jail (uncredited)   See fewer
Jimmie Lucas
Man Outside of Jail (uncredited) Man Outside of Jail (uncredited)   See fewer
James T. Mack
Undetermined Role (uncredited) Undetermined Role (uncredited)   See fewer
Sam McDaniel
Black Clarinet Player (uncredited) Black Clarinet Player (uncredited)   See fewer
John 'Skins' Miller
Skinny Man in Cafe (uncredited) Skinny Man in Cafe (uncredited)   See fewer
Bert Moorhouse
Cafe Diner (uncredited) Cafe Diner (uncredited)   See fewer
Mantan Moreland
Black Trumpet Player (uncredited) Black Trumpet Player (uncredited)   See fewer
Edmund Mortimer
Cafe Patron (uncredited) Cafe Patron (uncredited)   See fewer
Joe Ploski
Dance Extra (uncredited) Dance Extra (uncredited)   See fewer
Oscar Polk
Man in Jail (uncredited) Man in Jail (uncredited)   See fewer
Victor Potel
Trumpet Player in Beer Garden (uncredited) Trumpet Player in Beer Garden (uncredited)   See fewer
Lillian Randolph
Cake Walker (uncredited) Cake Walker (uncredited)   See fewer
Keith Richards
Man in Illustrated Slides (uncredited) Man in Illustrated Slides (uncredited)   See fewer
Cyril Ring
Cafe Patron (uncredited) Cafe Patron (uncredited)   See fewer
Bert Roach
Fat Man Sleeping in Theater (uncredited) Fat Man Sleeping in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Baby Face Roberts
Cake Walker (uncredited) Cake Walker (uncredited)   See fewer
Constantine Romanoff
One of Blackie's Thugs (uncredited) One of Blackie's Thugs (uncredited)   See fewer
Hayden Stevenson
Stagehand (uncredited) Stagehand (uncredited)   See fewer
Bess Wade
Woman in Theater (uncredited) Woman in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Evelyn West
Woman in Theater (uncredited) Woman in Theater (uncredited)   See fewer
Pat West
Proprietor of Pool Hall (uncredited) Proprietor of Pool Hall (uncredited)   See fewer
Ernest Whitman
Fancy-Pants, Doorman (uncredited) Fancy-Pants, Doorman (uncredited)   See fewer
Guy Wilkerson
Man Outside of Jail (uncredited) Man Outside of Jail (uncredited)   See fewer
Harry Wilson
One of Blackie's Thugs (uncredited) One of Blackie's Thugs (uncredited)   See fewer
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