The Five Pennies (1959)

Director
Melville Shavelson

Main cast
Danny Kaye; Barbara Bel Geddes; Louis Armstrong; Harry Guardino; Bob Crosby

Genres
Drama, Music

Description
The musical biopic of jazz great Red Nichols features a healthy dose of melodrama along with the melodies. As the famed Dixieland cornetist, he runs into opposition to his sound, but breaks through to success. He marries a warm, patient woman (Bel Geddes) and even finds time to raise a family. Then tragedy strikes when their daughter contracts polio. The jazzman puts down his horn to stand by her.


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