The Five Pennies

Very moving movie based on the life of Red Nichols. If I may dare to say this, this is better music film than the venerable Benny Goodman Story. Performance, the music, and story is all first class. I know this movie influenced many people, one of them being my friend who picked up clarinet after seeing this movie. The movie is very inspirational in terms of family value. Despite his profession, Red is portrayed as a solid family man which probably wasn't too far from the fact. He was also known to be a consummate professional, and a hard worker. In this movie we get to see the values of American people of 80 years ago. Back then polio was crippling many people, as it happened to Nichol's daughter. If it was today, I don't think the husband and wife would have stayed married if the husband was traveling around the country in his band. This movie is the best of its kind, and will forever remain a classic.

Small town cornet player Red Nichols (Danny Kaye) moves from New Orleans to New York City in the 1920s. He joins a big band led by Wil Paradise (Bob Crosby) who is unwilling to listen to any of his new music ideas. He goes on a date with Willa Stutsman (Barbara Bel Geddes) who thinks that he's some kind of country hick. He is amazed by trumpet player Louis Armstrong (Louis Armstrong). Years later after leaving the business, his teenage daughter Dorothy (Tuesday Weld) urges him to return to music. It's a very straight forward biopic for the first half or so. It does have the comedy of Danny Kaye and some good music from the likes of Louis Armstrong. It's cute but simple. When the little girl shows up, the cuteness is multiplied. The movie then has its first true roadblock for his life. The sacrifice, the love, and family become very compelling and very heart-warming. I love that the couple dancing is the bookends of this story. In the end, it's a sweet and touching biopic.

This is an odd one. I look back on 'The Five Pennies' in two parts. The first half of the film is uninteresting and slow, but once the story gets set and the second half comes to fruition it turns into something rather touching - which I didn't expect at all. By the end, I felt truly attached to the characters and their story - but that's weird, given how I didn't enjoy the early stages. Danny Kaye is very good in the lead role of Red, especially towards the end. Susan Gordon (Dorothy, as a kid) impressed me a bunch, she has one fantastic poker scene with Kaye. Barbara Bel Geddes, meanwhile, plays the role of Willa well. The film, a loose biopic on the real Red Nichols, is music-heavy. Early on I think that affects things from a film point of view, but you can at least tell the cast - particularly Kaye and Louis Armstrong (as himself) - are having a fun time. Overall, I think it's lovely - but I can't recall a film that's split my feelings from start-to-finish as much as this did.

This is an excellent musical in the old style where the songs either help progress the plot or fit in with the story line. All the music is well done. How can you lose with Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong singing your songs? Just heard that Susan Gordon (she played the daughter at 6) is on broadway in a play after 35 years away from the stage. Enjoy.

I'm 15 years old and when I saw this movie for the first time about a year ago, I feel in love with it. It is the perfect combo of comedy, romance, and drama. I am a writer and I always add a little of all of those emotions into my stories because it makes it more believeable and realistic as well as more touching. I am now a Danny Kaye fan. He is a wonderful actor and singer. Whenever I see him on while flipping the channels, I will stop and watch. I am also now a fan of classic films of the 1930s and beyond.

my favorite bit of this film is at the end, I care not how factual it is. I find a lump in my throat every single time I see it and I am usually blubbing like a baby by the end credits. It is a wonderful story of a very talented man and of a great time in musical history, the scenes with 'Satchmo' Louis Armstrong are another particular favorite as he usually steals the scene. The little girl actress put s in a fine and mature performance as 'Red' Nicols's daughter. But as usual Danny Kaye is nothing short of majestic he is perfectly at home miming to Lorne 'Red' Nicols cornet playing. The story is beautiful as is the acting. Don't forget to pack your Kleenex when you watch it though. Excellent family entertainment twenty out of ten......

The Five Pennies Danny Kaye plays Red Nichols, a famous coronet player of yesteryear. I found this story a notch better "fair" and nicely aided by the musical talent of Louis Armstrong. Kaye and Armstrong's duet on "When The Saints Go Marching In" is the highlight of the film. For a classic movie, the stereo in here is amazing, especially on the songs. In one instance, there are three people singing and their voices all coming out separately on different speakers. Pretty good for just the tape. Now that a DVD has been released, I wonder what the sound on that is like? The story starts to lag a bit near the end when Kaye starts to feel sorry for himself and this goes on and on as he retires from playing. However, there is a nice, sentimental upbeat ending. Notes: Kaye and Barbara Bel Geddes, who plays Red's wife "Bobbie," never age in the film even though it spans 15 or more years! It's interesting to see Tuesday Weld as a teenager.