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A Song Is Born ()

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With her gangster boyfriend under investigation by the police, a nightclub singer hides out in a musical research institution staffed by bachelor professors - one of whom begins to fall for her.
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Photos and Videos

57 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Professor Hobart Frisbee
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Honey Swanson
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Professor Magenbruch
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Tommy Dorsey
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Louis Armstrong
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Lionel Hampton
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Charlie Barnet
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Mel Powell
Ford Washington Lee ...
Buck
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Bubbles (as John William Sublett)
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The Page Cavanaugh Trio (as The Page Cavanaugh Trio)
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The Golden Gate Quartette (as The Golden Gate Quartet)
Samba Kings ...
The Samba Kings (as Russo and The Samba Kings)
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Professor Twingle
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Tony Crow
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Dr. Elfini
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Professor Gerkikoff
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Professor Traumer (as Ludwig Stossel)
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Professor Oddly
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Miss Bragg
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Miss Totten
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Mr. Setter (as Howland Chamberlin)
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Joe
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Adams
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Monte
Ben Chasen ...
Ben
Peter Virgo ...
Louis
Harry Babasin ...
Bass
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Drums
Alton Hendrickson ...
Guitar
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Juliette Ball ...
Woman at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
Shirley Ballard ...
Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Headwaiter at Barnet Club (uncredited)
Norman Blake ...
Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Lennie Bluett ...
Man at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
The Brazilians ...
Performers (uncredited)
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Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Lucille Casey ...
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Policeman at Twin Oaks Inn (uncredited)
Peter Cusanelli ...
Chef at Dixieland Club (uncredited)
Vivian Dandridge ...
Patron at The Chocolate Club (uncredited)
Roy Darmour ...
Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Adams' Henchman (uncredited)
Carl Faulkner ...
Postman (uncredited)
Maxine Fife ...
Woman at Barnet Club (uncredited)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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Man at Table (uncredited)
Louise Franklin ...
Woman at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman ...
Detective from D.A.'s Office (uncredited)
Diane Garrett ...
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Woman at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Norma Gentner ...
Girl with Samba Kings (uncredited)
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Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
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Detective from D.A.'s Office (uncredited)
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Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Charles Hawkins ...
Nightclub Patron at The Chocolate Club (uncredited)
John Impolito ...
Chef at the Dixieland (uncredited)
Eugene Jackson ...
Nightclub patron (uncredited)
Freddie Jackson ...
Nightclub patron (uncredited)
Marjorie Jackson ...
Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Donald Kerr ...
Waiter at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Stage Doorman at the Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Chef at Dixieland Club (uncredited)
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Waiter at the Dixieland Club (uncredited)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Frank Meredith ...
Policeman at Toll Gate (uncredited)
Jill Meredith ...
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Beverlee Mitchell ...
Girl at Table (uncredited)
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Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Woman at Chocolate Club (uncredited)
Gene Morgan ...
Man at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Chorine at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Janie New ...
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Milicent Patrick ...
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Man at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
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Man at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
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Waiter (uncredited)
Jeri Sullavan ...
Honey Swanson (uncredited) (singingVoice)
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Woman at Crow's Nest (uncredited)
Pat Walker ...
Photographer at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Alice Wallace ...
Woman at Dorsey Club (uncredited)
Don Wilmot ...
Messenger (uncredited)

Directed by

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Howard Hawks

Written by

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Billy Wilder ... (based on the story "From A to Z" by) and
Thomas Monroe ... (based on the story "From A to Z" by)
 
Harry Tugend ... (adaptation) (uncredited)
 
Helen McSweeney ... (dialogue director) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Samuel Goldwyn ... producer

Music by

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Hugo Friedhofer ... (uncredited)
Emil Newman ... (uncredited)

Cinematography by

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Gregg Toland ... director of photography

Editing by

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Daniel Mandell

Editorial Department

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William Fritzsche ... associate color director: Technicolor
Natalie Kalmus ... color director: Technicolor

Art Direction by

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Perry Ferguson
George Jenkins

Set Decoration by

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Julia Heron ... (set decorations)

Costume Design by

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Irene Sharaff ... (as Sharaff)

Makeup Department

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Marie Clark ... hair stylist
Robert Stephanoff ... makeup
Mel Berns ... makeup department head (uncredited)

Production Management

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Leon Fromkess ... executive in charge of production (uncredited)
Raoul Pagel ... production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Joseph Boyle ... assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Fred Lau ... sound recorder
Larry Gannon ... sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Harry Redmond Jr. ... special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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John P. Fulton ... special photographic effects (as John Fulton)

Camera and Electrical Department

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W. Howard Greene ... director of photography (uncredited)
Ralph Hoge ... grip (uncredited)
Hal McAlpin ... still photographer (uncredited)
Bert Shipman ... camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department

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Hugo Friedhofer ... musical director
Emil Newman ... musical director
Sonny Burke ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Fletcher Henderson ... music arranger (uncredited)
Louis Kaufman ... musician: violin (uncredited)
Jerome Moross ... composer: additional music (uncredited)
Jeri Sullavan ... singing voice: Virginia Mayo (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Sam Freedle ... script supervisor (uncredited)
Anita Speer ... script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Samuel Goldwyn ... presenter
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Gangster's moll Honey Swanson goes into hiding when her boyfriend is under investigation by the police. Where better to hide than a musical research institute staffed entirely by lonely bachelors? She gets more than she bargained for when the head of the institute Professor Hobart Frisbee starts to fall for her. Written by Col Needham

Plot Keywords
Taglines Danny's latest is his greatest! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • That's Life (United States)
  • Si bémol et fa dièse (France)
  • Neix una cançó (Spain, Catalan title)
  • Nace una canción (Spain)
  • Die tollkühne Rettung der Gangsterbraut Honey Swanson (West Germany)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 113 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $2,400,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia Danny Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, was also his personal composer/writer. However, Fine refused to take part in any more of Kaye's projects because he had recently left her for actress Eve Arden. Kaye did not want anyone else writing songs for him, so he simply did not perform any songs in this movie. See more »
Goofs Whilst at the resort, with everyone sitting around the table, the candles are different lengths depending on the angle of the shot. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022). See more »
Soundtracks A Song Is Born See more »
Quotes Honey Swanson: [about Frisbee] Yes, I love him. I love those hick shirts he wears with the boiled collars and the way he always has his coat buttoned wrong. It looks like a giraffe, and I love him. I love him because he's the sort of a guy that gets drunk on a glass of buttermilk. And I love the way he blushes right up over his ears. I love him because he... he doesn't know how to kiss, the jerk.
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