The music, the story, and Virginia Mayo, all great here.
Honey Swanson finds out that her gangster boyfriend is under investigation by the police, she hides out at a musical research institute run by Professor Hobart Frisbee. The institute is run purely by bachelors, and the arrival of Honey turns heads in more ways than one, especially the affable Frisbee.Howard Hawks remakes his 1941 film Ball of Fire, only where that film had the main protagonists learning about slang, A Song Is Born is a musical based around delightful swing and jazz. As many of the other users here have pointed out, this is a must for music fans, the music is quite simply brilliant, boasting the talents of Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Mel Powell and Lionel Hampton, it's no small wonder that the film is an immense foot tapper from the top draw.
However, not much is said as regards the other good stuff available in the picture, for instance those who have an aversion to Danny Kaye need not worry here, he has been reigned in by Hawks to give a very subtle comedy performance, yes, a little trade mark pratfall here and there exists, but it's a highly effective and charming turn from him. Rarely mentioned, also, is the sultry and pleasing turn from Viriginia Mayo, she looks fab and some of her scenes are a joy to observe, witness her first sequence at the institute, where the old boys get hot under the collar as she whirls her sexuality, I know how they feel, because I was feeling it too!
This is a smashing film, one that had me grinning all the way through, a big foot tapper with heart and smiles, well that will do for me.
"Ever since that woman crossed this threshold, a prairie fire of orgiastic events has swept thru this house" 8/10
score 8/10
hitchcockthelegend 10 August 2008
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1927631/35522
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