A Song Is Born (1948)

Synopsis: Director Howard Hawks's remake of his classic Ball of Fire for producer Samuel Goldwyn, with Danny Kaye in the original Gary Cooper role. Cooper played a gauche professor compiling a dictionary of slang; here the plot's updated to a study of jazz, and on hand are some of its greatest exponents, including Benny Goodman (who almost acts!), Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet and Tommy Dorsey.

That in itself should be recommendation enough. In Hawks's canon this is a trifle, though it has interest as the director's first film in colour.

Cast: Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo
Runtime: 119 min