The Five Pennies (1959)

Musical light drama based on the true-life story of Loring “Red” Nichols (Danny Kaye), a cornet player who rises to fame but has to juggle his career with his responsibilities to his wife (Barbara Bel Geddes of “Miss Ellie from Dallas” fame) and daughter (played by both Susan Gordon and Tuesday Weld). The Dixieland jazz is lively and entertaining, and Louis Armstrong (appearing as himself) is a delight.

The human drama material is slightly less convincing, with Bel Geddes seeming oddly stiff and inanimate – the very opposite of Danny Kaye. You wish they’d hired Doris Day instead for that part, but perhaps they wanted someone who wouldn’t upstage the main star. 

It’s vividly colourful and there’s a lot of charm. In some ways it’s similar to Young Man with a Horn. 

Danny Kaye is a treat to watch, and genuinely funny too.