Yummy
Professor Hobart Frisbee (Danny Kaye - Wonder Man) and his musical colleagues have been cooped away for a long time trying to not only write the definitive encyclopaedia of music but record the music as well. But out of the blue they discover that whilst they have been busy in the musical research institute, music has actually moved on forcing Frisbee to spend some time going around the clubs to discover all this new music going on. To help with trying to understand this music Honey Swanson (Virginia Mayo - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) goes to the institute where Frisbee finds himself falling for her. What he doesn't know is that Honey is a gangster's moll and her gangster boyfriend is under investigation by the police which means she is in hiding from the authorities.
It is said that when Danny Kaye was making "A Song Is Born" he was not in a good way as he had separated from his wife and was seeing a psychiatrist to help him deal with the mes his life was in. And to be honest I can believe it as "A Song Is Born" is not classic Danny Kaye and rather than delivering the wonderful comedy he was great at that comedy seems to be more there as a conduit for all the music which flies about around him. Kaye isn't the only one who doesn't deliver their usual sparkling performance as Virginia Mayo seems to be busy trying to play her part like Barbara Stanwyck played it in "Ball of Fire", which this is a musical remake of. As such whilst the acting is okay and the storyline is fun it isn't what really makes "A Song Is Born" worth watching.
But "A Song Is Born" is still entertaining and much of that comes from the musical side of things with a cast full of great musicians, some of which I have never heard of. Every single musical scene just grabs your attention because of the catchy nature of the music and because each of the musicians delivers so much enthusiasm that it borders on being infectious. In fact I would almost be happy if there was less story and just a series of musical scenes as these are simply the best part of "A Song Is Born".
What this all boils down to is that "A Song Is Born" features some of the most enjoyable musical scenes you will come across in a musical with so many talented musicians giving them plenty of energy. But sadly this is not classic Danny Kaye whilst Virginia Mayo's natural talents seem inhibited by trying to act her part like another actress would.
