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39-628: The young Benny Goodman is taught classical clarinet by a Chicago music professor. He is advised by bandleader Kid Ory to play whichever kind of music he likes best. Benny begins his professional career by joining the Ben Pollack traveling band. Later in New York, where his new band gets a lukewarm reception, Benny meets jazz lover John Hammond and his sister Alice. He is invited to the stately Hammond home to perform Mozart's Clarinet Concerto . Alice fears he will be embarrassed, but his playing

78-644: A "German guy" who played in the Chicago symphony, but Ory was turned away after a few lessons. Ory was a member of the original lineup of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five which first recorded on November 12, 1925. His composition " Muskrat Ramble " was included in the Hot Five session in February 1926. During the Great Depression Ory retired from music and did not play again until 1943. In 1941, he

117-524: A major network presentation, there might have been enough publicity to build a successful program, for the content and production are both of a quality far above the norm." Welles had an ongoing battle with the program's sponsor, Mobil, which shortened the life of the series. For example, Welles bristled at a suggestion that if Duke Ellington appeared on the show he should play the role of Welles's servant. Twenty-six broadcasts were produced; all but three shows have survived in private collections and in

156-433: A reduced version of The Mercury Wonder Show . The performances of the all-star jazz band that Welles brought together for the show were an important force in the revival of traditional New Orleans jazz in the 1940s. " The Orson Welles Almanac was a format that intrigued Welles throughout the early 1940s," wrote radio historian John Dunning . "It consisted of everything from odd facts to jazz." The idea of doing such

195-430: A regular feature for his band and was regarded a classic. "I got up right away and began blowing some blues on my horn. I was real sad; Jimmie was my best friend," Ory said. "I found a man to fill in for Jimmie on clarinet. Then I got the band together that afternoon and we rehearsed the tune. On the show that night Mr. Welles explained the situation over the air. I don't mind saying that when we played 'Blues for Jimmie' all

234-413: A romance with Alice Hammond (played by Donna Reed ), whom Goodman eventually married, she says, " Bagels and caviar don't mix." Edward Ory Edward " Kid " Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, trombonist and bandleader . One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of New Orleans jazz . He

273-762: A series of recordings for the Crescent label, which was founded by Nesuhi Ertegun for the express purpose of recording Ory's band. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Ory and his group appeared at the Beverly Cavern in Los Angeles. In 1958, he purchased the Tin Angel nightclub in San Francisco from Peggy Tolk–Watkins, and he renamed it On-The-Levee . The nightclub closed in July 1961, and in 1962

312-632: A time when such proof was needed." Broadcast July 19, 1944, from the Coast Guard camp in Long Beach, California, the final episode of The Orson Welles Almanac ends with a five-minute reading by Welles, "a short story, especially written for me to broadcast by one of the first talents in American literature, John Steinbeck." The story, "With Your Wings", relates the homecoming of a decorated pilot, later revealed to be black, and his realization of

351-497: A variety show occurred to Welles after his success as substitute host of The Jack Benny Program , radio's most popular show. When Jack Benny contracted pneumonia on a performance tour of military bases, Welles hosted four consecutive programs (March 14–April 4, 1943) and was Benny's first guest when he returned to the show April 11, 1943. Orson Welles's variety show was auditioned in New York December 2, 1943, with

390-478: Is a 1944 CBS Radio series directed and hosted by Orson Welles . Broadcast live on the Columbia Pacific Network, the 30-minute variety program was heard Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET January 26 – July 19, 1944. The series was sponsored by Mobilgas and Mobiloil . Many of the shows originated from U.S. military camps, where Welles and his repertory company and guests entertained the troops with

429-407: Is disconcerting to Benny's mother, but by the time her son plays Carnegie Hall , all is well and Mrs. Goodman has personally invited her future daughter-in-law to sit by her side. The following people appeared in the film as themselves: Benny Goodman recorded most of the clarinet for the soundtrack—except for the opening scenes, where the juvenile Goodman is shown practicing the instrument. Goodman

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468-528: Is impeccable and Benny appreciates her concern. Benny's performances on a popular Saturday night radio program result in Fletcher Henderson volunteering to do some arrangements for him. On the west coast, the radio show's early start has made Benny's music a sensation with a younger generation. He puts together a quartet featuring Gene Krupa on drums, Teddy Wilson on piano and Lionel Hampton on vibraphone . The romance with society girl Alice

507-619: The 1811 Kid Ory Historic House opened on the site of Woodland Plantation in LaPlace, Louisiana , which is in the National Register of Historic Places of the United States . The museum is dedicated both to the 1811 German Coast uprising of enslaved people and to Ory. With Red Allen The Orson Welles Almanac The Orson Welles Almanac (also known as Radio Almanac and The Orson Welles Comedy Show )

546-575: The Compton advertising agency representing Mobilgas. The cast included Welles (host) and Duke Ellington (music), with guest spots by Rita Hayworth and Jimmy Durante on an audition record. Billboard reported that plans were under way for scheduling the show. The 30-minute program was heard Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET January 26 – July 19, 1944. The wartime variety show presented readings from classic works, drama, music, sketch comedy, magic, mindreading and personal commentary by Welles. Many of

585-408: The 1910s, hiring many of the great jazz musicians of the city, including the cornetists Joe "King" Oliver , Mutt Carey , and Louis Armstrong , who joined the band in 1919; and the clarinetists Johnny Dodds and Jimmie Noone . In 1919, he moved to Los Angeles —one of several New Orleans musicians to do so at the time—and he recorded there in 1922 with a band that included Mutt Carey,

624-637: The All Star Jazz Combination or the Mercury All Star Jazz Combination) first performed on The Orson Welles Almanac on March 15, 1944. Its last performance was July 12, 1944, on the penultimate show in the series. The performances on Welles's show were so popular that the band became a regular feature, launched Ory's comeback, and was an important force in reviving interest in New Orleans jazz. On

663-532: The All Star Jazz Group featured on The Orson Welles Almanac . Only eight discs were released on the Crescent label, all of them recorded August–November 1944 by the group Ertegun renamed Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band. "Viewed in perspective," Ertegun later wrote, "they are among the most significant jazz records ever made: they gave eloquent proof of the continuing vitality of New Orleans jazz at

702-591: The Angels Sing", he was unable to record his portion for the soundtrack; Mannie Klein performed it, off-camera. Similarly, Red Mack 's performance in the film is played by Alvin Alcorn . Fletcher Henderson is portrayed by Sammy Davis, Sr. , father of Sammy Davis Jr. Talent scout John Hammond was dissatisfied with the way he and the rest of the Hammond family, including his sister Alice, were portrayed in

741-801: The Welles archives at the Lilly Library . A passionate and knowledgeable fan of traditional New Orleans jazz , Welles was part of the social network of Hollywood's Jazz Man Record Shop , a business that opened in 1939 and was instrumental in the worldwide revival of original jazz in the 1940s. In February 1944 Welles asked Marili Morden, proprietor of Jazz Man Records, to put together an authentic jazz band for The Orson Welles Almanac . Within minutes Morden assembled Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass), Jimmie Noone (clarinet), Kid Ory (trombone), Bud Scott (guitar), Zutty Singleton (drums) and Buster Wilson (piano). Noone and Singleton were

780-661: The building was demolished due to the creation of the Embarcadero Freeway . Ory retired from music in 1966, and spent his last years in Hawaii , with the assistance of Trummy Young . Ory died of pneumonia and a heart attack in Honolulu. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City , California. He had a wife named Elizabeth. Ory was Catholic, baptized at St Peter Church in Reserve, Louisiana . In 2021,

819-579: The clarinetist and pianist Dink Johnson , and the string bassist Ed Garland . Garland and Carey were long-time associates who would still be playing with Ory during his 1940s comeback. While in Los Angeles, Ory and his band recorded two instrumentals, " Ory's Creole Trombone " and "Society Blues", as well as a number of songs. They were the first jazz recordings made on the West Coast by an African American jazz band from New Orleans, Louisiana . His band recorded with Nordskog Records ; Ory paid Nordskog for

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858-531: The end, Hammond reluctantly agreed to leave his portrayal in the film, though he sued for $ 50,000 for being portrayed in what he thought was an unflattering manner. The film captures several major moments in Goodman 's life but has been described as less than accurate in details. Goodman's Jewish background is mentioned only implicitly, despite its playing a part in his artistic and personal endeavors for decades. In one scene, where his mother tries to talk him out of

897-472: The express purpose of recording Ory's band. Ory retired from music in 1966 and spent his last years in Hawaii where he died from a heart attack. Ory was born in 1886 to a Louisiana French -speaking family of Black Creole descent, on Woodland Plantation in Laplace , now the site of the 1811 Kid Ory Historic House . Ory started playing music with homemade instruments in his childhood, and by his teens

936-584: The meaning that his achievement has for his family and community. Virtually forgotten, the story was unpublished until November 2014, after a transcript of the broadcast was found in the archives of the University of Texas at Austin by the managing editor of The Strand Magazine . "With Your Wings" was published in the quarterly magazine's holiday issue. Welles had previously presented "With Your Wings" January 25, 1943, on his CBS radio series Ceiling Unlimited . The script and recording are included with

975-399: The morning of the fifth broadcast, April 19, 1944, Jimmie Noone suddenly died at home of a heart attack, aged 48. Welles telephoned Ory and told him of Noone's death, and asked him to write a blues that could be performed for that evening's radio program. "See if you can work one up," Welles said. "We'll call it 'Blues for Jimmie'." In 1952 Ory reflected on writing the tune, which had become

1014-422: The movie. He objected and the next version of the script saw his character completely removed, with all of his actions given over to another character, Willard Alexander, Goodman's manager. Hammond objected even more strenuously, pointing out that, among many other things, Willard Alexander did not host the party in the Hammond mansion where Goodman first played Mozart publicly, nor did he introduce Alice to Benny. In

1053-495: The musicians in the band were crying. So was Mr. Welles, and the audience, too." On the program that evening, Welles spoke extemporaneously for three minutes about Noone while Buster Wilson and Bud Scott played " Sweet Lorraine ", Noone's theme song, in the background. As he did every time the All Star Jazz Group appeared, Welles introduced each musician by name, and that night he introduced New Orleans-born clarinetist Wade Whaley, sitting in for Noone. Clarinetist Barney Bigard

1092-529: The musicians. I took him around to everyone. But Ory was hard of hearing. He said, "What'd you say the name was?" I thought to myself, "Well, we're out of this job now." But Welles said, "Mr. Ory, I'm a great admirer of yours, I have all your records and those where you play with Louis Armstrong and the Hot Seven." Welles became friends with each of the musicians and the band rehearsed at his home before each show. The All Star Jazz Group (which Welles often called

1131-512: The only two musicians who were working regularly. The Depression and the popularity of swing and big band music had forced many jazz musicians out of the business. When Morden and her first husband, Jazz Man founder David Stuart, first discovered Ory in Los Angeles in 1940, he had been retired from music for seven years. He had been sorting mail at the post office, working on his brother's chicken ranch, and gardening at his home. When clarinetist Barney Bigard asked him to join his band in 1942, Ory

1170-405: The pianists Buster Wilson , Cedric Haywood , and Don Ewell ; and the drummer Minor Hall . All but Buckner, Probert, and Ewell were originally from New Orleans. The Ory band was an important force in reviving interest in New Orleans jazz, making popular 1940s radio broadcasts—among them spots on The Orson Welles Almanac program (beginning March 15, 1944). In 1944–1945, the group made

1209-444: The pressings and then sold them with his own label, "Kid Ory's Sunshine Orchestra", at Spikes Brothers Music Store in Los Angeles. In 1925, Ory moved to Chicago , where he was very active, working and recording with Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton , Oliver, Johnny Dodds, Bessie Smith , Ma Rainey , and many others. He mentored Benny Goodman and, later, Charles Mingus . He was said to have attempted to take trombone lessons from

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1248-508: The shows originated from U.S. military camps where Welles and his repertory company and guests entertained the troops with a reduced version of The Mercury Wonder Show . The program aired on the Columbia Pacific Network, heard in California and neighboring states, but no further east than Denver. "Originating in Los Angeles, the program was only aired regionally, not at all in New York," wrote Welles biographer Bret Wood . "Had it been

1287-424: The trumpets and cornets . His use of glissando helped establish it as a central element of New Orleans Jazz. When Ory was living on Jackson Avenue, he was discovered by Buddy Bolden , playing his first new trombone, instead of an old Civil War trombone. Ory's sister said he was too young to play with Bolden. He moved his six-piece band to New Orleans in 1910. Ory had one of the best-known bands in New Orleans in

1326-506: Was a pallbearer at the funeral of Jelly Roll Morton in Los Angeles , California. He ran a chicken farm in Los Angeles. From 1944 to about 1961, he led one of the top New Orleans–style bands of the period. His sidemen during this period included, In addition to Carey and Garland, the trumpeters Alvin Alcorn and Teddy Buckner ; the clarinetists Darnell Howard , Jimmie Noone , Albert Nicholas , Barney Bigard , and George Probert ;

1365-422: Was born near LaPlace, Louisiana and moved to New Orleans on his 21st birthday, to Los Angeles in 1910 and to Chicago in 1925. The Ory band later was an important force in reviving interest in New Orleans jazz, making radio broadcasts on The Orson Welles Almanac program in 1944, among other shows. In 1944–45, the group made a series of recordings for the Crescent label, which was founded by Nesuhi Ertegun for

1404-410: Was brought in to play with the All Star Jazz Group for the remainder of the series. Bigard called Welles "a real swell fellow. He loved jazz and had a great knowledge of it. We used to go up to his house after the broadcasts and he would tell me things about my career that I had forgotten myself." Nesuhi Ertegun founded his first record label, Crescent Records , with the express purpose of recording

1443-507: Was by then so accomplished that he could no longer reproduce the sound of an amateur clarinetist. The film's star, Steve Allen, was himself a pianist but had never played clarinet, and the squeaky attempts of a beginner were the only sounds Allen could make on a clarinet. Thus the clarinet heard during the film's first scenes was played by Steve Allen. Many of Goodman's contemporaries made appearances in this film. However, while Ziggy Elman appeared on screen recreating his trumpet solo on "And

1482-406: Was leading a well-regarded band in southeast Louisiana . He kept LaPlace as his base of operations because of family obligations until his twenty-first birthday, when he moved his band to New Orleans . Ory was a banjo player during his youth, and it is said that his ability to play the banjo helped him develop "tailgate", a particular style of playing the trombone with a rhythmic line underneath

1521-417: Was sweeping out the city morgue for $ 12 a week. "I guess, to be truthful, that there was a lot of New Orleans dixieland players working that couldn't find a job for years," Bigard recalled. "I'll never forget the first day the band rehearsed," recalled Nesuhi Ertegun , who became Morden's business partner and later her husband: Welles came into the studio with his entourage and asked me to introduce him to

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