The Five Pennies (1959)

Great Film overall

As Good As It Gets

Admirable film.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Red Nichols arrived in New York, having been hired by Wil Paradise to play his trumpet with his band. Nichols, a talented man from Ogden, Utah, didn't care much for the music Paradise was playing at the time. New York in the 1920s was the place to be because of the music that was being created. Nichols had a bad effect on band leaders, as he tended to irritate them with his comments. He worked on radio, which was broadcast live, but he always managed to enrage the right people.One good thing that came out of those experiences was meeting Willa Stutsman, whom he married. Nichols made a name for himself with the band he created. It toured the country extensively, until his daughter Dorothy was born. The young girl had to be given an education and a nurturing place in which to learn and develop. Unfortunately, the girl wanted to be with her parents. When she developed polio, Nichols' world came crashing down on him and his wife. They decided to move to California where the climate would be better for the girl and he ended up working on a ship yard during the days of WWII.It was through some of the musicians that had played for Nichols, like Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, and many others that Red made a somewhat successful, if small, come back doing the kind of music he liked. Red Nichols left behind a lot of pleasant songs that will be considered standards and will never die.Melville Shavelson contributed to the screenplay and also directed this biopic that is seldom seen these days. The film offers a glimpse to the man that loved music and is defeated because of the love for his daughter. Danny Kaye made a valuable contribution in giving life to Red Nichols. Mr. Kaye was a man who always managed to be funny in a subtle kind of way, as he shows here. Best thing in the film is his duet with Louis Armstrong in a rendition of "When the Saints go Marching In". The star also shows he could blow a horn.The supporting cast is excellent. Barbara Bel Geddes does a fine job with her "Bobbie", as Willa called herself professionally. Harry Guardino is impressive because of his fine take of Tony Valani, the man that saw Nichols' talent from the start. Tuesday Weld appears as the teenager Dorothy and Susan Gordon plays her as a young girl.The film will not disappoint thanks to the great work of its star, Danny Kaye.

"The Five Pennies" is an easy movie to fall in love with. It's part musical, part comedy, part drama, and a biopic before the word was ever used. It's enjoyable on nearly every level, and probably one of Danny Kaye's best starring roles. Although the film is 50 years old, the DVD format is its saving grace because the sound and color have been properly restored, and it's a good thing, too.Danny Kaye is perhaps the best thing about this movie. He remains one of the only comedians whose comedy remained 100% clean while still being funny. He truly shows his talent here for both being funny and musical, even though he faked playing the trumpet. Perhaps his best scenes were with Louis Armstrong, especially when he sings their rendition of "When The Saints Go Marching In". That scene is a riot, and really shows how truly talented both performers were. There's no doubt that scene was improvised.The movie told a really good story, even though it may be familiar to anyone who has ever seen a biopic. Judging from the fact that I had never heard of Red Nichols before seeing this movie and was still interested in knowing more about him after the movie was complete, this movie probably did it's job well about making the man worth knowing about. The DVD should have included some facts about the man and the legend, but you can't always get the special edition DVDs all the time.That being said, there was about 20 minutes that could have been cut out of the movie. Especially in the later parts with Nichols' daughter, some of the movie dragged a little bit and felt a bit slow compared to what it was in the beginning. It could be because when Nichols went into semi-retirement, he became disgruntled because music wasn't a part of his life anymore. Seeing Kaye go from happy-go-lucky to irritable was a bit much. It's not to say that those parts shouldn't have belonged. It's just that the pacing could have been steadier, and made that part of the film more interesting.Other than that, the movie was very good and a true testament both to the power of jazz music and to the immense talent of Danny Kaye. I actually want to see more of Kaye's films after seeing this one. For that reason, the movie is memorable, worth seeing, and I recommend it.

Danny Kaye is known for his comic roles; for his laughter, his singing, his dancing, his light-hearted humor. But this movie presents a different Danny Kaye - serious, brooding, consumed with guilt, confronted by really serious problems - and here Danny Kaye shines. This movie is proof that if he had to, Danny Kaye could have been one of the greatest dramatic actors in the history of motion pictures. There is no question about that. In this movie, Kaye puts aside the clowning to play a subdued, moody and introspective character who nevertheless is still likable and worthy of attention. And it works! In the movie he wins over the audience, he wins over his family, he wins over his friends. And who can ever forget the scene with Louis Armstrong? Kaye's character overcomes all obstacles to triumph and to be loved. Only a highly skilled and sensitive actor could have done the job, and in this movie Danny Kaye proved that he had the requisite qualities to transform what could have been little more than a sudsy soap opera into a powerful statement about a man who, along with his family, not only survives but sets an example for others. For this reason, this movie is a powerful and compelling work of art.

It's a brilliant, pure comedy and until frank. Also, it is very human and sensitive that allows to find noble and hopeful feelings. From the musical point of view it's excellent, and the medley (Good Night Sleep Tight - Lullaby in ragtime - Five little pennies) is a true and wonderful discovery. The performances are memorable. The grace of Danny Kaye is incomparable, and the charisma of Satchmo flows naturally.