The Fabulous Dorseys [Blu-ray]

Director: Alfred E. Green Alfred E. Green

Overview

Based on the lives of big-band stars Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, this biographical chronicle begins with their childhood in an industrial Pennsylvania town. Encouraged in their musical talents by their father, the Dorsey brothers' sibling rivalry proves to be a stumbling block until the their father's death gives them the momentum they need to rise to fame, and they are eventually considered to be among the best bandleaders of the swing era. Appearances by Charlie Barnet, Art Tatum, and Bob Eberly jazz up the musical numbers, featuring such songs as "Green Eyes," "Everybody's Doin' It," "Marie," and "I'll Never Say Never Again."

Product Details

Release Date:	12/14/2021
UPC:	0760137709282
Original Release:	1947
Source:	Film Detective
Language:	English
Time:	1:28:00
Sales rank:	29,703

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tommy Dorsey	Himself,Himself
Janet Blair	Jane Howard
Paul Whiteman	Himself - Bandleader
William Lundigan	Bob Burton
Sara Allgood	Mrs. Dorsey
Arthur Shields	Mr.Dorsey
James Flavin	Gorman
William Bakewell	Eddie
Dave Willock	Foggy
Bobby Warde	Young Tommy
Buz Buckley	Young Jimmy
Ann Carter	Young Jane
Tom Dugan	Waiter
Jackie Searl	Joe
James Taggart	Phil
Hal K. Dawson	Artie
Sherry Sherwood	Herself
Edward Clark	Hotel Clerk
Andrew Tombes	De Witt
Jack Roper	Radio Station Attendant
Charlie Barnet	Himself - Bandleader
Henry Busse	Himself
Mike Pingatore	Himself
Ziggy Elman	Himself - Musician
Bob Eberly	Himself - Band Vocalist
Helen O'Connell	Herself - Band Vocalist
Art Tatum	Himself
Stuart Foster	Himself
Ray Bauduc	Himself

Technical Credits

Art Arthur

Richard English

Curtis Kenyon

Alfred E. Green	Director
John W. Rogers	Producer,Producer
Alfred Schmid	Special Effects
Art Arthur	Screenwriter
Richard English	Screenwriter
Curtis Kenyon	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The Fabulous Dorseys is far from a fabulous movie, but it does have some fabulous moments. It's easy to pinpoint those fabulous moments: they happen whenever the dialogue stops and the music begins. Of course, it's natural for the numbers in a musical to be the highlights, but rarely is there such a discrepancy between the spoken and the played/sung. Also, viewers should be warned that Dorseys is not a musical in which the songs generally advance the plot; these are "numbers," interludes of beautiful music that do little to define character, progress the story or even (with some exceptions) create an emotion that is especially relevant to what is going on in the plot. Viewers should also be warned that not only is the dialogue bland (at best) and the plot contrived, but there's also a big problem with the lead actors: Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey can't act. Not even a little. And with the exceptions of Janet Blair, Sara Allgood, and Arthur Shields, there's precious little acting contributed by anyone else in the film, either. But if you're a devotee of great swing music, in Dorseys it is worth slogging through the non-musical portions just to hear the Dorseys and their instrumentalist buddies in top form, along with wonderful vocal contributions from Blair and Helen O'Connell.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler