Birth of the Blues

7/27/2025

It’s set in the American Deep South in the late 1930s so of course there are going to be unsavoury racial overtones, but in some ways this films strives to suggest that by using jazz music and the wholesomeness of Bing Crosby, there might be some green shoots of desegregation starting to emerge. The young “Jeff” is a pretty prodigious talent, but is regularly strapped by his father for playing with “darkie bands” in New Orleans. Undeterred, he grows up (into Bing Crosby) and establishes his own multi-racial and multi-talented band. They struggle to overcome the prejudicial attitudes on the city, though, and it’s only when they hook up with songstress “Betty Lou” (Mary Martin) that they start to get hired. Somewhat predictably, he falls for her but so does his best mate - their cornet playe