Wonderful character development!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

In his career Danny Kaye played two real life people in biographical films. One was Hans Christian Andersen, the second was Ernest Lorring 'Red' Nichols in The Five Pennies. Nichols was a redhead and with his flaming carrot top Danny Kaye was only one of two people that could have done the role, the other being Red Buttons.The real Red Nichols was a jazz pioneer who played Dixieland with a lot of the great musicians of the time. The film sticks pretty close to the facts of his life. Jimmy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman all did play with his band and all became legends of their own. The part that Harry Guardino plays as Tony Valenti in real life was a gentleman named Miff Mole who was Nichols best friend and fellow organizer of his Dixieland group. According to the Wikipedia article on Nichols he never stuck with only five musicians, but always kept that band name while he led it. Probably there was more of Danny Kaye than the real Red Nichols in The Five Pennies. But for those of us who are big fans of his that's all right too. Danny's wife and collaborator Sylvia Fine contributed a few songs for him and some jazz standards are interpolated.It is absolutely true that Nichols did leave the music business for a while when his daughter contracted polio. The daughter is played by Susan Gordon and Tuesday Weld at various ages and Barbara Bel Geddes gives some good support as his loyal and faithful wife.No film about Dixieland would have been complete without Louis Armstrong making an appearance. That impromptu jam session with Armstrong wailing out Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey is a solid sender with the real Red Nichols playing with Danny Kaye miming the effect. Just like Harry James did for Kirk Douglas in Young Man With A Horn.Certainly with Red Nichols doing the trumpet for Kaye his seal of approval on the film is without saying. As they did say in Nichols line of work, this film is a solid sender.

I first watched this movie as a youngster of about 10 years of age, and even at that tender age it filled me with great pleasure. I subsequently bought the LP and played it often enough - enough to start wearing out my favourite tracks. Every so often I used to browse various movie catalogues, and suddenly I froze: The movie would be released in DVD format mid-December 2005! I "pre-ordered" my copy, patiently waited for it to arrive, and then Viola! My movie arrived, I watched it, wiped away a tear or two, enjoyed some foot-stomping music and watched true human drama being enacted. This movie is a must, especially for fans of Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong. The cornet is played by the "real" Red Nichols, and is absolutely brilliant! This movie will be enjoyed by all ages and is good, clean wholesome fun, something which is so lacking in most of today's movies. Add it to your collection, you cannot afford to miss this one!

my favorite bit of this film is at the end, I care not how factual it is. I find a lump in my throat every single time I see it and I am usually blubbing like a baby by the end credits. It is a wonderful story of a very talented man and of a great time in musical history, the scenes with 'Satchmo' Louis Armstrong are another particular favorite as he usually steals the scene. The little girl actress put s in a fine and mature performance as 'Red' Nicols's daughter. But as usual Danny Kaye is nothing short of majestic he is perfectly at home miming to Lorne 'Red' Nicols cornet playing. The story is beautiful as is the acting. Don't forget to pack your Kleenex when you watch it though. Excellent family entertainment twenty out of ten......

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.