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Birth of the Blues (1941) Poster

Full Cast & Crew

Directed by 

Victor Schertzinger

Writing Credits  

Harry Tugend ... (story)
 
Harry Tugend
Walter DeLeon
 
Erwin Gelsey ... (uncredited)
Wilkie C. Mahoney ... (uncredited)

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete  

Bing Crosby ... Jeff Lambert
Mary Martin ... Betty Lou Cobb
Brian Donlevy ... Memphis
Carolyn Lee ... Aunt Phoebe Cobb
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson ... Louey (as Rochester)
J. Carrol Naish ... Blackie
Warren Hymer ... Limpy
Horace McMahon ... Wolf (as Horace MacMahon)
Ruby Elzy Ruby Elzy ... Ruby
Jack Teagarden ... Pepper
Danny Beck Danny Beck ... Deek
Harry Barris ... Suds
Perry Botkin Sr. ... Leo (as Perry Botkin)
Minor Watson ... Henri Lambert
Harry Rosenthal ... Piano Player
Donald Kerr Donald Kerr ... Skeeter, Barbershop Musician
Barbara Pepper ... Maizie
Cecil Kellaway ... Granet
Ronnie Cosby ... Jeff as a Boy (as Ronnie Cosbey)
Ted Lewis ... Ted Lewis
Duke Ellington ... Duke Ellington
Louis Armstrong ... Louis Armstrong
Tommy Dorsey ... Tommy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey ... Jimmy Dorsey
Benny Goodman ... Benny Goodman
Paul Whiteman ... Paul Whiteman
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rose Allen Rose Allen ... Woman in Theater (uncredited)
Joyce Arleen Joyce Arleen ... Child in Theater (uncredited)
Roscoe Ates ... Cab Driver (uncredited)
Kathryn Bates Kathryn Bates ... Woman in Theater (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict ... Dance Floor Extra (uncredited)
Nell Craig ... Woman in Theater (uncredited)
Jimmie Dundee ... Jake - Thug (uncredited)
Pearl Early Pearl Early ... Woman in Theater (uncredited)
Sarah Edwards ... Dowager in Cafe (uncredited)
Edward Emerson Edward Emerson ... Mayor's Son in Cafe (uncredited)
Betty Farrington Betty Farrington ... Woman in Theater (uncredited)
John Gallaudet ... Dude in Pool Parlor (uncredited)
Grace Hayle ... Fat Woman in Cafe (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst ... Headwaiter in Cafe (uncredited)
Payne B. Johnson Payne B. Johnson ... Boy in Theater (uncredited)
Yvonne Jungquist Yvonne Jungquist ... Girl in Illustrated Slides (uncredited)
Alice Keating Alice Keating ... Woman in Theater (uncredited)
Richard Keene ... Stage Manager (uncredited)
Charles Lane ... Wilbur - Theater Manager (uncredited)
Jeni Le Gon ... Black Girl in Jail (uncredited)
Jimmie Lucas Jimmie Lucas ... Man Outside of Jail (uncredited)
James T. Mack James T. Mack ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel ... Black Clarinet Player (uncredited)
John 'Skins' Miller John 'Skins' Miller ... Skinny Man in Cafe (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse ... Cafe Diner (uncredited)
Mantan Moreland ... Black Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer ... Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Joe Ploski ... Dance Extra (uncredited)
Oscar Polk ... Man in Jail (uncredited)
Victor Potel ... Trumpet Player in Beer Garden (uncredited)
Lillian Randolph ... Dancing Woman (uncredited)
Keith Richards ... Man in Illustrated Slides (uncredited)
Cyril Ring ... Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Bert Roach ... Fat Man Sleeping in Theater (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff ... One of Blackie's Thugs (uncredited)
Hayden Stevenson ... Stagehand (uncredited)
Bess Wade Bess Wade ... Woman in Theater (uncredited)
Evelyn West Evelyn West ... Woman in Theater (uncredited)
Pat West Pat West ... Proprietor of Pool Hall (uncredited)
Ernest Whitman ... Fancy-Pants, Doorman (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson ... Man Outside of Jail (uncredited)
Harry Wilson ... One of Blackie's Thugs (uncredited)

Produced by 

Monta Bell ... producer
Buddy G. DeSylva ... producer (uncredited)

Music by 

Robert Emmett Dolan ... (uncredited)

Cinematography by 

William C. Mellor ... director of photography

Editing by 

Paul Weatherwax

Art Direction by 

Hans Dreier
Ernst Fegté

Costume Design by 

Edith Head

Makeup Department 

Robert Ewing ... makeup artist (uncredited)
Mary Ann Jones ... hair stylist (uncredited)
Leonora Sabine ... hair stylist supervisor (uncredited)
Wally Westmore ... makeup supervisor (uncredited)

Production Management 

George C. Bertholon ... production manager (uncredited)
Ed Ebele ... production manager (uncredited)
Harold Schwartz ... unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director 

Alvin Ganzer ... second assistant director (uncredited)
Harry Tugend ... assistant director (uncredited)
Hal Walker ... assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department 

Jim Cottrell ... props (uncredited)
Roy Kreuger ... props (uncredited)
Stephen Seymour ... set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department 

John Cope ... sound recordist
Earl S. Hayman ... sound recordist (as Earl Hayman)

Camera and Electrical Department 

Neal Beckner ... second camera operator (uncredited)
Schuyler A. Sanford ... assistant to second camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department 

Gladys Baxter ... wardrobe (uncredited)
M. Cohn ... wardrobe (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department 

Frank Bracht ... assistant film editor (uncredited)

Music Department 

Robert Emmett Dolan ... music supervisor / musical director
Arthur Franklin ... music advisor
'Pokey' Carriere ... musician: cornet double for Brian Donlevy (uncredited)
Joe Glover ... music arranger: dixieland (uncredited)
John Leipold ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Danny Polo ... musician: clarinet double for Bing Crosby (uncredited)
Walter Scharf ... orchestrator (uncredited)

Additional Crew 

Jerry Donovan ... stand-in (uncredited)
Eda Edson ... dialogue coach (uncredited)
Eleanor Edwards ... secretary (uncredited)
Byron Fitzpatrick ... stand-in (uncredited)
Lee Frederic ... screenplay clerk (uncredited)
Bill Hurley ... livestock supervisor (uncredited)
Bert Lawrence ... comedy gags (uncredited)
Leo Lynn ... stand-in (uncredited)
Eddie Prinz ... dance director (uncredited)
James Vincent ... dialogue director (uncredited)
Dan Wyler ... stand-in (uncredited)
Crew believed to be complete

See also

Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs

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