Louis Prima: The Wildest!

(1999, dir., Don McGlynn, 85 min.) Thoroughly enjoyable biopic of the entertainer (1910-1978), entirely unobjective and overly adulatory, but redeemed by generous helpings of Luigi's onstage jumpin, jivin, an wailin to da max. Of interest to those unfamiliar with, or even averse to, his music because it captures the gist of the kitsch of the various eras through which Prima's career passed, with engrossing footage of turn-of-the-century New Orleans, Luis' hometown, including Mardi Gras; 1930's New York, including the jazz club scene; 1940's L.A., then amazingly mostly parkland; and Las Vegas from its fledgling days in the '50's to its rococo neon explosion of the '60's. Arguably, just the sight of Keely Smith's torpedo tits, anatomic correlate on the female body to the big fins on the cars of those days, is alone worth the price of admission.

Talking heads include many near and dear to Luigi: wife-singers Keely Smith & Gia Maione; his manager and life-long buddy, a scar-faced smokey-voiced cat who looks like he just stepped out of the Italian-American Club in Bensonhurst to ice someone; mainstay tenor man Sam Butera; Prima's son and daughter; and even Woody Herman; none of whose words say anything really new or unexpected, but whose faces and voices say more than enough.

The bio is very much an "official" version, that is, respectful--chuckling in admiration of Prima's endless marital infidelities--and a bit sketchy, jumping here and there, hitting mostly highlights, but skimpy on intimate details, the nuts and bolts of finances, or juicy gossip. One odd note: against images of Hitler shaking Mussolini's hand, the narrator explains that while Italian-Americans were "dumbfounded" by the alliance, Prima publicly stuck to his Italian roots without apology. This raises more questions than it answers, awkward questions that wouldn't have even come up of their own had this not been mentioned, namely, what exactly were Prima's affiliations with fascist Italy during W.W.II?

(For those whose entire lives are referenced by movies and TV only, Prima's unseen presence, Prima as cultural phenomenon, propels most of the movie Big Night; and dancers clad in Gap trousers hopped to one of his tunes in a recent TV ad.)

Clinical lowdown: The musical fecundity of New Orleans gifted Prima with a solid competency in jazz and experience in stage entertainment that served him his entire life. He was propelled from the orchestra pit onto the stage not as some jazz prodigy or innovator, by no means a Louis Armstrong or Sidney Bechet, but as a vivacious, audacious musical performer eager to find whatever it took to please his audience. He never deviated from his rock-solid business sense of what the public wanted, even if it meant sinking to what some regarded as vulgar antics. Sometime during the 30's he fused popular Italian songs to his already flamboyant rocking, swinging jazz act and caught fire. Of all places, he launched New York's famous 52nd Street jazz scene, at least according to this film (I remain skeptical). He then did the same first in LA in the 1940's, making friendships and business contacts with biggies like Disney, and finally in Vegas in the 50's, after a long stretch of down-and-out one nighters, single-handedly rocketing Sin City to its glories as an international musical venue (again I remain skeptical).

On the sobering side, as likable as he is, as much fun as he is to watch, as warm and giving as his act was, he still remains one more example of how whites profited out of proportion to their talent from exploiting black music: compared to the Basie or Ellington organizations, his coevals, Prima is a pimple. While Basie was struggling in the 1930's under the weight of a blatantly exploitive contract with Decca, slogging through grimy low-paying one-nighters, Prima was the toast of the town. Life has its ironies, especially when it touches

Sadly, for the last three years of Luigi's life he lay in a semi-comatose state following unsuccessful surgery for a brain tumor, a cruel end to such a lively and extroverted life. His tombstone in New Orleans bears the ironically accurate self-description: "When the end comes, I know, they'll say 'Just a gigolo.' Life goes on without me."

Excellent documentary on one of the greats of New Orleans at the beginning and at the peak on down to the end. Informative and reverent interviews with close friends and fellow entertainers. Sam Butera still thinks Prima was the greatest and loved him like a brother.. Sam is masterful on the sax til yet and younger musicians should take a good look at a real cat!

We saw this on cable about a year ago while idly zapping around. Although i was very young when they were in their prime, the music brings back rich memories.

The film is such a gem. a film done in the rough b/w 50's style about a modern musical great (listen to FoodTV's Multo Mario - that's Louis Prima music!).

New Orleans has always produced great music via a blending of cultures. Louis is certainly among the greats representing the large Italian population in NOLA. Louis Prima and Keely Smith excelled at combining swing, jazz, and comedy.

My only gripe is having seen this once, I want to see it again and again but can't find it anywhere. Can anyone help???

I loved this wonderful documentary. Having seen Louis Prima and Keely Smith at the State Theater in Hartford, Ct, it was a pleasure to see their chemistry captured on film. When Keely sang "That Old Black Magic", standing at the microphone without moving a muscle, it took your breath away. I'm happy that she's still entertaining in Las Vegas.

Great review of this jazz master's career, from New Orleans, to New York (where he penned the immortal "Sing, Sing, Sing") and on to his later triumph as a Vegas showman. His gift, and his gab, are clearly on display here through archive footage and kinetoscopes of early TV appearances with Keely Smith. Loaded with interviews, photos, recordings and rare films. If you think you knew about Louis Prima, this documentary will open your eyes. A great film about one of the 20th Century's great jazz artists.